Introduction to Cross-Cultural Ministry

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

VI. Principles of Cross Cultural Ministry: Studying Cultures

ETHNOGRAPHY: Studying Cultures

When Paul visited Athens, he said, "As I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you." (Acts 17:23). Paul observed carefully. Not only that, he was alert to build a cultural bridge between the experience of the Athenians and the Gospel. Some believed Paul's method failed, but "a few" men, a woman and "a number of others" believed (Acts 17:34). Paul did not have any Old Testament scriptural base from which to operate, so the Athenians had to be brought further along than would Jews.

Ethnographic cultural observation will assist to understand a people and find points of intersection for the Gospel. Don Richards (Peace Child), believes that each culture has its "Redemptive Analogy", "The application of local custom to spiritual truth" (Tucker, p. 481). He found this among the Sawi tribe of Irian Jaya in their "peace child" ritual. To make the most binding peace, children from warring tribes would be exchanged. From that analogy, Christ was effectively presented as the child the Heavenly Father gave to make peace with us (p. 483).

As aids to observation, we can look for behaviors that to us are strange. We can look for patterns of behaviors and ask "Why?" (Ted Ward). Who is involved in this behavior and why are they doing it? So simple that it is overlooked, we can ask a member of the group for an explanation. Cultural informants are precious. Why, for example, do Ugandans drive so aggressively? Is this connected breaking into the head of a line of people, something considered rude by Americans? Are these behaviors, in turn, related to a "survival of the fittest" worldview, due to the slaughters led by Amin and Obote?

Research into ethnographies of the target people can be invaluable. Many are not done from a Christian perspective. Country studies published by the U.S. government are very thorough. The British publish quarterly the "Country Report", Economic Intelligence Unit, United Kingdom (HC 870 .A C68) on every nation, giving economic and political analyses. "Human Resource Area Files" extensively document many cultures, but are somewhat dated. They are now on CD Rom discs. Article data bases provide the most current information, apart from shortwave reception of national news services. Social scientists publish ethnographic articles in journals (the GN1 Library of Congress number area) such as Ethnology, American Anthropologist, Ethnic and Racial Studies, International Journal of Cross-cultural Relations, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Journal of Ethnic Studies and many others.

Encyclopedias exist which detail aspects of cultures, such as the Dictionary of Race and Ethnic Relations (1994), and those which detail even aspects of a culture, as the Encyclopedia of African American Religion (1993). Northwestern University at Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. has devoted one floor of a library wing to "Africana". Dissertations and theses, as well as books, are other sources.

Cross cultural ministry is like picking one's way through a mine field. With great care we probe for the mines, knowing that a situation may blow up in our face if we are careless. So we need to watch where the nationals walk, even where the pets walk, so reading cultural clues and cues. How are people reacting? Why are they reacting like they are? But hopefully we learn from errors and improve. To adapt to a people requires unusual flexibility and humility. Such ministry is demands competent, intelligent and gifted servants of God, not as some think, those who can't make it in other kinds of work or ministry.

©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.