Daniel Gomis is a preacher, teacher, and worship leader in the Church of Nazarene. He pastors the Baobob Church of the Nazarene in Dakar, Senegal, and also serves as French literature coordinator for the Africa Region. His language skills have given Gomis opportunity to be involved in the translation of the Nazarene Manual and to translate for general assemblies and regional conferences. Gomis and his wife, Elisabeth, have two young daughters, Sarah and Tabitha. Share about your upbringing. My father was a journalist and raised us in a middle-class lifestyle. I have four brothers and five sisters. My parents were divorced when I was five years old, so I lived in two worlds. My father paid for our private schooling at Catholic schools. My mother had a lower income. I experienced both situations in the city. During the summers we would stay with our mother, but during the year with my father. What life lesson did you learn from your father? He taught me to be colorblind. He treated everyone the same no matter what religion, race, social status, or background. My father was actually pretty famous, which I didn't really realize until he passed away because he was so humble. He taught me integrity and because of that, he has left me the great heritage of a good family name. How has Elisabeth influenced you? After Christ and my father, Elisabeth has had the greatest influence in my life. When we met I was a mess. Christ saved me, but she helped me straighten out my life and gain confidence in myself. I truly admire her strength. Explain about your parents' religious backgrounds. My father was raised as a Roman Catholic and influenced us into the Christian faith. My mother is Muslim so we lived in harmony in both worlds. We celebrated all the holidays of both religions, which gave me a very open mind and understanding of how to bridge between both religions. How has that background affected your worldview? I have a better understanding of how to relate to those in the Muslim faith because I have experienced both points of view. Also, I have a greater chance to minister to those who are questioning their faith since I went through this same struggle. Has holiness affected your worldview? It has totally challenged my worldview. My Christian life is a greater challenge and it has given deeper meaning to grace and what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Holiness has made a thorough transformation of my character. God is not a mechanic or a builder, but He is like a gardener who tends to my life and soul. I am growing in grace and desire to be like Him. If you could ask God one question, what would it be? Am I following Your will or mine? If you could ask God for one special skill, what would it be? To be able to use my hands to build or fix something—like a table—without ending up at the hospital. What would Holiness Today readers be surprised to learn about you? I used to believe in Rastafarianism and braided my hair and listened to Reggae music. It was part of my love for music and I still love to play the drums and sing. Your favorite food indulgence? I love pork ribs—which is a funny taste when you live in a mostly Muslim country. Share about religious life in your area. Despite the fact that Senegal is 95 percent Muslim, the country is very tolerant of other religions. Christians and Muslims live together in harmony. They intermarry and sometimes keep their separate faiths within the same family. The Church of the Nazarene has one organized church and four houses of prayer in the cities of Dakar and Thies. If you weren't a Nazarene clergy person, what might you be doing as a career? I think I would be a journalist or a teacher of African literature at a university level. If not that, then I would probably work with a humanitarian organization trying to make a difference in this world. Why is literature important to you? Literature is art and a part of my life. I have heard a saying that the words fly away but the writings last forever. If we want to leave a heritage for the next generation, we must write. A need exists for this kind of literature in French so that the next generation will hear and know the doctrine of holiness in their own words and context so that in their time and generation they will understand it. Every part of the Church and ministry needs literature from texts, novels, worship books, lessons, Bible stories, and many other types. Literature is the key to ministry that is long-lasting. Holiness Today, January/February 2008

 

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