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Hoksbergen and Bronkema, Editors’ Introduction i 

 

Editors’ Introduction 
 

Roland Hoksbergen and David Bronkema – CRDA Co-Editors 
 

 
It is always a blessing to see how the Spirit brings 

together an issue, and this one is no exception. We are 

particularly thankful for the way that the engagement 

with our journal is transcending the originally published 

articles with follow up webinars and conversations. In 

fact, a significant portion of this issue is the result of 

follow-up reflections based on David Bueno’s article in 

our Spring issue where he wrote about his experiences 

with transformational development work in 

communities where gangs are present, pervasive, and 

powerful. Bueno offered ideas for work at both 

community (or micro) levels, and national (or macro) 

levels, even as he wrestled with the best way forward. 

Working where gang activity permeates a community, 

complete with the threat and reality of violence, as well 

as threats to attract and enfold community youth into 

the ranks of the gangs, is difficult, to say the least, and 

despairing, to put a more accurate label on it. Where is 

God, and where is redemption, amidst such trouble?  

In this issue we present three thoughtful responses 

to Bueno’s basic questions around how our faith helps 

us understand gang presence, inspires us to act, and 

informs our mission of doing development work that is 

truly transformational. Two of these responses, by 

Barbara Rowe and Fabiola Ramirez, emphasize 

individual, Spirit-led change that comes through faith 

commitment and the formation of Christian character. 

The local church plays a key role here, and, as Ramirez 

argues, church engagement must begin by connecting 

with children at an early age. A third response, from 

Edgar Aguilar in Honduras, adds another dimension 

based on the work of his organization, the Asociación 

para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ - in English, 

Association for a More Just Society) in Honduras both 

at the community and the national level in terms of 

meeting needs and tackling entrenched structures. 

Aguilar explains how ASJ partners with churches, not 

only for the spiritual nurturing emphasized by Rowe 

and Ramirez, but because churches form key parts of 

the community and are entry points that help ASJ 

engage the whole community in seeing to its own 

security and development, and based on which policy 

level actions can be undertaken. This brief introduction 

to the three responses is intended mostly as a teaser. 

There is more to be discovered and appreciated in each 

response. 

 

But, that is not all!  This summer issue continues 

with… 

 

1. A thoughtful piece from Samuel Verbi of EIDO 

Research about how to measure the impact of 

spiritual transformation programs over time when 

respondents’ very understanding of the extent and 

nature of that transformation may also change 

during the time period of the program. Verbi 

proposes the use of retrospective pretest designs as 

a promising tool to deal with this “response-shift 

bias” to improve measurement and appreciation of 

the spiritual changes many programs seek. 

2. A synopsis of the two most recent research 

intensives held by the Accord Research Alliance, 

one, in 2020, in an online format due to COVID-

19, and the other in 2021 (in person). The first 

intensive focused on integrating improved 

practices of listening into all aspects of 

organizational life, and the second addressed faith-

based aspects of evidence that organizations use to 

assess their work.  

3. Book reviews of four recent books of interest to the 

CRDA community 

 

Because Bueno’s article and the three responses 

arise out of Spanish-speaking cultures and nations, we 

decided to have his article translated into Spanish and 

include it in this issue, which you will find after the three 

responses. David Bueno and all respondents are either 

native Spanish speakers or completely fluent, which of 

course helps them enter into the reality they are 

describing and analyzing. Similar to Bueno’s article, the 

response by Ramirez is written in both English and 

Spanish. Perhaps we should have ensured that the other 

two responses were written in both languages as well, 

but we did not achieve that. To any who would like 

either to read all three responses in Spanish or share 

them with Spanish speakers, we apologize.  

As editors, we are fully aware of how important 

fluency with different languages is to development work 

in general and to communication across cultures. 

Pentecost-like dreams of full communication inspire all 

of us, but we will work through language issues as we 

are able, bringing as many people across the globe into 

conversation as possible. Our efforts in this issue are 

minimal, but we hope meaningful in some way too. 



Christian Relief, Development, and Advocacy 4(1), Summer 2022  

Hoksbergen and Bronkema, Editors’ Introduction ii 

As our opening comments noted in the most 

recent issue (winter 2022), we are pursuing special 

issues that address topics that Christians find both 

challenging and compelling. Nina Kurlberg and Roland 

Hoksbergen are leading an effort to assemble a special 

issue on decolonization and its significance for 

Christian-inspired development work in all regions of 

the globe. A good number of contributors have already 

joined the project, but if you feel called to participate in 

this special issue, please write to us at the address below. 

Other special issues in early stages of development 

include one on the foundational question of the 

relationship of faith and development, and another on 

mainstreaming gender in Christian NGOs. If you feel 

inspired to lead and edit a special issue on a topic of 

relevance to the CRDA community, please write. All 

communication to the editors can be sent to 

CRDA@accordnetwork.org.  
 

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