Cross Cultural Ministry: A Few Keys
Friday, October 11, 2013 at 11:59AM This article is a cross-post from the newsletter of Dan and Patty Schmelzer's Capstone Ministries project in Kisumu, Kenya. Learn more about Capstone Ministries at their website: http://capstoneministries.org/
Cross Cultural Ministry: A Few Keys
“I have become all things to all men, so that by all possible means I might save some.” I Corinthians 9:22
Imagine working on Ellis Island when immigrants were flooding into the USA by the thousands daily. As an orientation officer, your job is to help new arrivals with important information about citizenship, how to live, work and travel in this new land. However you don’t speak the language of those arriving from so many different countries. How would you approach your job? How would you communicate effectively? What might be some potential problem areas?
Being effective in cross cultural ministry involves some of the same situations. Over the past 11 years Patty and I have discovered some keys to being effective in bridging the gap in culture between our western culture and African culture.
PLAN. From the beginning it is vital to understand that as a Christian missionary, you have moved away from your culture and are now living in another culture. That means that the burden for bridging the gap every day is on you, not on those you work with. That affects everything from how you talk, understanding norms of conversation, as well as how you approach theology and learning. In Kenya for example, conversations will circle a topic before addressing the topic at hand. Americans tend to be more abrupt and dive right into an issue. Preaching also is different. Africans are more “eastern” in their approach, using stories and illustrations to teach. Americans tend to be more “western” or conceptual. An African may be more comfortable hearing about God as the Bright Morning Star whereas a westerner might describe God as a source of enlightenment.
But a basic structure to ministry is also a key in planning. Long ago missionaries did everything that needed to be done. Over time we have learned that it is more effective for missionaries to utilize people from the culture to minister to their own people. A missionary becomes more of a trainer of trainers, planner, administrator, motivator, fund raiser and accountant. In this approach, it is also critical to find the right trustworthy, honest, industrious and innovative people to work with the missionary. Capstone is blessed with seven very dedicated staff members and this greatly enhances the effectiveness of the ministry.
PITFALLS The downside of the missionary insisting on doing the work him/herself is many. In Kenya there is a perception that white people have money. This coupled with a history of hand-outs creates a perception by those who have perceived needs. The local people may listen to you politely, all the while intending to ask for and expecting a hand out at the end. Indigenous staff may face some of this but it is certainly less normative.
One temptation that every missionary faces who tries to help people directly is something known as the God-complex. When the recipient of your help calls you “Jesus in the flesh” or says, “You are so wise and we are so blessed by your presence,” humility can be a challenge and an ego can run wild justifying even bad ideas.
A doctor can be extremely gifted but if he makes a mistake in diagnosis, harm can result. The same is true of a missionary diagnosing a social or spiritual setting without local wisdom. This happens often with those who come for a short visit and draw conclusions about how to help street kids based on a few conversations with a street boy.
Other less serious pitfalls can also be experienced by a missionary. Communication issues are one example. Kenyan English sounds much different than American English. Most Kenyans speak with an English accent. Kenya was a former colony of the United Kingdom and Kenyans learned their English from the British. Americans speak faster, slur their words, use slang and idioms foreign to the Kenyan ear. It is not uncommon for an entire sermon to go unheard simply because the American made no effort to communicate as a Kenyan.
PRIDE. All of us love our own country and people with a good heart want to make it better. One reward of our Capstone staff is that they know they are improving the society. When an alcoholic father repents and vows to support his family, when a boy is reconciled with a harsh father and becomes a prayer warrior in school, when Bible study group members minister to each other with love and sacrifice, our staff go home in the evening with a full heart and love to recount the stories in our staff meeting. That is pride in the work of God and the privilege of being an instrument in the hand of God. I believe it is even more powerful and meaningful when that PRIDE is part of the indigenous experience. May we all take pride in our joint efforts to bring reconciliation to the vulnerable children of Kenya through our Kenyan staff.
(This article was a little bit different from other newsletter articles. I wanted to take some time to explain the uniqueness and challenge of cross cultural ministry. Patty and I have learned a lot in our 11 years in Kenya. We are still learning. It is, by far, the most challenging work we have ever done. It is also the most rewarding. I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into cross cultural ministry.)
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