Culture As Challenge for Outreaches of Congregations in Local Communities and Abroad

Culture as challenge for outreaches of congregations in local communities and abroad

R van Velden

We must guard against two extremes when we consider the relationship between culture and the ministry of congregations locally and abroad. On the one extreme we have Christians and congregations who overemphasise the supernatural nature of ministry and outreaches. In their view people all over the world are first of all human beings created in the image of God and therefore in their core the same. The shared humanness of all people is so wide and strong that the approach and ministry to people all over the world is basically the same. Christians are mandated to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people. This gospel is also the same for all people regardless of their culture or background. The challenge of ministry is to live a Spirit filled life. Ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit will lead to salvation and the transformation of people regardless of their culture. Outreaches are all about an incomparable product (gospel) and unlimited power (Holy Spirit) which are at work in the lives of people. No special training, programs or methods are necessary to reach people of different cultures and backgrounds! Ministry practices of these Christians and churches are therefore basically the same in different cultures.

On the other extreme we have Christians and congregations who acknowledge the basic humanity of all people, but emphasise that this basic humanity is expressed in many different cultural ways. This different cultures make it difficult, if not at times impossible, for people of different cultures to have meaningful interaction and have a deep experience of their common humanity. Since the Word became flesh, it is clear that the gospel is not the very same for all people. The gospel must incarnate in a culture to make sense to people. The way people perceive and experience the gospel will differ from culture to culture. Ministry to people of another culture requires special training, programs and methods and only the experts can hope to see real lasting fruit upon their ministry.

Our challenge is to take note of the truth which is present in both of these extremes and develop a ministry which depends totally on the supernatural power of God but does not ignore the fact that God Himself became man and live and minister to people in a cultural sensitive way. As church leaders we must assist Spirit filled congregations who trust the gospel of Jesus Christ to reach out to and work together with people of different cultures in a culture sensitive way.

What is culture?

In order to ensure that we all share the same basic concept of culture in our presentation and discussions, I will refer to culture as:

“the integrated and learned system of ideas, emotions, values, behaviour patterns and products that are characteristic of a group or society”

It is important that we notice that this definition of culture does not only refer to so-called ethnic groups, but includes groups or societies such as gangs, street children, yuppies, etc. People groups who differ socio-logically are also manifestations of different cultures. As church we minister to both ethnic and social cultures in our communities.

One way to portray culture graphically is as follows:

This model explains culture in terms of a concentric structure where certain aspects of culture are closer to the core of culture while other aspects refer to things that can change or where differences between members can occur more easily. According to this model, it is possible to distinguish between the more observable and less influential aspects of culture and the more hidden and influential aspects of culture. These aspects form a whole and influence each other mutually.What is visible (behaviour and the result of behaviour) is just an expression of the deeper and hidden aspects of culture. The closer one moves towards the centre, the more difficult it becomes to gain knowledge and understanding of the culture and the more difficult it becomes to bring about change or transformation. This graphic depiction includes the idea of God and religion as part of culture. It is important not to think of God and religion as only one aspect of culture. While God and religion belong to the heart of culture, God and religion are directly and always part of all other aspects of culture. (While God is in a certain sense part of culture, He transcends all cultures and rules over all cultures. He is not a creation, but the Creator of all things). Culture is always a whole and the different aspects of culture always influence each other even though it is true that the centre influences more fundamentally than others. Conversion and renewal of a culture must therefore affect all aspects to be genuine and lasting. Conversion and renewal which does not penetrate the religious and world view will not lead to authentic and lasting change. Change in observable behaviour only is not necessarily a sign of fundamental change in thinking and the idea of God and will change with time.

Specific challenges in the light of the nature of culture

Dynamic nature of culture as challenge

Since culture is also a response to the environment and influences upon people, it is dynamic and always changing. There is always a creative tension between the preservation of culture and the transformation of culture to address new realities. This change and transformation of culture is not always smooth, gradual or widespread. Certain aspects of culture can change abruptly, in a short time and with much energy and power and cause a lot of confusion in a specific cultural group as part of a larger cultural community (TV changed certain aspects of traditional culture in short time etc.).

Congregations and outreach teams must learn the culture of the people they want to serve from the people themselves. While books and people who previously served among the people may assist outreach teams to know and understand the culture of the people in broad terms, they need the people themselves to give them culture specific information and guidance about their current culture in their own setting and context. It is for example quite possible that the habits and behaviour of Xhosa people in a certain city location may differ in many ways from their relatives in rural areas or that the typical behaviour of street children in one city will differ from that in another city. Outreach teams must make a big effort to understand the specific group of people they minister to and be wary of stereotypes. Even when outreach teams worked among people of a ethnic group in one area, they must learn the culture of the group in another area even if they belong to the same ethnic group.

“Behaviour and habits” as challenge

The spontaneous and normal way to learn unknown culturesis usually to move from the outer (Behaviour and habits) to the inner circle (World view and religion). Behaviour is observed and questions are asked concerning the reason why people act as they do and how it is related to their convictions and world view. People of foreign cultures also get to know the unknown intercultural workers in the same way. Although behaviour belongs to the outer circle of culture the importance of correct behaviour must never be underestimated in intercultural work. Intercultural workers must understand the importance of behaviour and respect it at all times, even if they do not agree with it. Showing respect and sensitivity and participating in the behaviour of people of a different culture cultivates trust and frees the people of the other culture to behave naturally and with confidence. Those who ignore, belittle or criticise the behaviour and customs of the other culture will never be able to learn the deeper levels of the culture of the community or work successfully in the new community.

World view as challenge

World view signifies the image people have of the nature of the world and life and their place and responsibility within the greater whole.It functions like a map or compass. A world view is all embracing and provides people with the big picture of the context within which they must live. Because it helps people to understand reality and gives structure and direction to their lives, it brings great stability to people’s lives. It describes reality as people see and understand it but it also prescribes to people how to understand reality or how it is supposed to be.

Every person has a world view. People may not always be aware of the picture which determines the way they see, experience and live this life. A world view may be compared with the roots of a tree which cannot be seen with the eyes, but which determine the nature and fruit of a tree. The tree and its fruit will be affected if the roots are damaged or come in contact with good nutrition. Change in the behaviour of people is to a large degree the result of change in the world view of people.

A world view can also be compared with spectacles. The spectacles determines what and how you see the word, but it cannot determine what is there to be seen. There is more to see and experience than you as an individual see and experience. Your worldview causes you to see and experience certain things in the world and life but it also prevents you to take note and experience other things in life. People with different world views who live in the same area and under the same conditions may understand and experience quite different from each other although they live and work in the same area and under the same conditions.

When people look at the picture, they notice different things. What do you see?

People live in and look at the same world, but see and experience it differently!

Worldview is the result of many impressions and the things which are communicated to people since birth by people around them and the environment in which they grow up. A world view is on the one hand the result of culture but on the other hand changes in the world view of people lead to change in aspects of culture. It is clear that a world view is a dynamic thing. A world view is constantly subjected to change as thinking and influences from outside influence people. In order to form an idea of how the world views of groups differ, it is helpful to notice the differences between some important aspects of each world view and the different ways in which these aspects function within the greater whole. Some of these aspects are for example:

• The understanding of God, supernatural beings and salvation/redemption
• The prominent values that direct the conduct of individuals and society
• The understanding of man and the place of man in relationship to God and fellowmen
• The role and place of the community in the world
• The essence of nature and the relationship between nature and God and nature and man
• Understanding of time and history

It is possible to distinguish between different broad world views which are to some degree shared by a number of people. No two people have the very same world view. It is for example possible to speak of Eurocentric, Afro-centric, modern or post modern world views. B.J. van der Walt (Transformed by the renewing of your mind. Potchefstroom.2001:85) made for example the following summary of some world views:

World view effects cross-cultural ministries in many unexpected ways. Strained relationships, difficulties with communication and understanding, priorities, motivation and energy for ministry and projects are often very deeply affected by the different world views of the people involved. If we do not respect and try to understand and incorporate world views in our approach and methods when we minister to unknown culture groups, we can easily do more harm than good in spite of our good intentions. Stephen T.Hoke laments thus: “Most recently, when geopolitical walls crumbled overnight inregions for which we had prayed for generations, our individualistic, triumphalistic,and segmented approaches created scenes of mass confusion in which we trampled ourown in the stampede to help. Mishandled sheep lay strewn across the countryside ascareless and unwitting pseudo-shepherds offered quick fixes to complex generationaland multi-ethnic dilemmas. The Western mission movement once more became knownfor its blitzkrieg slash-and-burn tactics followed by rapid retreats from areas that didnot yield overnight to outdated, out-of-touch, and misdirected frontal attacks”(“Global Mission in Changing Times,” in With an Eye on the Future: Developmentand Mission in the 21stCentury, ed. Duane Elmer and Lois McKinney [Monrovia, CA:MARC, 1996], 116).

Acceptance and the development of relationships

The way people from different cultures perceive one another due to their world views play a very big role in the possibility to develop true and intimate relationships. Past histories with people A and stereotypes of the same people A which have become part of their world view of people B can prevent people A to develop meaningful relationships with people B. People who perceive themselves for example as superior and acted paternalistic will not easily develop meaningful relationships with people of other cultures. Culture groups who perceive themselves as inferior will never be able to build strong relationships with other groups even if there is no trace of paternalism or superiority among the other culture group.

It is of crucial importance that intercultural workers make a real effort to look at other people through the eyes and attitude of God and to base any perception upon tested facts about the group. They must also make a real effort to get a picture of the way the culture group perceive them, rightly or wrongly. If members of an outreach team are aware of misconceptions among themselves or about themselves, they need to take deliberate steps to correct the perceptions as far as it may be possible. Past histories between different culture groups play a very important role in the development of certain views about one another, the expectations of one another and the willingness to participate in any activity.

World view and communication

The meaning which people of different cultures attach to a word is sometimes due to different world views very different. The same words or incidents may often lead to different concepts or experiences between people of different backgrounds. Words like “power”, “success” , good accommodation “ may for example lead to very different mind pictures when people of different cultures communicate.

The messenger or speaker is always in one way or the other part of the message. World views determine who are the people who can speak with authority or who needs to be obeyed or respected. World views determine the place and role of age and gender in communications. If messengers or speakers do not fit in within the world view of a culture group as to who has the right and authority to speak, the changes are good that they will not listen carefully or regard a message as important. If a world view regards old men as people with wisdom and authority who must be obeyed and respected, members of that culture will find it difficult to listen to or regard any message from a young women as something to pay any attention to.