ENHANCING CROSS-CULTURAL EVANGELISM WITH CEREMONIES
Introduction - In a cross-cultural evangelism class one of the students shared an interesting case study of how a deficient understanding of the importance of ceremonies hindered the spread of the gospel in Kaduna State, Nigeria. In Dumi village a missionary from the Evangelical Missionary Society struggled to start a church using traditional methods. Each time the missionary thought he was making headway, several of his converts would desert to other churches, cults, or societies that offered more excitement.
What the missionary could not understand was why were his converts attracted to these others churches and not his own. His personal evangelistic methods were evidently working as he had led over 50 people to Christ in the village, but he could not seem to form them into a congregation. Finally, someone asked the missionary a question. "What do you do with your converts after they have prayed to receive Christ as their Savior?" The missionary thought for a moment and said, "I teach them more of the scriptures, their responsibilities to do good and to avoid evil." Not content to leave it at that the experienced Pastor pressed the missionary further by asking him, "Do you have any public recognition and corporate social activities that can reinforce, validate, and sanction what has happened to your converts inwardly?" Then the missionary replied, "Since I am not licensed to perform baptisms, weddings, or funerals, I feel that it would be usurping the authority that I have been given, so I just have to wait until a licensed Pastor comes to perform such ceremonies!"
Africans enjoy a sense of community togetherness as it allows for an expression of social solidarity in identity, purpose, and unity of faith. Unlike many of the western missionary who were fiercely independent, the African converts wanted channels whereby they could freely testify to the goodness of God in a public forum. A subtle resistance to this public validation process still lurks in the philosophies of many western trained missionaries. Perhaps the roots to this reactionary sentiment goes back to the days of the reformation.
When the reformers began their movement they wanted to get away from any "Catholic Ceremonialism and Rituals". In their eagerness to simplify the worship of God and put emphasis on worshipping God in "spirit and truth", they forgot the importance of contextualizing the Christian message in forms that all cultures could own as that which resembled socially approved behavior.
Africans like to publicly support triumphs, births, weddings, and occasions that concern the community. Something that affects individuals invariably touches the extended family, clan, or neighbors in Africa. People consider living in isolation of public interaction as suspicious for the most part in Africa. To be alone is to be anti-social which means overt and covert rejection of societal values in most parts of Africa. Perhaps this could be the reason for the importance placed on verses like Phil. 2:2 which says, "Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit... Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." The source of Christian unity may be Christ, but Africans want to validate that in the presence of many witnesses!
I. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SALVATION CEREMONIES
Salvation to most Africans involves being transferred from a state of danger and vulnerability to one’s enemies into the protection of one with greater powers. Therefore it makes sense to celebrate this publicly with the company of fellow believers. The African Traditional Religious concepts of salvation vary a great deal but it usually involved overcoming a conflict with ones’ enemies and gaining a victory. Yet, even though we are able to teach the vicarious victory over sin, death, and judgment through faith in Christ in our churches, many people continue to look for outward realities - why? Could it have something to do with the fact that many Africans still see themselves in a state of continual peril. They view life as a struggle with the forces of evil and good. While one lives in this state, one is subject to threats of subversion from many directions. Struggles in life are never ceasing until one gains sufficient inward and outward power to overcome lesser influences.
Africans view of realities is such that a struggling man is always aware of deficiencies that need overcoming with greater forces. Celebrations of victories won do not only give one a reminder of the victories in Christ, but they provide him with a public event of what has transpired in the secret sanctuary of one’s heart.
The great desire for an increase in power is usually gotten through social approvals. It is for this reason that the desire to gain and hold respect is so vital to the elderly of Africa. Without this sense of deferential esteem afforded them in public ceremonies, they somehow feel cheated of what is rightfully theirs. Every year at our seminary’s graduation, we have to spend at least two hours giving honor, respect, and public acclaim to the visiting dignitaries. To my Western mind, this seems similar to what Jesus spoke about with the Pharisees that they love the public praises of men. However, in Africa, the public acknowledgements of one’s importance is deemed mere courtesy to whom it is due. A certain year we anticipated spending N18,000 on the food and materials in order to properly honor those chiefs, traditional rulers, and public officials who need the public respect to socially sanction their powers. Perhaps, this is partially what lies behind the great success in launching ceremonies.
There must be a great need to be socially sanctioned of one’s power and abilities to benefit the community. This certified one’s right to rule or to require respect from the majority of the population whether right or wrong in one’s practices. There is an interesting dynamic of the symbiotic need of rulers to gain respect through public ceremonies as there is a need for the masses to show their submission to the authorities who benefit their people. I guess we have to conclude with Jesus and say, "Render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s!"
II. CULTURAL CASE STUDY
In the same way missionaries are in need of cultural sensitive and Biblically supported guidelines for public ceremonies. Analyze how you would support, delete, or modify the following African ceremony of baptism told by Kenneth Enang in his book on p. 113,114, "The African Experience of Salvation - Based on the Annang Independent Churches of Nigeria."
"It was a bright Sunday in December of 1975. The burning tropical sun was blazing unremittingly and mercilessly when the Christ Apostolic Church at Okon Ikot Etor magnificently transformed the Ikot Akpabio stream from the source of household water to a font of God’s salvation. The baptism candidates were all dressed in different and colourful clothes and were smiling with joy. Other members of the church, the invitees and the friends of the candidates were with them. All sang with one accord hymns of African and Biblical origin and surrounded the portion of the stream, fenced around with sticks and mats and left open at one end to serve as an entrance into the sacred circle from where baptism was to be administered.
Instruction and final admonitions were given to the candidates on how to live a Christian life, passages from the scriptures were read and the candidates asked to declared their willingness to be baptized. This last procedure is very important for it marks the candidate’s free and personal decision to be baptized. Pastor C.W. Akpan’s The Way of Salvation Church of Jesus Christ has the following eleven baptismal vows which have to precede the procession:
1. I herewith swear that I shall be present at the church services all the time, shall attend the meetings and offer my contributions which fall upon church members.
2. I herewith swear that I shall support the church with my contributions every Sunday.
3. I herewith swear that I shall be sober and refrain from alcoholic drinks. I shall neither sell nor buy intoxicating drinks.
4. I herewith swear by obedience to the pastors and elders of the church and will behave in accordance with the laws of the church.
5. I herewith swear that I shall refrain from appearing before the court except with the permission of the church.
6. I herewith swear to do all within my power to tender assistance to the promotion of decorum in the church. I shall keep away from all conversations and behaviour which would damage the good name of the church.
7. I herewith swear to marry in accordance with the law constituted by the church.
8. I herewith swear that I shall always read the Scriptures.
9. I herewith swear that I shall renounce Satan and all his riches.
10. I herewith swear that I shall obey the Holy Spirit, live a Christian life all days of my life so that I may, at death, be buried by the church according to her rites.
11. I herewith swear that I shall love my God and the church with my whole heart and with my whole soul and love my brother as myself.
After the prayer over the water and its sanctification by the pastor, who alone is believed to possess the power to baptize, each candidate was called by his baptismal name or his former name if he intends to retain it, to step forward towards the minister assisted by the evangelist. During the steps to the pastor, the community intensified its participation by clapping of hands, prayer, and singing. Then the hymns died out slowly. A solemn moment, full of awe and strikingly stupefying, spread its wings over everybody and wrapped them to a point where no speech was uttered again. Each candidate stepped into the fence and was baptized with complete immersion using the trinitarian formula as in the baptism practice of the old churches...
After the immersion, the baptized, mirrored happiness, satisfaction and joy according to their facial expressions. They recoursed to a long race back to the church without turning to look back, without talking and without halting on the way. On arrival at the church premises, the wet clothes were changed in an adjacent building. By then the other members of the church had arrived. A thanksgiving liturgy bound up with prayers for the newly baptized followed. After the collection and the final blessing all dispersed to their different homes where feasts followed, attended by friends, relatives and members of the church.
This brief summary gives an account of the baptismal ceremony in a typical representative of the batches of Independent Churches strewn over Annan and our Igbo neighbours and in South Africa." (K. Enang)
How would you suggest that the above model of baptism in African missionary and church movements be commended, altered, changed, or re-interpreted to suit your beliefs? The following are some of my suggestions about the above case study that will help guide cross-cultural evangelists and missionaries in the use of ceremonies such as baptism in their efforts to affect the greatest contextually effective growth in Christ within an African setting. Lets look at the above case study from its positive and negative implicational meanings.
First, the group participation gives the baptismal ceremony credibility in the eyes of many people. The members who are present demonstrate a solidarity with those going through the baptism in affirming their transference from death to life through faith in Christ. In this way it becomes a significant milestone in the growth of the church, the individuals, and their families who are affected by their public testimonies. By making the ceremony a public declaration of allegiance to God, Christ, the Church, Christian practices, and a renouncing of the devil, the converts are less likely to face confusion between what they believe and what others think they believe. This tends to close the gap between what is ideal and what is real for the church members. Whenever points of dissonance between the ideals and the realities of the church members and everyone can point back to these public allegiances to note discrepant behavior. By eliminating certain elements of secrecy, mystery, or obscurity, the ceremony exposes deeds and thoughts of evil. Converts are catalyzed through a process of public loyalties pledged to before the presence of their close friends and family. This has a powerful effect on converts at a critical time of transition in their transformation toward Christlikeness.
Second, by making the baptismal ceremony such a grand public declaration of one’s allegiances, there is a great conformity pressure toward obedience to the Lord and the church. Few Africans want to appear to be out of sync with their peers. There is a fear that to be isolated is to become vulnerable for most people. By establishing a set guidelines of behavioral practices, the AIC church is giving criteria for what is socially acceptable in their circles. In a positive way, the Biblical goals become the cultural goals for those who pass through this rite of public baptism. They have expressed their affirmation of the rules for a church member before many to whom they are accountable. By accepting the codes of the church, the individual is expressing a desire to belong to the church rather than to the world’s value system. He is at the same time rejecting the practices of those carnal or unspiritual people who are living lives displeasing to God. The advantages of using the pressures of conformity both for good and avoidance of evil are often powerfully effective in Africa.
Third, by making baptism a rite or ritual the AIC church is establishing precedents for all who want to belong to her. Making examples for others to follow can have its advantages. This allows one to take advantage of being first to show others a model for incorporation into the church. However, making baptism a ritual means that some people may be conforming to the ritual for its own sake, forgetting its underlying meanings. Throughout the continent of Africa people are performing rituals that they have little idea of the full ramifications or implicational meanings. Sacrifices are offered for numerous events - births, burials, weddings, graduations, business success etc. All of this dangerously implies an idolatrous belief in demonic spirits. When people ascribe to rituals that they do not fully understand they are only fooling themselves. There are always overt and covert meanings to rituals in any part of the world. Dancing in any country carries with it connotation to those who are dancing and those who are observing. People are mistakenly supposing that they are absolved of their responsibilities for the outcomes of their naivete - they are not. The scriptures tell us, "Whatever is not of faith is sin."
Fourth, some people may use the baptism ceremonies as a means of Pharisaical legalism. Jesus strongly rebuked the Pharisees who were careful to wash the outside of the cup, but leave the insides of the cup dirty. Their primary emphasis was on the outward appearances rather than on the internal beliefs of the heart. In like fashion, such public pronouncements of loyalty may backfire on the church and the people if they are not careful. If for example, someone takes the oaths of the church but falls into sin, the church will, by implication, also lose a measure of credibility with the community. Similarly, if the Pastors of the church have such a firm control over the members, they may feel that they have extraordinary control over the people in the church, both for good and bad. On the other hand, many Africans like visible guidelines. They prefer open and clear cut rules of discipline that when applied justly, produce greater order for the majority. By making the responsibilities of the members clear before entrance into the church, everyone knows what they are getting into. There is merit in the boldness of one who is willing to swear an oath of allegiance in the presence of his own community. While this level of legalistic guidelines have their disadvantages, the advantages tend to out weigh them in most African societies.
Fifth, the baptism ceremonies are a measure of rejection of some of the mainline systems. The basis of rejection comes in the disenchantment with the innocuous practices of many other Christian churches’ practices with baptism. In Catholic traditions, baptism has been regarded by some Africans as an easy way to gain salvation. In some Protestant churches people regard baptism as a necessary hurdle to cross over to gain acceptance by ones’ peers. Still in other congregations, baptism classes have been viewed as initiation rites to gain membership into an exclusive club. Once membership is attained, the rules are quickly forgotten and one assumes that he may go back to previous beliefs and practices. The open allegiance ceremony for baptism tends to take some of the best aspects of African cultural accountability. What is done in public is something very meaningful and sacred to most people. A person would have to be foolish to pledge such dramatic loyalties one day and try to neglect them the next in most African communities. However, any reactionary practice tends to have its deficiencies as well. By reacting against the shortcomings of the more mainline churches, the African Independent churches lose the emphasis on learning the doctrines of the faith before one is allowed to be baptized. Furthermore, some people are admitted on the basis of their verbal expressions rather than their ability to cognitively grasp and articulate freely their beliefs in their own words. Rejection practices tend to have limited merit when taken alone.
Sixth, open ceremonies of such baptism as the African Independent Churches may symbolize their retreat away from traditional evangelical practices. By relinquishing the practices of the evangelical churches, the independent churches often surrender the strengths of the evangelicals. Withdrawing into the security of one own private independent church movement may seem like a step of faith. However, this faith may be misplaced confidence or false presumption. Seeking a shelter from the misunderstandings of evangelical church practices has led many to begin new churches without thinking through the full implications. The Holy Spirit of God has always made provision for individual differences, but always in the overall unity of the faith in Christ. Trying to balance out one’s desires to abandon the deficiencies of the church may lead some to taking on difficulties that they are not fully prepared for. The basis of rejection and replacement may be actually more cultural than Biblical. Often this is why many political revolutions begin and end. Church splits are common over everything from personality differences to disagreements over major doctrines. We need to be careful that we are not retreating from something partially inadequate only to find ourselves in something fraught with inconsistencies. When this is the case, people simply need to learn the science and art of proper contextualization in order to avoid the problems of syncretism.
Seventh, some new ceremonies are attempts to create greater power for certain rulers in the church. Although this may be done in the name of greater control, accountability, and responsibility, it may tend to stifle individual growth. For example, in one large denomination in Nigeria, the church has changed its constitution toward more central presbyterial government away from the congregational kind. As a result, the local church power base has been shifted much more toward the executives in headquarters. A large percentage of all of the offerings are required to be sent to the headquarters and the districts each week. As a result many local churches have lost their sense of initiative for growth and responsibility for making decisions until they check with headquarters. By shifting the power base away from the local churches, there is a trend to cultural basis rather than Biblical ones for leadership. In contrast, the scriptures point emphasis on the role of the Pastor-teacher to equip the saints for the work of the service for the building up of the body of Christ. Since Paul wrote those words to a local church in Ephesus, it is clear that God wants the major emphasis of leadership and individual power seated in the local church.
Any attempt to take power away from the local churches and place in the hands of a few people in a distant denominational headquarters strays from the thrust of the New Testament. This is a subtle attempt to replace Biblical goals and means with cultural ones.
Eighth, open ceremonies involve everyone vicariously through their relatives. When such a baptismal rite is displayed in front of all one’s relatives, even children are drawn into the powers of transformation ministries of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. As one is raised from death to life, so people are genuinely elated at the fruits of regeneration, redemption, and purification. Although, it seems clear to some that baptism happens internally through the renewing ministries of the Spirit. They consider this outward testimony in Africa as a necessary declaration of one’s inner changes. This is a striking contrast to the practices in some of the more traditional mainline churches where only a limited number of relatives attends one’s baptism.
The vicarious experience of identifying with one’s friend, family member, or close associate is a power magnetic force throughout Africa. It tends to display a possession of power to draw others into another’ experience.
Ninth, the ceremonial atmosphere adds to the wholistic attestation of one’s new natures’ birth. Human births are celebrated with great joy throughout Africa as they are a sign of the assurances that life will continue for that family. One of the greatest worries throughout the continent is the fear of being forgotten. Leaving someone to carry on one’s name is a top priority in the minds of most Africans. For example, whenever, I ask my students at the seminary, "If you knew you only had 30 days within which to live, what would you do?" Nearly every time, the majority of the students reply, "We would return to our village, marry, and be sure that our wives got pregnant so that our seed would continue!"
Baptismal celebrations have this same powerful effect spiritually. They allow everyone to see the importance that in Christ a person will never die, but live eternally with God in heaven. This celebrative atmosphere adds to the joy of incorporation into God’s family, not only in this life but in the one to come. In a very real way there is a strong implication that the baptized one has been healed from the eternal consequences of sin, death, and judgment. To many, this is something worth celebrating publicaly. Added to this are feasts in the homes of the newly baptized. This strengths the fruits of celebration by allowing everyone to taste the benefits of the one who has been baptized.
By practicalizing the outward manifestation of one’s new birth in Christ through celebrations, the community’s witness is enhanced. Some churches, like the Christ Faith Church, precede the baptismal event by a three day feast. This allows the people time for an inward preparation for the public testimony of the internal redemption. It also affords more mature members an opportunity to advise, instruct, and admonish the baptismal candidates before they publicly make their statements of allegiance. Furthermore, if someone knows of any hidden sin in the candidates’ lives, he are given a time to come forward before the person is officially recognized as an upstanding member of the church. I must caution Pastors not to confuse people that the public baptism regenerates, it only stamps the approval of the church on the one whom Christ has already redeemed.
Tenth, public ceremony of baptism allows the church members to place greater confidence and afford moral, spiritual, and relational support for its new members. Instead of admitting people into the church through the privacy of small baptism classes, the members are welcomed into the flock of God with the full support of the entire church community. This means a great deal in African cultural contexts. To try to make changes without the support of ones community is almost impossible. Culturally enriched environments put a great deal of emphasis on relying on the support of one another morally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. For example, many students in our seminary are confident that they will find ways to pay their school fees for their four year stay at the school. Even though many do not have governmental support, they are assured by the strength of the church’s backing or the foundations of their family’s assistance. There is a quiet understanding that when the church or family benefits the students that he will soon reciprocate the favors. There is almost an unwritten rule that if "You scratch my back, I am bound to scratch yours when the time comes."
By sharing the benefits, Africans understand that they are expected to share the responsibilities of others. This characteristic reciprocal African system is enhanced through this community celebration of baptism. Africans respond to family needs during times of crisis. Since crisis can be of both good and bad in nature, this plugging into the support links foster greater benefits than baptisms done in a more private and sedate manner.
Eleventh, baptism ceremonies done publicly indicate a departure from isolation. When one is brought into Christ, he is reconciled to God, to the family of God, and to one’s own church fellowship. Baptism is a time of putting aside one’s grievances, bitterness, and resentments and joining the family of the forgiven. A new sense of freedom to love, share, and communicate on deeper levels is afforded the baptized individual. By publicly allowing one to declare this new sense of community, he is given a greater appreciation of his belonging, acceptance, and worth. At the same time, he is renouncing the devil and his works. This is a public declaration of the loosing of the chains that bound one to sin, destruction, and the old nature’s tendencies. The Pastor must be careful that public baptism is not viewed as that which saves an individual, but as an important point of public identification-incorporation with the community of the redeemed. Public awareness reinforces one’s ending of isolation and inclusion into the fold of the Good Shepherd.
Twelfth, public baptisms tend to create a real drama of the death, burial, and resurrection through Christ. Africans love a good drama. They seem to have a greater ability to live through the emotions, actions, and behaviors of the actors. Whenever they are given public demonstrations of inward convictions they are confirmed deeply into the memories of everyone present. For example, a certain weekend a Pastor came to me asking for videos on the life of Christ. Apparently, he had been asked to speak at a church in a nearby town, but the people were insistent on seeing in order to believe. In order to allow the people to strongly place their faith in Christ, he planned to take two films on the life of Christ to the village. He turned down my suggestions that he take a scholarly portrayal of Christ to which he said, "These people are used to learning through dramatics not didactic." In other words, he indicated that far deeper learning goes on in Africans minds when they are able to dramaticly enter into the full range of emotions, practices, and visual stimuli than simply relying on abstract truths taught through the lips of preacher-teacher.
Thirteenth, ceremonies give Africans a real sense of accomplishment. This sense of succeeding in achieving something of value is done through relationship-building activities like a public baptism. By viewing public occasions as opportunities to gain new perspectives, meet people of various social positions, and interact with others concerning their problems, all attending are renewed. Automatically, ceremonies allow the society to preventatively eliminate unhealthy social interactions by seeing one another in a context of victory over evil. By comparison, more gets accomplished in African ceremonies than dozens of hours spent reading books on sociological values of Africans. Its the observant participator who learns that Africans learns best in the context of human interactions.
Building helpful personal relationships usually ranks as one of the top goals for most Africans as that is where the greatest rewards lie. The key is how do we provide a balance between results-seeking and people orientations in African ceremonies? The way to make a positive difference through one’s community is to effect lives through community events. Peter Covey writing in his best selling book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" explains a principles that is usually at the forefront of Africans’ minds during ceremonies. Rather than focusing on things focus on first things first - people and enhancing relationships. He states:
"There is an emerging fourth generation that recognizes that time management is really a misnomer - the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves. Satisfaction is a function of expectation as well as realization. And expectation (and satisfaction lie in our Circle of Influence. Rather than focusing on things and time, fourth generation expectations focus on preserving and enhancing relationship and on accomplishing results.
