By Shannon Dunlap
October 30, 2006

 

“Once you know who you are, you don’t have to worry any more.” –Nikki Giovanni, Poet

 

The bright, green apple hung suspended in front of the face of the man in the bowler hat.  Why did the I.Q. Forum (Identity Quotient Forum) choose this abstract picture to represent their meeting?  According to Jeannie Bland, one of the event’s directors, it mirrored the core of their purpose.  No one wants to see the apple.  We want to see what is behind it, but the man’s identity is hidden.  IQF creators hoped to provide motivation for people to pull away the tricks of the trade that we so often use to block who we are.  Their goal:  Strip away the apple and step into your true identity.

 

A group of young, college and career aged men and women met in St. Louis on October 19-20, 2006 for the second annual IQF.  Sponsored by Gateway College of Evangelism and www.ninetyandnine.com, the advertising was adamant that this was not a singles conference or a place to hear the latest sermon.  The roster included classes on publishing your writing, Songbook burning (hymns vs. praise songs), time management (for professionals, students, and families), debt management, how to handle hurts in the church, and dealing with racial integration in the church.

 

 

“There’s something for everybody really,” said Forum attendee Mandy Naquin of Louisiana.  “There wasn’t any one session that I walked out of saying, ‘eh.’”

 

Speakers Who Challenged
Speakers included Apostolics from all walks of life, from the metro-mission field of New Jersey to the soundstages of Hollywood. One thing the I.Q. Forum highlighted without ever coming right out and saying it was the myth that Pentecostals cannot be successful professionals outside of church. 

 

• Eric Roemheld makes his living as a set dresser for the television drama CSI: NY.  His sessions contained a good part of his testimony and his attempts to share a strong, but gentle witness in the entertainment industry.  His presentation included film clips of the Apostolic Entertainment Ministry, a drama ministry he helps lead with his local church at Halloween called “Virtual Hell.”  The scope of their production expands every year, and AEM unveiled a world premiere, a drama that incorporates Indian Jones-like scenes in the desert as a group of Germans search for Satan’s throne.
  

 

• Cara Davis serves as an editor and writer for two edgy mainstream Christian magazines, Relevant and Radiant.  Her sessions dealt with “Transitioning from College to Career” and “Things You Should Know By Now.”  Perhaps Roemheld and Davis’s greatest contribution to the forum was simply their example. 
  

 

• Calvin Jean insisted that balance was not taking more on, but releasing everything (including kingdom responsibilities outside your expertise) that does not fit within. He said that if you ask five people: “Who was Jesus and what did he come to do?” you would get the same five answers. However, if you asked five people, “Who am I and what did I come to do?” you would most likely get five different answers. Our lives should be just as focused as Christ’s. That means, Jean maintains only four biblical priorities: 1) Be the (wo)man God wants you to be; 2) Be the husband/wife God wants you to be; 3) Be the father/wife God wants you to be; 4) Pursue Your Career as God wants you to.
  

 

Ethics and standards may make the climb up the ladder of success more slippery, but it can be done in the corporate world and in Pentecost.

 

Not That It Was Perfect
Being only its second year, the forum struggled to find its footing at times.  Word spread slowly about the event and only a few dozen registered officially.  Local Gateway College students filled in certain classes, sometimes beefing general sessions up past 70 attendees, but there were rarely more than 30 people in any given session.  The small intimate feel worked well in some cases.  The speakers encouraged open discussion and the classes could be tailored to fit the individual’s specific needs.  The coordinators packed the schedule from 10 in the morning until midnight on the first day.  The second lasted only until mid-afternoon, but kept up the busy timetable.  The pace was exhausting for the body, but the information was stimulating for the mind.

 

The I.Q. Forum continues to tweak their methods as they grow.  Anyone who believes it is merely an excuse for Braniac Muckety-mucks to sit around and show-off their intellectual capacity is mistaken.  It is a different approach to making a difference.  Not all testimonies need to start with a scriptural text, while relating to the outside world can actually improve your witness.  The important aspect is being true to the person God has created you to be.  Many people left inspired to get rid of the Granny Smith fruit in front of their face and show the world just who they are.

 

ninetyandnine.com

 

© 2006, Shannon Dunlap

 

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Shannon Dunlap received her M.A. in Journalism from Regent University and now lives near the beautiful beaches of Virginia.  She is currently working on a humorous travel book called Jet-Lag Ramblings.   Her hobbies include collecting old records, watching Cary Grant movies, and eating too many doughnuts.