Moving from COMMUNAL to PERSONAL Faith

It is not uncommon in Indian homes to have a designated place for prayer.  Sometimes it is a small room no bigger than a closet.  My landlady kept idols at the base of her vanity desk that had a little compartment with two doors she would open each morning, light candles and recite prayers.

Muslims don’t have idols, but their concept of a communal faith is rich with ritual as they pray toward Mecca, recite prayers at the mosque or pray at the grave of saints like Nizamuddin Aluyia in Delhi.

What all of these examples represent, as well as countless other expressions of faith in animism, Buddhism and Christianity, is that many of these adherents worship communal god(s).  Prayers to these deities are not personal in nature and the motivation behind their rituals is primarily for protection and blessing.  In some cases their gods are family deities, in other situations their Supreme Being is an ethnic God, i.e., to be Wolof (Senegal) is to be Muslim.

Communal gods have been around since the beginning of time.  It’s true that initially God sought a personal relationship with man when He created Adam and then Eve.  Very soon thereafter, however, man began to worship the Creator as a distant deity that they prayed to in time of war or ritual festivals.  What is interesting about Rachel taking her fathers idols when she married Jacob was that she had an attachment to these family gods (Genesis 31:32-53).  By default, when God made Abraham the “father of many nations,” Jehovah became the communal God of the Jews as well as the collective Allah of Muslims.

One of great challenges in communicating the Gospel to others is explaining a “personal” God who loved each person individually and that He sent His Son to die for their own personal salvation.  It’s easy for many Americans to grasp the concept of the personal God as we see the world as individualists.  Cultures, which are collectivists by nature, have a more difficult time understanding anything but a communal deity.  Perhaps one way to present Christ is through a collectivist mindset.  How does one do that? 

First, recognize that collectivists are multi-individualists.  Though they live their lives in community every person has individual needs, tensions and private thoughts.  Only when the stress of individual consequences becomes a reality will a collectivist be open to a personal God who cares for them individually.

Second, the concept of a personal God is best presented through personal relationships.  A follower of Christ that has built a relationship with non-believers and who models a personal walk with God will have more impact on others more than impersonal methods of evangelism. 

Third, and the most difficult thing to do, move the collectivist toward a personal God without intentionally diminishing the gods of people who they hold as a family protector.  Missionaries make a huge mistake when they try to argue their case by dismissing the faith of others.  Successful evangelism is seldom quick.  To bring people to an understanding of a personal God is often a lifetime process.

Lastly, collectivists must not be pushed to be “extracted” from their community.  Alan Tippett wrote 20 years ago,

"In communal society where the people have an intense awareness of the social group, where the group means social cohesion, security and the perpetuity in an uncertain world, one of the greatest cultural feelings of satisfaction is the idea of belonging, or HAVING A PLACE OF YOUR OWN IN THE GROUP, AND BEING ABLE TO PLAY YOUR OWN SPECIFIC ROLE IN THE GROUP LIFE.  THIS IS WHY IT IS SO TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT FOR CONVERTS, WHO COME OUT OF THE PAGAN GROUP, TO FEEL THAT THEY ARE NOT WITHOUT SOME GROUP TO WHICH TO BELONG.  THEY COME OUT OF SOMETHING INTO SOMETHING" (Introduction to Missiology 1987:78).

The challenges of communicating the reality of a personal God to those who view God communally are enormous.  Our role as cross-cultural workers is to be aware of different views and finding the bridges of communication for the Gospel.

Communal God(s)

Okay, I’m putting on my anthropologist hat.  A student in Kenya sent in his project report on one of the tribes in the country.  Describing them as followers of African Traditional Religions he sated, “The people do not have a concept of a personal God but a communal God.”    My mind has been on that theme since then; the difference between having a concept of a personal God, as do Christians, Jews and, to a certain extent, Muslims, and that of those who have a concept of a communal God, such as animists, Hindu’s, cultural Christians and cultural Muslims. 

 Simply stated, a communal concept of deity is that which a collective of individuals believe in a supernatural force, which provides security (from evil, sickness) and blessing (good crops, jobs, children).  These communal deities range from trees in a forest to pictures in homes.  In anthropology, there is an evolution of religion based on economy and education, from those people who are hunter/gathers to those who are literate and technological.

My research interest in the communal God took me to this article in the American Anthropologist (Sanderson, Stephen K. and Wesley W. Roberts - The Evolutionary Forms of the Religious Life: A Cross-Cultural, Quantitative Analysis. Vol. 110, No. 4,  December 2008: 454-46).

Anthony Wallace delineated four types of cult institutions: (1) individualistic, in which individual persons perform their own private rituals; (2) shamanic, in which a part-time religious practitioner (a shaman) performs special rites for others in return for a fee; (3) communal, in which bodies of laypersons collectively perform calendrical and other religious rites; and (4) ecclesiastical, in which there are full-time priests who perform highly specialized rituals before audiences of laypersons. These cult institutions represent a typology of religious evolution.

In relation to these typologies, people’s view of God’s intervention follows:

(1) Absent or unreported, (2) present but not active in human affairs, (3) present and active in human affairs but not concerned with human morality, and (4) present, active in human affairs, and concerned with human morality.

The variable was coded as (1) Shamanic, (2) Communal, (3) Polytheistic, and (4) Monotheistic. We were guided by the following assumptions. A religion is Shamanic when a shaman is the center of most religious practice, a strong belief in animism is present, there are no calendrical rites, and laypersons rely on a shaman as the sole intermediary between themselves and the supernatural. A religion is Communal when laypersons are the center of religious practice and calendrical or other collective rites of some sort are present; although a shaman may be present, there are groups (e.g., kinship groups, age grades, or the whole society) that specialize in acting as a mediator between the people and the supernatural. A religion is Polytheistic when a hierarchically organized priestly class is present to direct laypersons in ritual practices, and the center of worship is a pantheon of distinct gods. Finally, a religion is Monotheistic when a hierarchical priestly class is present to direct laypersons in ritual practices, but there is a belief in a single, all-powerful god, rather than a pantheon of specialized and lesser gods.

Though a communal God may be a foreign concept to most Christians, I will make the case in the next post that many people unwittingly serve a Communal God.  In addition, I will explore what are the implications of this concept as it relates to witness and presentation of the Gospel.  Until then, read Genesis 31:30 –35, about Rachel and her communal gods.

Best, Better, Ugly: Mixed Reviews Keeps One Humble

Last week a student stayed behind after class to see me.  He said quietly, “I just wanted to tell you this class has changed my life. More than that, it has changed the way I think about things.  It hit me as I was driving to town the other day, all of a sudden I realized how my view of things has changed and it was like a big weight lifted from my shoulders.”

Humbled, I thanked him for telling me that.  Every teacher likes to hear such positive feedback.

The very next day a student from a previous class approached me and said, “Your course has had the most impact on my life.  I belong to a denomination that is very critical of other groups.  After your class I came away with a sense of appreciating others and I am no longer judgmental of others.

“You may not remember,” another student said to me, “but you taught me in another school in 1998.  I still remember your lectures on the Pokot and your message in chapel on having “Universal Significance.’”

There isn’t a person reading this that hasn’t had such an experience one time in their life.  Perhaps you offered a kind word to someone, a word of encouragement or perhaps a time when you just prayed with someone.  An act you don’t remember that, while you do not remember, made a profound impression on someone else.

BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE!

On my last day of teaching a student asked to see me.  Upset with his test score, he let me know in no uncertain terms that I was unfair, not sympathetic, aloof and not accessible to students.   He even accused me of teaching from a biased western perspective and that I wasn’t concerned with the Indian view of missions. 

Suddenly, all the goodwill you thought you had goes down the drain.  The praise of a three is overshadowed by the negative one.  That other feedback, the one that seemingly comes out of nowhere, blindsides you.  You feel defensive and, even worse that you let someone down.

Though no one likes criticism, in a way I’m grateful for that student’s stinging assessment.  I totally disagree with his judgment and, quite honestly, I felt that I gave him a better grade than he deserved.  But what I did get out of his honest opinion of me was that I am not infallible, not everyone thinks I walk on water and, while I am grateful that I am a blessing to some, there is always room for improvement.

Moral of the story is obvious.  Count your blessings when you are praised but remember it only takes one negative review to bring you down to earth.  Walk humbly as it hurts less when you are humbled.

 

 

Should Christians Wish Hindu's A Happy Diwali?

Saturday India celebrated Diwali, the second big festival in as many months (last month it was Darsa).  Like Darsa, Diwali centers around a mythological tale of good over evil.  The god Rama returns after 14 years of exile killing the evil god Ravna. Diwali, known as the festival of lights, is marked to welcome Rama’s return. The tradition of lighting lamps and shooting off fireworks is symbolic of light over darkness, a path for a brighter future. Hindu’s in the north also celebrate this day as a pooja (worship) to Lakshimi, the goddess of prosperity.

The question for Christians in this country is should they join in this festival?  The students in my anthropology class are divided on the subject.  Some of them are adamant that it is not appropriate for Christians to wish people “happy Diwali,” as they argue it is giving credence to other gods.  Others don’t see any harm.  My students are always interested in the professor’s opinion on the matter.

When I lived in Delhi my landlord, a cultural Hindu, asked why his servant girl, a Pentecostal, would not wish him happy Diwali?  He thought it was rude that she would not. She told me her pastor said it was wrong for them to do so; therefore she would not wish him glad tidings on that day.  “Is that what all Christians believe,” he asked?

My argument on the subject is much like using the word Allah as a reference to God with Muslims.  I am well aware that the Jehovah of Christians and Jews is not the same as the Allah of the Mohammedans, but for me it is merely a linguistic title.  I use a lot of cultural titles of god that are not the same as my perception of God or Lord.  Swami, Senor, Mungu are all language references to the Supreme Being.  While some Christians want to argue the etymology of words, I contend that most Hindu’s and Muslim’s don’t have a concept of the origin of words anymore than Christians know the meaning of the word “Christ.”  It’s a title, a tag word for identification only.  Refusing to use words of culture does not enhance our witness as Christians.

My landlord was gracious to wish me “Happy Christmas.”  He doesn’t understand the story, but out of respect for my faith he is willing to acknowledge it.  He is not compromising his faith by being courteous, nor I when I wish him a Happy Diwali.

Bringing people to an understanding of our faith is a process, sometimes a very long process.  While I am uncomfortable with accommodating some cultural and religious practices, I want to choose my battle lines carefully.  Diwali is not the place to draw a line in the sand.  In fact, by wishing someone a happy Diwali may be an avenue for further discussion about evil, good and Jesus.

Equipping National Cross-Cultural Missionaries

Last month I was in Hyderabad working with, what they call, the Master Trainers.  These are men and women who are bi-vocational, cross-cultural church planters and workers.  The women have a unique role in that they help coordinate micro-business finance projects among villagers.  Many of this class come from the state of Orissa, a place where there is much persecution for Christians.  One girl in this class actually witnessed the murder of her family members.

I appreciate Dr. Vijayam and the staff of TENT for allowing me the opportunity to serve with them. 

Missional or Merely Monoculturally Relevant?

A friend sent a book to me to review while I am traveling and teaching in India. Chris is one of those guys who is always striving to learn more and so I was more than happy to review and send him my evaluation of Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Be A Missionary In Your Community.  The bottom line, this book is for (a) church planters in the U.S. or (b) churches who are looking for ways to revitalize their congregations. As I waded through the pages it became obvious the authors are hoping to present a new model for church planting that is relevant for today’s post-Christian context.  The writers reviewed past models, from the traditional church of forty years ago to seeker-sensitive services a decade ago, to today’s emerging church.  In this book the new approach is reaching the unchurched which they call the missional congregation.  

In the end, though they touched on it, the book didn’t didn't break any code as it didn't address some issues that, in my opinion, is the true definition of a missional church -- how to reach our cities cross-culturally.  Let me explain.

The city of my home church has many churches, some which are growing, many which are not.  In this community of less than 50,000 people there has been a huge influx of Hispanics and people from the Marshall Islands and other ethnic groups.  If our little city has such a diversity of people groups, I can only imagine what is taking place in Kansas City, Dallas, Baltimore and other major cities.  Our region of the country has its share of mega-congregations, all vying to out-build and out-program other churches.  What my town needs is a book on how to reach across those cultural boundaries, to the people of other ethnic backgrounds who will never come to a culturally middle class WASP body of  believers. 

The principles of how to go cross-culturally are certainly in this book, i.e. building relationships and finding a “safe” place for non-believers to meet.  The writers even use good missiological terms like contextualization and indigenous forms of worship.  In the book they cite many examples of starting contextually sound congregations among the white middle-class, but they never give one example of how those churches started or partnered with the Asian, Black or Hispanic communities.  While the authors note the shifting demographics of our country they did not, in my opinion, capitalize on that reality in their church planting models.

For many of today’s church growth experts, including this book, contextualization is defined as a different style of music, using the latest media technology and casual dress.  In some ways their arguments are no different than what we talked about 30 years ago.  The term “cutting edge,” no longer seems to be in vogue, but when people talk about reaching their generation with the Gospel they are merely repeating the older arguments for today’s culture. 

So, my final analysis of the book is that it extremely helpful as far as it goes.  For those who are starting WASP churches or for established congregations looking for ideas for revitalization, it’s worth the read.  They give good insights and principles that can be built on and I appreciate their emphasis on church planting multiplication.  However, from a missiological perspective, until the church begins to become Kingdom centric rather than Ecclesia centric we will remain focused on church growth rather than fulfilling the command to go to every panta ta ethne.

Noah's Ark in South India

I am forever intrigued with visionaries. I have worked with a few down through the years and what fascinates me about them is how impractical they seem to be.  My bent is to critique everything ad nauseam and view things in terms of efficiency, cost effectiveness and practical application.  Most visionaries think about these things, but after the fact.  They have a propensity to operate on “Ready, fire, aim,” where I am inclined to “Ready, aim, aim, aim…” and never pull the trigger.

I am in the presence of a full-blown visionary this week.  I’ve written about Dr. Vijayam before, but let me briefly tell his story again.  Dr. V is in his ‘70’s.  He retired early as a geology professor from a university to establish TENT (Training in Evangelism Needs and Technology).  Fifteen years ago he purchased about 12 acres of land 22 miles outside the city of Hyderabad.  The property was virtually in the middle of nowhere…still is, but the city is moving his way.  His vision is to use every inch of Carmel Campus for the equipping of bi-vocational missionaries and church workers.  Committed to experiential farming in arid environments the campus is dotted with flora and small animal husbandry.  From pigeons to rabbits to chickens to vermiculture (earthworm  production) anything that can be of use for supporting national pastors in their ministry is tried and taught here.  In addition to plants and animals are classes on how to make candles, book covering and even welding.  The original missionary tentmaker, the Apostle Paul, would be impressed with the activities of TENT. 

A few years back the professor had a vision (not dream or revelation, but an idea) to build a replica the Tabernacle of the Old Testament.  Who would actually travel  to the outback of the country to visit such a reproduction?  Evidently a lot of people as nearly every Sunday and school holidays there are groups of people wanting a tour of the Tabernacle.  Christians and non-Christians alike find the Tabernacle a site worth seeing.

When I arrived on campus last week, for my annual teaching cultural anthropology to the students of JVI and IWILL (go to THIS LINK for description of these programs), Dr. Vijayam shared with me his latest venture…building Noah’s Ark.  “Our campus is not big enough for an exact replica,” he stated, “but it will be about a third the size of the original.”  (It will also be made of cement and steel).  You’re kidding me right?  NOAH’S ARK!

What is interesting about visionaries, like Uncle, is that they are driven by passion for what they endeavor to do.  They are not fool-hearty and they pay for their project as they go (at least some of them do) and they certainly pray about everything before they launch out.  Not driven by market analysis (Who is my customer? Is the site of this campus the best location for those seeking training?), the vision is the bottom line for them, not necessarily the process.

I have some projects of my own I want to launch.  Perhaps its taken the building of Noah’s Ark in the south of India for me to stop thinking about it and just get on with it…quit aiming…pull the trigger.

EXPECTATIONS AND REALITY: THE RUDE AWAKENING OF CULTURE CONFLICT

A hand went up in the back of the room.

“Dr. Lewis, thank you for coming and telling us about India and things we should be aware of as we prepare for our [ten day] trip.  I found the things you shared with us about Hinduism and the Indian culture very interesting.  But….”

Ah, the dreaded ‘but.”  By the tone in her voice I could see this shoe fall the minute she started to speak. 

“…I was expecting you to help us with how we can share the gospel with the people.”

So, I said to myself, “What part of my lecture did she not understand?"  Each person in the room received an outline.  Part of that outline included these seven points:

1. Do not criticize or condemn Hinduism.
2. Avoid all that even hints at triumphalism and pride.
3. Never allow a suggestion that separation from family and/or culture is necessary in becoming a disciple of Christ.
4. Do not speak quickly on Hell, or on the fact that Jesus is the only way for salvation.
5. Learn more about Hinduism and each individual Hindu.
6. Share your testimony, describing your personal experience of lostness and God’s gracious forgiveness and peace.
7. Center on Christ.

Expectations can be a messy thing.  Perhaps this dear lady expected me to give her the formula that is most successful in reaching people for Christ in Asia.  If there was such a formula (a) I would have been more than happy to share it and (b) the country would have a Christian population greater than 2% (c), the national church would be using it and therefore (d) less of a need for outsiders to come and evangelize.

The crux of this woman’s concern was in her statement that, “We are spending a lot of time and money for this trip and I want to make sure we are using these resources wisely.” 

I admire evangelists.  They are bold and sincere in their witness for Christ.  I must admit that I am convicted by my timidity and sometimes wonder if I am more like the faint hearted Peter who denied Jesus three times before a little teen-age girl than I am the bold and rash Peter who lopped off the ear of the man who came to arrest Jesus by night.  Is my timidity cowardice?  Is her boldness just another name for foolish religious zeal?

Expectations are often obstacles in learning.  Having an agenda is grounded in pride. Methods are easier to do than building relationships.  I felt badly that this person deemed I had wasted her Saturday morning, but there is only so much one can do in three hours.

To add to my outline I should state clearly,

1. No one becomes a Christ follower except through the work of the Holy Spirit.
2. Prayer precedes all conversions.
3. Recognize that most people come to Christ, not always but more times than not, through a relationship that spans a long period of time.
4. If being a witness and planting the seed of the Gospel is not enough, stay home.

Even with that addition I suspect there will still be a hand raised in the back of the classroom.

 

Missionaries and Politics

A few years back I attended a major conference designed to discuss ways to advance the Gospel in India. Over 600 Christians from all over the country and around the world attended to talk about how to present Christ through media, helping the poor, women’s fellowships, evangelism, arts, schools and many other topics (I was a part of the cultural anthropology discussion group). I was disappointed with the meeting because of the political overtones of the gathering. The host, and leading figure in India, is heavily invested in fighting for Dalit rights, (Dalits are the lower caste people of India, formerly known as "untouchables"). Though the cause is great and worthy, I didn’t think this was an appropriate venue for the overall theme of how to reach the whole nation with the whole Gospel of Christ.

Down through the years I have observed the church and the on-going battle between faith and political ideology. Whether it is corruption in Africa, oppression in former Soviet countries or ethnic tensions in Asia, the battle between rights, freedom, socialism, democracy is ever with us. The tension for missionaries is how much should we be engaged in such political activity? Should we actively oppose a system that is anti-God? Should we be a defender of the weak, the marginalized and those who are oppressed because of their gender, ethnicity or religious persuasion? The answer is a qualified yes. The greater question is how and how much?

As a missiologist my bent, prejudice or focus, is pretty narrow, though with broad universal implications. I don’t see the world in binary opposites (good/bad, democrat/republican, socialism/capitalism) as much as I see a mosaic of people and systems incarcerated by disobedience to our Creator. I work in an area of over 3 billion people where 87% do not personally know a Christian. Part of the reason for this lack of penetration of the Gospel is due to political obstacles. Should I seek to overthrow the evil human system or should I seek ways of presenting Christ as He gives me (and the church) opportunity? Should I buy the t-shirts that say, “Free The Dalits,” or should I concentrate on contextualizing the Gospel to the Dalits that crosses political and ethnic boundaries even if the nations do not?

As a theologian, I see no biblical precedence for being politically active. Our Lord lived in a country oppressed by a foreign government, He mixed with the poor on a daily basis, broke bread with corrupt officials and, though He helped and challenged in each situation, He was not an activist. Jesus remained focused on the purpose of His mission. In addition to the example of our Lord, the Apostle Paul stated in Romans 13:1-7 that a Christians responsibility was to submit to government authority (and remember he was writing to persecuted Christians living in Rome), to pray for those in authority and pay taxes as required. While I may not agree with the political landscape in the countries I work or reside, Paul reminds us that it is Sovereign One who establishes those in authority. To be salt and light is our daily task, to mandate morality or ideology is clearly not a part of the Great Commission.

Finding balance is key to everything. Missionaries can be informed and pray for the world systems around them, but if politics becomes an obsession where we spend more time trying to right the wrongs of this world than telling those who have never heard about Christ, then perhaps we have lost sight of the heart of our calling.

Discovering Worldview in Calcutta

A regular reader of this blog from Colorado commented recently that reading my stuff was “getting expensive.”  In the past month I have given a few book reviews and today, sorry Bill, I want to share another good read.  Not essential, but inspiring and challenging.

Finding Calcutta: What Mother Teresa Taught Me About Meaningful Work And Service, is a book about self-discovery, but more, about an academic who discovered the faith of Christ through working with a humble woman working among the poor of India.  Mary Poplin’s (PhD professor of education) work has two primary themes.

The first, and primary theme is that of a woman who lived a selfless life and her commitment to Christ.  No matter what you think of Mother Teresa and her theology, she had a singular passion, Jesus.  Though a Nobel Prize Winner, Mother Teresa never sought glory, money or building a large organization, though through her order, Sisters of Charity, she received all of that.  What Poplin learned as a “volunteer” (note that volunteers were not called “missionaries – maybe a better phrase for STM’s) for three months in 1996, and what it meant to serve Christ, not just do social work.  Throughout the book there are vignettes on how Mother Teresa and her Sisters dealt with discouragement, attacks from critics, and their single-minded mission to help others.  It is not hard to find inspiration and even conviction in every chapter of this book.

Second, as an academician, Poplin bought into the worldview of higher education and philosophy prevalent in western universities.  What she discovered in Calcutta was that those philosophies of secular humanism, naturalism and pantheism have no answers for humanity outside of themselves.  Mother Teresa’s life and labor revealed a life that is neither rational or normal, as viewed by the world, but is nevertheless the way God intended for His creation.  Poplin writes, “In the Christian worldview, a set of moral standards and ways of best being in the world stands outside us...It is not left to us to determine moral values but to obey the principles we have been given.” 

The author is candid about her own failings adhering to the secular humanistic and pantheistic worldview she followed for many years, which resulted in two abortions and declaring she was “spiritual” but not religious.  She exposes the fallacy of that worldview by stating, “One major distinctions in my being ‘spiritual but not religious’ as what I could not or would not deal with - evil, especially evil inside myself.... The rationalizing mind cannot distinguish its thoughts from reason.  I could rationalize having sexual relationships with a married man with any number of ‘human reasons’ -- his marriage was on the rocks, his wife did not really love him, it's not really hurting anyone...the list was endless.  I could use illegal drugs, because, after all, is only hurt me."

Poplin’s time in Mother Teresa’s Calcutta brought her to the real meaning of life.  In the process she found her own Calcutta, challenging the prevailing worldview in the universities and championing the Christian worldview where she works everyday.

Finding Calcutta is worth the time and money to read and be blessed.  

The Power of Influence

Dear Dr. Lewis,

The cardinal aim of this mail is to express my appreciation to you for the positive and profound impact of your teaching- not just on me- but the entire Missions class that you taught last July at Africa Theological, Kitale, Kenya. I realize that the principles and concepts we learnt are applicable (relevant) not just in Mission work, but in all spheres of life. Personally, my life has been transformed greatly. Certainly, the combination of your experiences as a pastor and missionary, coupled with your education has made you such a fine professor. May God give you good health and open doors for you to minister to more people around the globe!

I have started a counseling-oriented ministry for which I need your prayers.

Your student...

I have always believed an in-depth study of culture is not something just for missionaries but equally important for pastors, business professionals, students and just about everyone who regularly cross cultural boundaries; which in reality is most people today who live in a culturally diverse world.  The student who sent the above note (emphasis his) is going into the field of counseling and, even in that field, there is a specific study for cross-cultural counselors and psychologists.  In every culture people have emotional and psychological needs, but how those needs arise and how to counsel those emotional needs are culturally driven.

I begin every new class with this statement. 

“I am here to help you understand culture and teach cultural anthropology.  But I want you to know I have an agenda and that is to influence you to take the Gospel to those who have never heard the message of Christ.  I want to influence you to think outside of your own culture and to think about those of other cultures.”

Another student, who is involved in the music ministry in one of the largest churches in Nairobi (built, bought and run by an American church in the U.S. - but that’s another story), confessed to me one day after class that, “I am now rethinking about my future ministry.  My church is exciting, but they have many people to do the ministry there.  I am now wondering about the many people in Africa who do not have a church.”

I do not expect every student I teach to be anthropologists or cross-cultural church planters, but in the process of teaching worldview, genealogies and cross-cultural communication, it is my goal to influence people to see the world as God does.

Life Changing Experience! Really?

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I were invited to a luncheon to share our ministry.  In highlighting our work among non-western missionaries, one dear lady made the comment that she believed that working with nationals was THE best way to do missions today.  She repeated the mantra that for $1,000 a month they could support 100 nationals (not sure any place in the world people can live on $10 a month), whereas supporting one American missionary family would be four times that amount. 

I tried to reel in the discussion with a reminder that (a) there is still a need for North American missionary involvement, though admittedly not as crucial as 100 years ago and, (b) supporting nationals is not THE only mission strategy, as it has its problems if it hurts the local national church in their supporting mission outreach and if the national missionary is not trained to serve cross-culturally.

On reflection, what interested in me in the discussion was how myopic we are when it comes discussing mission strategy and especially finances.  This congregation was part of sending out about 10 college students for “mission work,” this past summer.  In hearing their report, as far as I could tell, none of them intended to make missions a career.  Though they did good stuff while they were overseas, I don’t think their presence made an eternal impact on the culture, though no doubt they may have had eternal impact on those they met.  And, BTW, how much did they each spend on their six--week excursion?  

In their testimonial report almost each one said, “It was a life-changing experience!”  Though it is said by every short-termer, sometimes through tears, who is confronted with the reality of poverty around the world, I always want to jump up and ask, “How will it change your life?”  Some suggestions.

1. Commit to giving each year to cross-cultural missions at least, if not more, the same amount of dollars that was spent on your six week experience.  After all, where your heart is, and since it has been changed, so will be your treasure.

2. Change your profession.  If the short-term experience was life changing then I am assuming the least one can do is make a commitment to leave home culture, learn language and, like the Apostle Paul, be willing to suffer the consequences of a life transforming experience.

While the lunch discussion was fascinating, what was not discussed was even more crucial.  While supporting nationals was deemed efficient, the effectiveness of short-term work was never mentioned, even though it is a life-changing program.

Resource for Leadership

This past week I started working through organizing my office.  In the process I have been sorting and throwing away past notes of meetings I have attended over the years.  I was surprised how many notes on leadership I have accumulated.  Staff meetings on leadership, seminars on leadership and so many book on the subject of leadership with titles such as Servant Leadership, Good To Great, On Becoming a Leader, Leadership is an Art, and many more.  As I looked at some of the notes of past leadership meetings, I am a bit embarrassed by those of us in "leadership" positions, by our attitude of self-importance and distinct lack of humility.  Americans are obsessed with leadership themes.  I've noticed that one of the most popular subjects pastors teach on short-term mission trips is on leadership, as though the rest of the world can gain insights on how to do things effectively. 

In the midst of my week a book arrives.  As I thumb through the pages I am confronted with ANOTHER leadership book, but it is very different. 

In the Presence of the Poor, is the story about a professor of geology, an awarding winning scientist, a former Communist sympathizer who, in his early years was troubled with one question, “Why did God make so many poor people?”  It’s a book about a man who used his profession to rectify the plight of those most in need. The expert of rocks and soil retires from the formal halls of academia to establish a structure for micro-enterprise, which the government endorses as a model to help those 80% of the population living on less than $2 a day.  Quietly fighting injustice, he and his wife empower poor village women and the outcaste with literacy programs and self-help income projects.  Returning to the foundation of his grandfather and father, the professor turns from the ideology politics to the One who understood the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized and the spiritually penniless.  Forever the instructor, he builds a campus that teaches and trains bi-vocational men and women to take the Good News to those who have never heard the Name of Christ, along with the practical occupational skills to help lift people out of poverty.

Though not meant to be a book on leadership, that is exactly what the story of Dr. B.E. Vijayam is all about.  Admittedly, I am biased about this story as I’ve been privileged to work with TENT for the past five years.  As good as the book is, (and Kay Strom is to be commended for her fine work) it still doesn’t quite capture the spirit of one of the most humble and genuinely good people I have met in India (and I have met and worked with many).  “Uncle” Vijayam is one of the most unassuming, godly, truly genuine leaders I’ve met. Prof. Vijayam and his wife, “Auntie” Mary, have instilled in their children and staff the core value of prayer and integrity that is rare in this age of self-promotion and organizational marketing. 

(J. Samuel, Vijayam, Lewis, Sunil)

If you want another good book on leadership, get this one.  You will be glad you did.

Resource for Short-Term Mission

If you’ve been reading my stuff for very long you know that I have a dim view of short-term mission (STM) trips. But, then again, if you’ve been reading my stuff consistently you know that I have a dim view of many things missions, including career missionaries who have no cultural training, those who have no real clue of what it means to have a strategy of missions, nationals who are as clueless about taking the Gospel cross-culturally as those from the west, and people who make a living doing “feel good” ministries among people who already have access to the Gospel while 89% of 3.6 billion people in this world do not personally know a Christian. Part of my negative slant is to counter the glowing hype by people who are either marginally involved in missions, missionaries who merely follow trends and, especially, those who have never lived overseas yet somehow believe STM is God’s Divine plan for American involvement for the 21st century.

But hold on, if you remain committed to this blog you also know that I am not totally against STM, that I do believe there is still a vital role for career American missionaries, that I am committed to training non-Western missionaries in how to cross cultural divides and mobilizing the church to see beyond the four walls of their local congregation to that 89% that doesn’t personally know a Christ-follower.

In my attempt to find “balance,” in matters of missions, I lean heavily on the insights of others. Recently I have been asked to speak to a STM group as part of their pre-STM training. Kudo’s, first of all, to the pastor who makes such an attempt to do STM right. To help temper my bias on STM I read David Livermore’s book, Serving With Eyes Wide Open: Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence. Livermore’s book does not address all the issues of STM, but touches many bases on what a STM group should be thinking about.
Some interesting sub-titles in this book include: “Missions Should Be Fun,” “They Don’t Fly Planes in India When It Rains,” “Just Stick to the Bible and You Can’t Go Wrong,” and “Stop Petting the Poor.”

It’s estimated that as many as 4 million Americans are involved in STM annually (one of the reasons I hate to fly overseas May through August). The American church now spends as much on STM as they do on supporting career missionaries and, in many churches, their STM program is their MAIN missionary outreach.

Get a copy of Livermore’s book and I invite you to share other good books you’ve read on STM.

Mormon Missionaries and Missions

I saw them, white shirts, black ties, black nametags and back packs, on my left as I walked through the park for my evening exercise.  I didn’t think much about them until I heard them call after me as I was going down the hill.

“Hi,” the very early 20’s something redhead said to me, sticking out to shake my hand, “I’m Elder Brown and this is Elder Jones.”

“You look awfully young to be an elder,” I replied as I noticed this kid didn’t even have peach fuzz on his face. 

“Yeah, well, that’s just our title,” he admitted.

For the next twenty minutes I indulged them as we exchanged our pedigrees.  One of them was from Utah (big surprise) the other from Washington.  Elder Brown had been in the area for about six months; Elder Jones was new, but was sent to the area to work with the Hispanics in the area as he was given an intensive Spanish class before his assignment. 

I told them that I, too, was a missionary, a Baptist, who worked with evangelical colleges and seminaries around the world.  I asked them if they knew what an evangelical was and they said, no, they never heard the term before.  I also told them that I had a friend in college who use to be a Reformed LDS.  Though the RLDS church broke from the Utah Mormons 150 years ago, these kids have never heard of them. Strange, I thought.

Our meeting was cordial.  I actually liked these young men, but had no desire to engage in a theological discussion.  As I started to leave Elder Brown said that if I had any questions about their church they would be happy to talk with me.  I politely declined and continued on my way.

What struck me about my conversations with these two adolescent “elders,” was how similar they were with most evangelical missionaries I teach around the world.  I knew a whole lot more about the LDS than they knew about me or my faith.  They, like so many zealots, have an agenda to deliver their message, follow their talking points, refute common arguments, but have no clue, or interest, about those they talk to.  

In my class I spend considerable time on epistemology, i.e., the science of knowledge – How do you know what you know and how do you know what you know is right?  If LDS missionaries are successful in gaining converts it’s because they capitalize on the ignorance of cultural Catholics, Baptists or any other person who has a cultural faith.  These two young men are truly cultural Mormons.  They believe what they believe, not because they are convinced, but because it’s all they have ever known. 

As I continued my walk I thought, again, of the words of our Lord, who said that in the last day He will tell many, “I never knew you,” even though they said they worked on His behalf (Matthew 7: 21-23).  God deliver me, and those I teach, from serving Him through my own cultural blindness.  May I be convinced, not because of a cultural bias, but through the constant challenge of knowing what I know through intellectual and spiritual growth.  

Third Culture Kids

They are sometimes called TCKs, which means Third Culture Kids. They are children who grow up in a different country than the place of their citizenship…fully, though not complete Americans, but certainly not the place of their residence, though they identify strongly to that cultural environment. Placed in “no-mans-land,” they create a type of third culture, their own, among their peers.

I have been reminded these past two months of this unique group of kids as my grandchildren and daughter from Senegal have been staying with us this summer. It’s been deja vu as I see the 6 and 3-year-old play and my mind goes back in time to our two daughters who grew up in Kenya. TCK’s now raising TCKs. What goes around comes around, as the old saying goes.



Missions is so much more than just unreached people groups, the study of culture, national leadership, raising support – the “X’s” and “O’s” or scorecard of ministry. Missions is also about having a decent place to live, how best to educate your kids, staying in touch with family back home; attached but not obsessed with parents, friends and siblings we leave behind. Living overseas for an extended period of time is not like short-term missions where the most crucial thing in their lives is do they have enough snack food to carry them through their 14 day excursion. Missions is about being uprooted, displaced and forever a “foreigner.” Even twenty years after the kids grow up and no longer under the protection of their parents, TCKs, in some ways, continue to define their identity.

As my TCK and her TCKs get ready to return to Africa I have a better appreciation for my parents who had to go through the emotional rollercoaster of the high’s of seeing your children get off the airplane to the low’s of saying goodbye to them at the gate. What’s unique about missionaries is that, though separation is still difficult, it is a part of our lives – it comes with the territory of serving Christ overseas. And, in the broader sense, aren’t all of God’s kids TCKs? Not really a citizen here, not yet a citizen there. Our existence is merely a pilgrimage until time is no more. Then, finally, we will be home, all His TCKs.

Kenya Missionary Training

Training Kenya missionaries for cross-cultural work was very successful. To review the report and links for more video clips, CLICK HERE.

Ethno-Theology: A Response

In response to a recent blog on “ethno-theology,” one reader suggested I give an example of the difference between theologies born out of a different cultural context than of the West. While I am happy to do so in the limited space of this venue, I start off by saying that I do not consider myself an expert in this field and there are varied opinions on the subject. Nevertheless, I am happy to give a short-overview of the topic.

In 1991 I attended a conference in Riga, Latvia. This conference was for pastors throughout the former Soviet Union, which broke apart just a little over a year earlier. One of the pastors that spoke was a Russian ethnic Hungarian who spoke of the persecution on his people for decades under the brutal hands of the Communist government. His text was 2 Kings 5. This is the story of Naaman the leper and how he was brought to Elisha for healing through a slave girl from Israel. Most sermons I had heard from this passage dealt with how leprosy is a type of sin and that the river of Jordon, where Elisha had told Naaman dip seven times, was a type of salvation (an act of obedience of accepting grace through faith). However, this pastor, whose people suffered not only slavery but also death at the hands of their Russian masters, interpreted this passage differently - much differently than a Westerner might. He said this,

“For many years we were under bondage. We now have freedom. Our former masters are dying, what shall we do? In retribution of how they persecuted us shall we just let them die and say may the God of heaven judge you for your atrocities? Or shall we, like the servant girl tell our former masters about the One who can save them? Shall we, the Church of the former Soviet Union, show grace or revenge?”

As I listened to this pastor’s message, the people gathered were weeping as they, too, had suffered much for their faith under their Communist masters. I thought then that only someone under such a context of oppression could possibly interpret the Scriptures in such fashion.

The principles of Scripture are universal, which transcends borders, ethnicity, time and space. However, it is through the context in which man lives how those principles will be applied, or even realized.

Kenyan theologian John Mbiti writes,

“Theology should strain its neck to see beyond the horizons of our traditional structures, beyond the comforts of our ready-made methodologies of theologizing; it should be with the Church where it is, rubbing shoulders with human beings whose condition, outlook, concerns, and world views are not those with which we are familiar.”

“The African theologian who has experienced the agonies of having a burning appetite but nothing to eat will surely theologize differently on the theme of food from the American theologian who knows the discomfort of having a plate full of steak but no appetite.”

Africa Theological Seminary

I have been in Kitale, Kenya two weeks teaching "Introduction to Missions," and "Cross-Cultural Studies." Some of my students are missionaries working in the Sudan. It's like being home as we lived here 14 years.

Call for Ethno-theologians

The first day of our classes in Kenya this past week produced an interesting discussion and thought. I made the statement that one of the real needs of Kenya, as indeed of every nation and region, is for ethno-theologians. The comment was made in the context that all theology is biased and, because much of the church throughout the world is still dominated by western theologians, much of our theology is produced with a western biased interpretation. My appeal was that Kenya and Christians from other nations be more engaged in developing theology from their own ethnic perspective and worldview.

From the back of the classroom a woman, who is not only a student but also a teacher in the public school, made this statement. “Perhaps one reason Africans do not have more theologians is because of western missionaries.” I conceded, that in the climate of colonialism and post-colonialism and among some missionaries and mission agencies today, the promotion of national theologians has been slow if non-existent. My knowledge of what seminaries are doing throughout the world in promoting national theologians is limited, nevertheless, I am assuming there are noted national theologians from Africa, Latin America and sending countries like Korea and Philippines. But when I asked my class if they knew of any Kenyan theologian the only name that came up was John Mbitii.

On further reflection of the classroom discussion I had an emotional knee-jerk reaction to the comment that “it’s the missionaries fault,” that there are not more Kenyan theologians. One of the easiest things to do is to blame the ills of the world on the western missionary and, in some parts of the world, just about all the evils of the world can be traced to our short-comings. There was a time when it was fashionable in mission classes to beat up on our early missionary fathers, and gathering from the comments in the classroom it’s still a popular past time.

The day before the class I was reading a brief biography of a Ghanaian theologian by the name of Carl Christian Reindorf (why he took on such a western name I don’t know). Reindorf lived between 1834 and 1917 and worked with the Basal Mission in Ghana until he died at the age of 83. In relation to my classroom discussion I thought of how that there were some African Christians who did make their mark in mission history, though they are not well known. In the brief account I read on Reindorf’s life I learned that he was sanctioned by the Basal Mission for his radical practices (using a drum in church services) three months before his death; another example of colonial heavy-handedness.

Through the reading and the discussion in the classroom I realize that the history of missions is a mixed bad. The truth is that, while western missionaries were and still are obstacles to growth and national leadership, not all that they/we did was wrong and because of their/our efforts the Gospel has made some remarkable accomplishments. Like all lessons of history, we should continue to take to heart our failings and strive not to repeat the mistakes of the past while at the same time recognize God’s work through history for His honor and glory.

Maintaining Momentum

The other day in reading one of Ravi Zechariah’s books he presented a thought on maintaining spiritual growth. Maintenance and growth almost seems a contradiction of terms. His analogy was that of a person trying to lose weight, a subject I can relate to very well as I’ve been fighting the battle of he bulge since I was a kid.

As a dieter we all have a goal…a weight we hope to attain. The problem with so many dieters’, me included, is that after we reach a certain goal if we are not diligent in maintaining, in a short period of time, we will put back on all the weight we lost. The endless cycle of weight loss and gain is wearisome. It’s truly euphoric to attain a weight loss goal, but it takes constant vigilance to maintain that victory. In fact, in some ways it takes more discipline to maintain that which we have attained and, through diligence, the discipline of maintenance in reality leads to growth, not in terms of pounds or kilos, but growth in discipline and life style habits.

There are many things that fall into this category of maintenance for growth. One example is learning language. I quickly learned the basics of Swahili. It’s a temptation of all cross-cultural workers to learn “just enough” to get by. By attaining basic communication, too many missionaries stop learning new vocabulary and grammar. I have a friend in Kenya whose Swahili is as bad today as it was 30 years ago. Yes, he can communicate, but to listen to him speak is torture. The nationals who know him well can figure out what he’s saying, but even they wonder why he is still butchering the language.

On a spiritual level, we all know that we will never attain complete and total understanding of God or His Word. I’ve been a Christian for over 50 years, but having seniority in the faith doesn’t mean I’m automatically a spiritually mature person. Only through a lifetime habit of prayer and study of His Word will I maintain my spiritual journey and through that maintenance I grow. Conversely, if I don’t maintain my spirituality I will digress into sinful and destructive behavior. Perhaps that is what the Apostle Paul means when he writes, “Work out your own salvation.”

Whether it’s a weight level, our relationship with family and friends, learning a language or striving to live in a way that is Christ honoring, we must realize we never attain, but we can succeed if we actively maintain.

Michael Jackson and Anthropolatry

“Mobs torched buses and cars…stoned police on the streets ahead of the funeral. At least two people were killed before his burial. One was a man who was shot by police after their bus came under attack as people raged about not having a last opportunity to see [his body]...Dozens of mourners and police were hurt.”

No, this is not a headline of a Michael Jackson funeral service, as I write this blog one day before his memorial service. That was a news story about an Indian film star by the name of Rajkumar three years ago. This past week, hearing about MJ’s death and the 24 hour non-stop news obsession about his life and death and the live broadcast of his memorial tomorrow, my mind has turned to that day in Bangalore and Rajkumar’s funeral. I can’t help but wonder what will be the headlines after MJ’s memorial extravaganza?

As an anthropologist I am always intrigued with human values and, in this case, the worship or veneration of another human being. In India, where almost anything and anybody could be a god, people will commit suicide because of the loss of a god-like figure. Some, who perceive their celebrity “idols” as endowed with some type of divine gift, often confuse talent with anointing.

Anthropolatry is as old as humanity itself. The Pharaohs of Egypt, a mystic named Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as the “enlightened one,” i.e. Buddha, a cult figure named Jim Jones or David Koresh, or a healer called Sai Baba, people, for one reason or another, want to touch divinity. Groups still visit Graceland just to be near the spirit of the another “king,” one named Elvis.

Why are people drawn to other flesh for veneration? Perhaps because we have a desire to see our gods, not just have faith in them. Though we idolize our hero’s we certainly don’t want to emulate their lifestyle. Neither the King of Rock or Pop were great father figures. Mohammed, God’s last great prophet, according to Muslims, had as many as 20 wives and didn’t exactly live a life of peace. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, was married three times, was abusive and convicted of fraud.

So why do humans become devout followers of other humans? No doubt it is because we see in others traits we wish we had or at least admire. Charisma, self-confidence, beauty, intelligence, wisdom, talent or spirituality, humanity is always in search for that which we cannot find in ourselves but hope for in others. When someone becomes “bigger than life,” it doesn’t seem to matter that they are flawed mortals; their star power is a greater force than the reality of who they are as persons. Princess Diana’s funeral/post-funeral coverage overshadows the death of a little nun in India called Mother Teresa. There is a footnote on Friday November 22, 1963. Besides the assassination of JFK, a man named C.S. Lewis dies that morning of a heart attack, one week before his 65th birthday.

Most of MJ’s fans mourn his passing for his musical talent. For others, their grief will be inconsolable as though one of heaven’s deities has been taken away from us, forcing them to live with the void of his presence.