Introduction to Cross-Cultural Ministry

INTRODUCTION TO CROSS CULTURAL MINISTRY
by Jim Sutherland
Director, Reconciliation Ministries Network
1/2/1998

V. Principles of Cross Cultural Ministry: Incarnation

INCARNATION

The greatest "cultural" gap ever bridged was when the eternal Logos (John 1:1) became the infant Jesus. He emptied Himself, voluntarily limiting the exercise of aspects of His divine glory (Phil. 2:6-8). Jesus, "Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Phil. 2:6-7). This incarnational principle of cc ministry is probably the dominant model today in evangelical missions.

Jesus "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45). Jesus, who as God was the agent of creation, became a humble member of the humanity He made (Col. 1:16). Paul wrote of such sacrifice: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 2:5). So service is a cc way of life. Service bonds us to the recipient (2 Cor. 9:14). It creates bridges, as did the flesh of the God-man.

This identification with the "target" people was illustrated by Paul. "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." (1 Cor. 9:22b). "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible." (1 Cor. 9:19).

Circumcision illustrates this principle. Paul had Timothy, who had a Jewish mother, circumcised, in order to be found acceptable to the Jews (Acts 16:3). The principle of "contextualization", or the principle of making the Gospel as relevant to a given ethnic people as possible, without compromising the biblical truth, is illustrated by this circumcision. However, accommodation to a people halts if it is in conflict with Scripture. Paul refused to circumcise Titus , so that it would not give the message that a Christian had to first observe the Law (Gal. 2:2-5). Normally circumcision is not an issue (1 Cor. 7:18-19).

Incarnational ministry is flexible, without compromise. What exactly "compromise" is has been problematic. What is the line between honoring and worshipping ancestors? Some believe that Matteo Ricci's (1552-1611) allowance of Chinese Christians praying to ancestors was compromise ("Chinese Rites Controversy", Ruth Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya, Zondervan, 1983, p. 65). Hudson Taylor's fellow missionaries felt that he had gone too far by adopting Chinese dress, including "pony tail".

A missionary probably cannot completely identify with those served. This is due to differences in mother tongue, worldview, education and often economic level. Bruce Olsen, a single American, (his fine book is Bruchko), has in effect become a Motilone Indian, of South America. He lives exactly as they live in the jungle. Yet he is more than a Motilone, having access to education and other North American resources. Viv Grigg (Companion to the Poor) lived in the slums of Manila to incarnate the Gospel to the poor. However he maintains that complete cultural identification is not possible. For example, he has decided to keep his engineering credentials current, for use when needed. Once a week he was able to leave, to gain perspective, strength and Christian fellowship. This is not a criticism, but illustrates that complete identification is probably not possible.

Jonathan Bonk (Missions and Money, Orbis Books, 1991) made a strong case for the estrangement of missionary and host culture because of economic distance. He advises identification economically with host culture. However, if a missionary is on a par with the people, he is unable to minister, because ministry costs money, in contrast to business, which gains money from serving people. He will have also the power of personal networks. It is hard to deny, in any case, that a "compound" mentality puts distance between missionary and national. One resolution is to live at the level of those to whom we minister primarily. While God is interested in the Gospel for the poor (Luke 4:18), He desires missionaries to all the world, including the middle and upper classes, something extremely difficult for a missionary who identifies with the poor. As Larry Burkett has noted, God has His people at all levels of society (whether official missionaries or not).

Ralph Winter (Center for World Mission, Pasadena, Cal.) lives on a "wartime" budget. During war, expensive airplanes and ships are purchased in order to win, while luxuries are scarce. He believes in spending whatever is needed to win the battle that a ministry faces. This may mean digital recording for a radio ministry, or a fast modem for a missionary to reduce phone costs, or a laptop computer which will withstand a harsh environment.

© Copyright Jim Sutherland, 1/2/1998; Used with permission.
Jim Sutherland is Director of Reconciliation Ministries Network, which works cross-culturally to mobilize the Body of Christ, especially the African American church, for ministry.