Founded in 2003, the Global Ethnodoxology Network (GEN) helps communities of Jesus followers in every culture to engage with God and the world through their own artistic expressions.
The appointment of Héber Negrão as GEN’s third president reflects and celebrates the growing role of the global south and the majority world in the practice of ethnodoxology. GEN has grown in the past two decades from a group of primarily Euro-Americans focused on ethnomusicology and missions into a diverse, global movement of people advocating for a broad range of arts in cross-cultural and multicultural ministries. Héber also represents a new generation of ethnodoxologists who are engaged in academic research and writing.
GEN co-founder and past president, Dr. Robin Harris, affirmed the board’s choice, noting, “I’ve looked forward to this moment with great joy. Héber is the right person for this job and I feel confident that GEN will flourish into the future under his leadership.”
In addition to serving on the GEN Board and as liaison to GEN’s Global Advisory Council, Héber has been the key force behind the successful implementation of a new networking app for GEN members. He has been active in ethnoarts ministry in Brazil since joining GEN in 2006. He and his wife, Sophia, are members of the Evangelical Missionary Linguistic Association (ALEM) where they worked on an oral Bible translation for the Tembé people in northern Brazil. Now based in Dallas, Héber is completing his PhD in World Arts at Dallas International University, while also serving as Online Language Coordinator for the Lausanne Movement and as a Board Member of Wycliffe Global Alliance.
The Negrãos have two children, Thalita and Felipe, and their family plans to return to Brazil this year after finishing Héber’s studies at DIU.
See a longer article on the appointment, written by Christian Daily International, here.
