SOCIAL HINDRANCES IN CROSS-CULTURAL EVANGELISM
Introduction - Without realizing it many people fail to enter or grow in the kingdom of God because of social barriers. Many well meaning Christians have created unnecessary obstacles for millions of people who could be a part of God’s family if not for socio-cultural stumbling blocks. Crossing the borders of social classes can be so difficult as to even keep people from making the most important decisions in life. I read a true confession of the former President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. One evening he was honoring President Francois Mitterrand of France and his lovely wife at a dinner party. As Nancy Reagan escorted President Mitterand to his side of the table, Ronald Reagan began to show Mrs. Mitterand to her chair. However, Mrs. Mitterand froze in her position refusing to move ahead. As the butler motioned for her to come to her seat, she again stood still. Finally, she whispered something to Ronald Reagan in French which he did not understand. Gently, he said, "Mrs. Mitterand let me kindly show you to your place at the table." But again she refused to move. Suddenly a French translator came up to her and asked her what was wrong. She said, "President Reagan is standing on my evening gown." Accidentally, Ronald Reagan was prohibiting her from going forward. Even the most powerful people in our communities can inhibit the progress of others unintentionally without knowledge. Let us begin by looking at the reasons why social structures can serve as inhibitors or catalysts for evangelism and church growth across cultures. Ed Dayton, in his book Planning Strategies For World Evangelization on page 282-3 tells about the differences between the evangelism of two gifted and dedicated lady missionaries working in the northwestern part of China and seed family evangelistic efforts in 1930 with the Little Flock Assembly in Shantung.
Case Study 1 - The dedicated lady missionaries’ mandate was to evangelize and plant congregations in a cluster of villages. They spoke fluent Chinese; they labored faithfully and fervently. After a decade, a small congregation emerged. However, most of its members were women. Their children attended the Sunday School regularly. The visitor to this small congregation would easily detect the absence of men. In their reports and newsletters, both missionaries referred to the "hardness of hearts" that was prevalent among the men. References were also made to promising teenagers who were opposed by their parents when they sought permission for baptism.
Case Study 2 - In 1930 a spiritual awakening swept through the Little Flock Assembly in Shantung. Many members sold their entire possessions in order to send seventy families to to the Northwest as "instant" congregations. Another thirty families migrated to the Northeast. By 1944 forty new assemblies had been established and all these were vitally involved in evangelism. (Chua, 1975, p. 968)
Dayton points out several social barriers that inhibited the evangelism by the two lady missionaries:
1. Their single status made them seem out of place in a society where one’s identity is known by her position in the family. Subscribing to the beliefs of these women inferred that one approved of their single lifestyle which implied rejecting Chinese social order.
2. Since they were women, the men did not feel that they needed to submit to their leadership. To do so would mean weakness in a male oriented society.
3. Their foreignness (termed "red haired devils") was enough to incite cultural and racial prejudices in the minds of most villagers. Whenever Chinese think of other cultures they have a difficult time thinking of them as equals.
4. A family makes up the basic foundation of the social unit. Many people were confused by how to relate to women without families. To most villagers it seemed that these women were an aberration. Their entire lifestyle seemed like a departure from what was normal, acceptable, or regarded as right morally, biologically, and culturally.
5. The missionaries’ failure to make contact through the elders of the village made them suspect to everyone. To think that anyone would have the audacity to go directly to the women of the village without first consulting with the male leaders seemed subversive to many.
6. Most of the friendship building done by the missionaries was done during the day. This was the time when the husbands were away. Again the men of the village felt that the missionaries were causing the women to become lazy, irresponsible, and disrespectful of the males’ orders. It represented an evil small women’s liberation movement that they associated with Western cultural influence.
7. The single missionary women were seen to be "family breakers". This inductive conclusion was reached by the men because they saw their women and youth rejecting cultural values of submission to the elders.
8. Since the women were not married and had no children, several elders suggested that the women were under a curse. This wildly held belief was an accepted belief that women who did not find husbands were made undesirable by evil spirits. Anyone who failed to find a place in a family unit showed rebellious and dangerous attributes to many Chinese.
9. Since the women were failing to make contact with the male leadership some figured that they might be foreign Central Intelligence Agents sent in to spy. Any association with evil spies naturally made them guilty by association.
10. In Confucian teaching, three of five basic relationships have to do with family ties - father and son, brother and younger brother, husband and wife. Since the women did not have any of these visible relationships, some wondered if the women were not evil spirits in disguise.
11. In contrast the Little Flock Assembly of Family Seed evangelism succeeded for almost all of the reasons while the two lady missionaries did not. They allowed people to become Christians through proper social contacts with families. Fathers spoke to fathers, mothers shared with mothers, youths witnessed to youths, children took their friends to Sunday School where many were saved. Social units catalyzed rather than inhibited the planting and growing of the church in China.
12. The seventy families became an effective missionary force that was self-supporting, self-governing, self-teaching, socially acceptable, and self-propagating. Whenever the government tried to discourage the growth of the church they did not know where the family lines stopped and the church lines started. Family and church became synonymous terms in life and ministry.
13. Many of the families gave their goods, time, and talents for the mutual benefit of the other families. This pattern resembled the pattern in Acts 2:41-47 where the early church showed the following characteristics:
A. Devotion-commitment to one another’s family units.
B. Teaching from one family head to other elders. This allowed the fathers to maintain their positions and respect in their own households.
C. Fellowshiped where everyone had social, economic, and spiritual values in common. They allowed the mutual dependence principle to propel their love in supporting one another.
D. Many wonders, signs, and miracles were evidenced through their fellowships and prayers. They lived such lives of faith that they were able to see results from their willingness to put their reputations and social standings on the line for Jesus’ sake.
E. They enjoyed meeting with one another for social, spiritual, educational, and mental stimulus. They saw the benefit of working with and through one anothers’ strengths and weaknesses in socially approved ways.
F. They worshipped together through communion, singing, and small group devotions regularly. Their worship reflected a genuine joy in the Lord and the power of His entire attributes.
G. They enjoyed favor with all the people, for their lives overflowed with the fruits of the spirit. The Bible says, when our ways are pleasing to the Lord, even our enemies are at peace with us.
H. God used their family seed units to multiply the church qualitatively and quantitatively. Without the evidences given through the social structures the church might not have grown as quickly and effectively.
Many fellowships today have hindered growth because they are lacking some of the basic qualities of the fellowship seen in Acts 2:41-47.
I. They visited one another from house to house. This involved respecting the households social norms. It also meant fitting the Bible’s principles and practices into the social norms at each home.
There seems to be a revelation in the contrasting academic approach of the lady missionaries versus more of people-oriented approach to applying theology of the family church movement. In their attempt to share a good thing with other Chinese, the people wanted to keep their cultural heritage while at the same time embrace Christianity. This seemed possible through what Erickson has called a "folk theologizing".
In working through a folk cultural approach the families emphasized the interpersonal relationships that were naturally reinforcing the built-in networks - father to father, mother to mother, parents to children, grandparents to grandchildren etc. These networks served a social bridges that Don McGavaran has so eloquently written about. These links are natural, culturally acceptable, and most effective in bringing changes that are more permanent. Instead of trying to erect new orders, families allow the culture to contribute to the way in which the theology is done. Utilizing the social networks, the family church growth movement allowed for their theology of the church to be fashioned according to the changing needs of the people. It is likened to having a customed made dress or set of trousers made for the body rather than trying to fit into one that is already made.
Advantages to using the custom fit model abound. By tailoring the wineskins to suit the particular wine of the Chinese theology, there is less chance of the wine being lost in the processes of change. In my cross-cultural evangelism class at Jos Seminary, I asked a visiting Singaporian Pastor to share how he was using family concepts to evangelize his city. Pastor Joseph We said:
Case Study 3 - "We have found that many Singaporians are content with their present affluent lifestyles. Therefore, we have to package the gospel in ways that are attractive to their culture, their social order, and their class distinctions. One idea that has brought about good results is the seminar package for producing a happy family. Since many upwardly mobile Singaporian families are in the process of making adjustments to affluence for the first time, they are struggling with how to relate to extended family members. Our seminars discuss the basic principles of a successful family interpersonal process. After we have met those felt needs, the majority of the people ask us, "What is your basic secret for these happy families you Christians enjoy?" Only then are the people ready to hear about Christ, forgiveness of personal sins, and faith in Christ as their personal Savior."
Pastor Joseph pointed out to my students that by approaching the people on the basis of their designated social class, his church saw much better results. Again this reinforces the idea that many people are more likely to make changes when they have to cross the fewest amount of cultural obstacles to get to Christ.
Dialogue seems to be a key in relating the traditional strengths of one’s theology with the folk theologizing that seems to be yielding great results around the two-thirds world today. This implies that church planters who want to succeed will have to spend lots of time in conversations with leaders and the masses discussing how to relate the truth to the needs of their families’ connections. Naturally this subsumes a greater participation on an interpersonal level, more visits, more time spent listening than talking, more time spent counselling than preaching, and more time spent praying with people than for people.
There is a great price to pay when missionaries interact with the concrete realities of the people. Lots of time this means long hours of bearing one another’s burdens. For some highly educated it may seem like a lot of wasted time that could be better spent in writing, teaching, or researching. Yet, a shift from the literary to the oral styles of communication are more culturally respected in families. Seldom do mothers ask their daughters to read articles on washing dishes, preparing meals, or taking care of smaller children. Instead, they should show them how through their love, examples, and patient demonstrations.
It seems that the old fashion emphasis on contextually attuned interpersonal family relationships synergized with intelligent theologizing will yield the greatest results. All of this needs the sensitive leading of the Holy Spirit bringing the truths of systematic, historical, and Biblical theology to bear on the felt needs of the people. Without a reliance on Him to guide us into all truth we are moving blindly. All of this assumes a proper integration of the social sciences with solid exegetical theologizing. When people get too strict in their hermeneutics they often become so technical as to lose the human sensitive to people’s needs. However, when people emphasize folk theologizing there is a tendency toward syncretistic theologizing. This syncretism occurs when critical or basic elements of the gospel are abandoned in the process of contextualization and are replaced by the religious beliefs of the respondents’ culture.
Understanding social structures through the eyes of a solid theology and relationship with the Lord can avert this problem. In a real sense we are not adding Christianity to a traditional family system of beliefs. Neither are we merely accepting Christianity as a veneer to the socially approved beliefs and practices. Nor are we simply trying to substitute conveniently the Christian ideals when the family needs call for them.
To avoid any syncretism involves intelligence, faith, and a discerning Spirit-led mind. Syncretism can lead to harmful compromises with the culture, thereby diluting the gospel of its essential character. We need now to learn to select Christian ideals that are best able to fit into the culture. After these have gained acceptance, the Spirit of God will produce a hunger for the more drastic kinds of changes that are needed as the family grows together into all aspects of Christ. This range of variation, as Kraft has called it, will need supervision, instruction, and even some church discipline occasionally.
We must learn to distinguish between the acceptable and unacceptable range of variation according to a fitting contextual theology carved out by the seed family leaders. Using appropriate social structures to communicate the gospel across cultures will take time, effort, prayer, diligence, and plenty of private mentoring of the key seed families to bring about lasting changes.
Since we are basing our practices on a foundational relationship with Christ and a subsequent theological understanding, we are bolder in working through the insights given to us from social and cultural structures. The problems usually comes to the forefront when social structures are looked at with higher authority than the scriptures. Hebrews 5:14-16 implies that discernment is gained through a rigorous interaction of the meat of the word with the heart of cultural and social experiences. It is through this growth process that one’s senses gain a refinement in discerning the differences between what is good, better, and best. For example, when I first came to Nigeria over ten years ago, there was a strong movement toward the independent church movements away from the mainline denominations. At the time this represented a dangerous movement toward syncretism. Even though there are many cases of syncretistic church movement throughout Nigeria, many of these leaders are genuinely seeking sound theololgical answers for the problems in their churches. A week hardly passes, when one of these independent church leaders comes into my office asking for help in carving out a Biblically based curriculum for his new Bible College. They are now finding that their practices have somehow run ahead of their knowledge of the scriptures.
In the western style of theologizing we face quite the opposite problem. Our knowing far out paces our doing. The Spirit of God is able to bring necessary conviction to both groups when appropriate through the channels of His word, Godly counsel, and prayer. It seems that by emphasizing a balance of the knowing, being, and doing we will bring more of our churches into maturity. Dean Gilliand suggests bringing a synthetic model into play through contextualizing theologies.
He says, "The synthesis model brings together the four basic elements, the gospel, Christian tradition, culture, and social change. The product comes from the dialogue between each of these using the insights of the people themselves. There is a recognition that no culture exists in a vacuum but is influenced by other cultures and contexts so it is important to recognize the elements that are shared with others.
No cultural setting is complete in itself, but needs the complimentary features of other contexts. The advantage of the synthetic model is that it is within dialogue that a real appreciation for truth arises. Third world Christians can bring their own insights and cultural gifts to the process of theologizing. Each Christian group has a distinctivenss yet it can only be understood as a part of the universal Christian faith, which, in turn, is applicable to every culture." (Gilliland, Doing Theology in Context, Class notes, p. 18,19 1988, Fuller Seminary)
The major disadvantages in this model is that unless closely supervised, it could lapse into a universalistic approach quite easily. Although it seems that without true theologians giving firm direction to the synergistic process, the church may be too tempted to be guided by intuitive impressions of dynamic leaders. A firm set of disciplines would have to be agreed upon before the church could develop a solid identity, set of responsibilities, and roles to guide the formation of the church. Otherwise, there would be such a general order to the church that it would be as solid as a gelatin, subject to break downs in times of heated difficulties.
Let me give you an example of a practical mistake that I made that hindered social relationships for years until someone pointed out my cultural mistake. When teachers, students, and friends came to my house, I would often ask them, "Would you like something to drink?" This is a perfectly acceptable question in my culture for it gives proper consideration to the individual’s choice. It shows that I am not trying to force anything on the person without his choice being expressed. However, after several years in Nigeria I learned that this was a violation of acceptable cultural practices.
In most social contexts in Nigeria, the guest is welcomed, seated, and food is automatically brought to him without asking if he wants something. To be asked is a subtle way of trying to discourage the person from taking the food of the head of the household. In other words, it is a mild insult to the visitor. Naturally, one should assume that a weary traveler wants food and drink, so the hidden assumption is that surely a good host will provide something for the guest without forcing him to request it. This will save the face and reputation of both the host and the guest. In like fashion, I had to learn in my teaching at the seminary, not to ask the students if they wanted to learn particular concepts. It would be left up to them if they wanted to take it, apply it, and teach it to others. It was really my responsibility to lecture and put the "academic food" out on the table. The students would then take up their choice of eating, digesting, and utilizing the food as they deemed necessary. Naturally, there has to be some modification of this analogy to learning, as many students need help in adjusting their academic appetites and eating habits to higher level cognitive processes such as analyzing what is being taught, synthesizing fresh models according to their contexts, and setting up evaluative criteria for assessing the worth of other theories. Nevertheless, I have found that I do far more lecturing, presentations of materials, and serving up a variety of illustrations for the students to contextualize as they deem fit.
Using the host analogy brings the materials more to a level where the students are then free to interact AFTER I have presented the academic food on the table. Then they are free to respond, question, and debate the interpretations, applications, and correlations to their social context. Traditional Protestants from North America need to overcome their hidden biases in social structures. For the most part, many of the North American missionaries have come from rural church denominations that have their roots in the Mid-Western and Southern parts of the U.S.. There is within Protestantism a subtle assumption that upstanding members of any community will naturally be members of "respectable churches". This has naturally excluded even some Christians from acceptance into certain circles by their associations with Pentecostal-like churches. Traditionally, the Pentecostal fellowships represented the poorest social classes and were cunningly excluded from mainline fellowships. This has backfired on certain denominations where the Pentecostal-like churches have found their greatest growth through the lower social classes throughout the world. Certain small village contexts led some Christians to a subtle belief that certain social structures were the more preferable ones where Christianity could flourish. They failed to take into account that God has chosen the weak, the poor, and the foolish of this world to shame those who are wise so that no one can boast before God. (I Cor. 1:26-29). When they established churches in Africa, they assumed that what worked in the U.S. social structures would likewise succeed in African societies. Christianity needs to be able to recognize the validity of the homogenous concept in social structures. As Don McGavaran taught, "birds of a like feather, tend to flock together." Similar social groups of people tend to prefer one anothers’ company. We need to ask the Lord for the ability to start seed family movements through all of the social classes of every society. It is through these multiple networks that the gospel and the church are best facilitated in spirituality. This is by no means advocating social class ostracism, but it is allowing for the gospel to spread freely in the established social structures that prevail throughout all cultures of the world. However, there were a number of factors that were not taken into proper considerations in utilizing social structure wisdom throughout Africa:
1. The African social structures often revolved around a chief and his elders. These men were largely responsible for the decisions made for the benefit of the group. Regardless of the educational, economic, or religious practices, the chiefs had to make the final decisions for it to be deemed acceptable. This ran contrary to the democratic spirit in many North American missionaries. Consequently, they tended to raise up churches that were insensitive to the social lines of authoritative decision-making leaders.
2. There exist sharp divisions of the social classes according to age, gender, and inherited positions. The North American missionaries chafed at this feudal system of social hierarchy. Since, many of his ancestors had fled Europe to get away from this social system that hampered individual initiative, he scoffed at a class division that he historically viewed as evil. However, the Africans saw this class distinctions as basically practical. For most, if they could simply get one of their relatives in a position of power then they were able to look to him for favors in times of need. It was not as necessary that everyone ascended the social ladder, but simply if one of the trusted extended family members attained social importance that mattered.
3. The African social structures revolve around marriage(s). Without question the most pressing concern for single people in Africa is, "How can I find the right life partner for my marriage?" When someone wants to speak to the felt needs in an audience, 80% of the time, marriage is at the center of the felt, perceived, and real needs of most African audiences. Marriage is central to status, identity, survival, reproduction, inheritance, positions, and respect in the African society. Being single, this has been a bit of a hinderance to me in fully appreciating the kinds of troubles facing most of the Pastors in our seminary. For example, I am able to interact quite understandably with my students on the Biblical ideals of marriage, but seem to lose their hearing when it comes to the extended family issues of traditional African marriages. In these cases, I often ask the students, "In your cultural context, how would you integrate the ideals of marriage with the principles and practices of traditional marriage?" Never, have less than 75% of the hands in class shot up with all kinds of valuable insights freely offered. These then become the substance of greater understanding both for the teacher, the students, and the researchers who are pondering the best ways to contextualize their teaching. They are then able to better contextualize their teaching on African marriage. It is here that the primary tool of "How To Know the Will of God" in deciding on a future life partner becomes the principle means of integrating the Bible and culture.
4. Africans are particularly responsive to the afflictions of families. Whenever a tragedy occurs, people are quick to come to the aid of a bereaved family after the death of loved one. This comfort during times of affliction is especially meaningful as the Christian family can offer great hope to those who died in the Lord. Death can be seen as a time of promotion for the departed instead of a time of fear and uncertainty. Jesus gives us special insights into the inclusion of families in the greater family of God in Mark 3:32 when his mother and brothers were looking for Him, but He answered them by saying, "Who is my mother or my brothers? And he looked on them which were sitting around Him and said, "Behold, my mother and brothers? for whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." This sense of belonging is especially significant during times of death and the burial ceremonies. Funerals take on a special significance in the African culture. It is at this time that commitments are expressed openly because of their importance. To the living the funeral service is a time of tribute, remembrance, and thanksgiving to God for a life well spent. However, for the dead in Christ, it is a time when the departed has been promoted into eternal fellowship with our Lord in heaven. However, for those, who the family is unsure of their destination, it is a time of sober reflection for all that, "There is an appointed time for all to die and then comes the final judgment." (Heb. 9:27) It can be one of the most powerful times for bringing people into the stark realization of the nearness of eternity and the urgency of trusting Christ. All social classes find common ground in death. Death is the greatest equalizer of all the rich and the poor, the high and the lowly, the oppressors and the oppressed. It is for this reason that the consolation ministries offer bridges to all social units through the ministry of comfort, instruction, and prayer.
5. Women play a key role in shaping the family through their social networking. Since African women are the one’s who do most of the market shopping, food preparation, and child care, they have a greater need to interact with a broader range of people. While men are able to form associations chiefly through their work and neighbors, they are not expected to have to relate to such a wide circle of people in the course of day. The women find themselves in numerous homes, situations, and stations where they are able to work through a wide variety of communication systems. Evangelists would be wise to stress the importance of I Tim. 2:15 in the preserving of women’s integrity in their communications. Paul says, "Women are to be kept safe through childbirth if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with propriety." This seems to mean that women will continue to find their greatest fulfillment, significance, and effectiveness through their role in serving the family. The conditional clause at the end of the verse puts its emphasis on the character qualities of the woman. These qualities stress trust, care, and purity in spirit in an attitude of correctness in her morals. As women are able to communicate through their circles of associates, a wholesome character will express their greatest satisfaction with their family. This will serve to attract other families to her Lord and way of life. At the same time this deals with feelings of inadequacy, discontentedness as well as feelings that women must compete with men for leadership in the home.
6. Social structures are often seen as the outward manifestation of a person’s power and security. In many African societies power is the ability to do or act out of position of one’s social status. A man possessing social importance is generally considered to have the faculty to do great good or terrible evil. When one has influence it is usually exhibited through social means as a way of enhancing, validating, and extending his power. Some of the most influential people I know in the church are people with significant social positions. While men of genius may be admired; men of wealth may be envied; men of character may be trusted; it is the men of power who are feared in Africa. If you want to test a man’s true spirituality give him a big social position to determine how he will handle his power. This power is generally expressed through social channels of relationships. Therefore, the more people one knows, the more power one has access to. The depth and the breadth of one’s relationship are proportional to the power that one functions with. Whereas Western societies usually refer to poor men as those without the benefits of education, African societies give their highest authority to men of high social positions whether they are earned, inherited, or appointed through favors. In Western societies it would be true to say that knowledge is power, but only when it is turned on. But in Africa the love of power is socially seen to be more acceptable than the power of knowledge. It is possible that this is the reason why many university degree holders are more interested in what social position the degree will give them, than what their jobs will allow them to do constructively for the society. The poorest man in Africa is the one without a network of social relations that he can rely on during times of distress. Perhaps it is for this reason that quests for power are considered virtuous as long as they will eventually bring benefits to one’s social networks of family and friends. Both good and evil are continuously done in Africa, but in the name of one’s social relations.
Case Study: John Apeh,in his book Social Structures and Church Planting, writes on page 105 about three young men who display some insights into Nigerians’ need for power and security. See if you can discern the causes, effects, and undergirding perspectives that guide these three young mens’ decisions: Anaja was a young Christian who demonstrated some signs of spiritual growth immediately following his conversion. He was a driver and had seen automobile accidents resulting in death. He was advised by his friends to get some fetishes which would enable him to disappear or get out of a vehicle in times of accident. This fetish is believed by most unbelieving drivers to be efficacious. Fear for his life and need for security drove Anaja into idolatry. In spite of the admonition of the church, Anaja renounced Christianity. He realized that his new practices were incompatible with Christianity and so decided to go into Islam. Anaja saw that he needed a great power to protect him from accidents regardless of its source. His pessimistic views grew out of an animistic fear of failing to contact the proper spirits for deliverance from evil. He somehow reasoned that by gaining enough power from spiritists who could make contact with ancestors in high places, he would be protected like his pagan taxi colleagues. Eventually, the social pressure from his fellow drivers was too much to resist so he gave into the temptations of peer pressure. Examples of other taxi drivers became the main influence in Anaja’s life through those he associated with most. Anaja needed to change his social contacts in order to avoid the tragedy of deciding to look to charms rather than God for his power, protection, and security. We all tend to make choices through who we associate most closely with. Simon was a good Christian who was in the pastorate for some years. However, he fell into sexual sin and was excommunicated. Because of the nature of his sin, flirting and having relations with other men’s wives, he decided to seek medicine and fetishes with which to protect himself from the attacks of his rivals and enemies. Although Simon is still in the church, he has his hands in polygamy, witchcraft and native medicine. He could not trust and believe God to help him get over his problems and security needs. Simon’s mind was like a door handle; he allowed it to be turned by anyone who showed the most force. Simon failed to realize that God’s power to forgive involves the authority to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Simon needed to learn how God’s power can be exhibited through internal transformation in our spirit’s mind, emotions, and will. One social sin led to other more serious social disasters for Simon. When things turned rough, Simon resorted to spiritistic exigencies that his former social patterns reinforced. Without good company, all people are subject to social conformity overtly and covertly. Cross-cultural communicators need to realize the influence of social relations in their powerful scopes. One is known by the company he keeps. However, one does not have to conform to the values of one’s company. A Christian takes his cues from the voice of the Spirit of God speaking through the word of God regardless of the social pressures.Ali was a good Christian until he became involved in several land disputes. In Igala culture, land is very important and when one is involved in a land dispute, he is said to be sticking his head out. Having realized that he had made enemies in most of his land cases, he sought traditional medicine and fetishes with which to portent himself. In addition to self-defence, he became involved in charming people with the intent to do harm to them. When it became known that he was involved in spiritism, he left the church. The church’s effort to reason with him fell on deaf ears. Ali’s fear of the enemies that he had made during land disputes frightened him into rash actions. He became more influenced by the threats of his enemies than the support of his Spirit-led friends. Enemies can be fickle in that they can come from within and without. Ali forgot that his greatest enemy came from his own unbelief in God’s greater power. He even resorted to casting curses of people who might be of potential danger to him and his family. His calloused heart disallowed him from hearing the convicting voice of the Spirit of God. Social interactions in Africa are promoted or discouraged by fear. Cross-cultural communicators will avoid alienation when they make it clear that they want to promote trust and reduce socially related fears. The key is helping people realize that no enemy is more dangerous than a friend who isn’t quite sure if he is for you or against you.
Our greatest friend will always be Jesus Christ. He multiplies our true friends through His body, the church. He deepens friendships and social networks through involvement in His kingdom’s qualitative and quantitative growth ministries.
7. Social networks stand to benefit Africans spiritually, economically, mentally, and emotionally. Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52) This meant that all men who grow in Christ will grow in their mental, physical, social, and spiritual capacities along with their natural by-products. Don McGavaran’s redemption and lift principles have helped explain the resulting fruits that have been evidenced in societies that practice Christian principles through the Spirit’s empowering. But, McGavaran cautions against the dangers of halting due to redemption and lift. To avoid allowing the converts to think of Christianity only in terms of social, economic, and education benefits he suggests the following remedies:
1. Do not be content with nominal conversion through social modifications. This creates large numbers of counterfeit Christians who suppose to belong to Christ because of their social contacts. The accepting of non-committed and non-spiritual church members will retard the growth of any church along with the communication of the gospel
2. Do not just plant small clusters of non-growing congregations that strive to be middle-class that create "ghetto Christians". These are pockets of Christians that generally refuse to associate with anyone who is not part of their approved social networks. It subtly elevates and isolates Christians from the non-christian people who need Christ. Oft-times people see these Christians as foreign in their values, lacking close identification with the mainstream of the community.
3. Do not assume that certain social classes are more pleasing to God than others. Even though the upper classes tend to give more in terms of cash offerings, they are not to be given preferential treatment. Throughout the history of the church, the lower classes have generally been more responsive to the gospel. When the masses turn to Christ they have an easier time understanding their need for the Savior and continual reliance on Him for everything in this life and the one to come. The main point is that we look for acceptable ways for all people in all social classes to come to Christ without having to scale too many barriers - socially, economically, culturally, and even religiously.
4. Redemption and lift should serve as a magnet to draw people to Christ not to social benefits. Most people turn to Christ and continue to mature in Christ in the company of like-minded social relations. The power of a regenerated Christian’s mind, soul, spirit, will, and emotions is an invaluable resource for the lifting of societies. Without the Spirit led redeemed Christian, any society is under the control of the devil and the evil of one’s human nature. The redeemed of the Lord have the capacity to draw men to Christ and to lift a society in all of its dimensions. The fruits of the Spirit of God should exhibit themselves through all channels of human networks, not just through one’s extended family contacts. The Psalmist said it best in Psa. 107:2, "Let the redeemed of Lord say so, those he has delivered from trouble."
5. Performing social services for people with only philanthropic concerns is like treating symptoms rather than causes of a disease. Trying to teach people to read without giving them guidance in understanding the scriptures is incomplete assistance. Feeding people without acknowledging the creator and giver of all good things shows a disregard for God’s generosity. God does not condition the giving of His Spirit to only those who can exhibit acceptable social skills. Yet, many of our efforts in missions seem to reflect misaligned priorities. Revising our preaching, teaching, and attitudes toward social blessings may involve appreciating the full extent of our riches in Christ. Realize that one’s relationship with Christ is the root while the social benefits are the fruits and not visa versa.
6. There should be a greater emphasis on redemption’s meanings, responsibilities, and teachings than on the consequential social lifting results. Believing in the sufficiency of Christ, His grace, and His will for our lives should preclude any desire for social rewards. We must remember that we are the clay and He is the potter. However, this does not excuse us from exhibiting social fruits that are in keeping with our salvation. Maintaining proper ordering of redemption and then lift is a key to cross-cultural communications of the scriptures.
7. Real redemption results in efforts to grow in all the dimensions of life. Social benefits are not automatic as some would believe. However, the love of Christ, the fear of God, and the eagerness to share the cure for the greatest problems of man will transform every aspect of one’s being. It is impossible to be redeemed and not be changed from within and without. This helps us avoid the temptation of measuring the success of Christianity only by outward evidences of change. Confusion will be minimized when Christians resist the tendency to measure their spirituality in terms of culturally approved terms.
8. Real redemption results in efforts to grow and lift one socially, educationally, and spiritually. It is a contradiction to see a Christian who stays content with being assured of one’s salvation. With Christ in us, we are motivated to live with heavenly perspectives rather than earthly ones. He will desire to see his church grow in qualitative and quantitative terms. He will not be able to rest with mere attendance and compliance of church rules. He will have a spiritual desire to reproduce the Christ in him into the lives of others.
9. When lift becomes so rapid that it breaks social contact completely between Christians and non-Christians relatives, it ceases to be an unqualified good. There is a subtle rejection through a feeling of superiority that hinders the spread of the gospel in Christians who alienate their former colleagues unnecessarily. Lifting and redemption must not motivate Christians to socially dislocate themselves from their former relations. This is a critical time when people close to them can be brought into the fold of God. Numerous times, my new converts proved to be the most successful in bringing members of their non-christian families to Christ. Adding extra barriers for people to cross, neglecting the natural bridges the social relations provide is at best unwise.
10. We should monitor the amount of redemptive changes and social lifting that is occurring in new converts. By trying to maintain a proportional growth in both redemption and lift, we will see long range benefits. Here are examples of two churches who need to learn how to balance out their redemptive and lifting ministry efforts. See if you can determine how they should find a proper balance of the two?"Good News Deliverance Church is already greatly growing. She is giving much effort to growth and little to lift. She should devote more to lift, but should continue enough emphasis on growth to insure that it does not stop or even slow down. Stopping growth to stress lift is always an error.
God is the sovereign Lord who can direct the church in the right proportional emphasis of these two facets of ministry. She should realize that her growth can serve as a catalyst for lifting ministries. This may be the ripe time for beginning a Bible College in her church during the evening hours. Furthermore, several young men should be selected for training in numerous fields who will be able provide the spiritual, legal, political, financial, and social expertise for the days ahead."
Case Study: "The Instant Deliverance Assembly of the Redeemed is a church that has stopped growing. It is heavily institutionalized and growing at only a few per cent per decade. She now devotes very little effort to growth and very great effort to lift. It is difficult, perhaps impossible, for her to grow from among her present neighbors. Further lifting and polishing of the existing Christians will set them off still more. With her assisting mission, she should reduce emphasis on lift and devote much more to growth. She needs to put more emphasis on church planting using family seeds. In addition she needs to start supporting missionaries to unreached people groups that can help the church regain her vision for the great commission of Matt. 28:19,20. She has a great opportunity to include professors from the local university as the church is regarded as an upper class fellowship.
Case Study: The Holiness Powerline Oasis Fellowship is an African Independent Church with solid Pentecostal roots. They are free in their worship styles and socially open to the young and upwardly mobile. However, the church tends to put much emphasis on the prosperity gospel. There is a clear assumption that if one is redeemed then it will effect man financially in some way or the other. This church needs to realize that God will bless individuals and families who sow righteousness in ways that are pleasing to Him and not to humans’ criteria. We sow in order that we may reap God’s rewards in ways that He deems best for us.
11. Do not create a church that does not reflect the social standings of the majority of the people. Writing in Perspectives on p. 442, Eugene Nida says, "Social context not only affects the ways in which messages are transmitted, but also involves the manner in which they are decoded. The encoding of messages can be done effectively only when these social factors in communication are considered. The basic principles which may be derived from this study of social structure can perhaps best be summarized as follows:
1. The response to the preaching of the Good New may at times reflect a social situation, even more than a religious conviction.
2. Opposition to the communication of the Christian message may be in many instances more social than religious.
3. Changes in social structure may alter the religious view of behavior.
4. Effective communication follows the patterns of social structure.
5. A relevant witness will incorporate valid indigenous social structures."Nida is in effect telling us that good cross-cultural communicators must become good sociologists.
Case Study: These truths can be illustrated through the following case study of one of the JETS’ urban church planters, Hassan Dicks in Gassol of Taraba State, Nigeria. When he went to help start a new church, several laymen had already began a prayer house of seed families. These laymen were construction contractors and Christian Religious Knowledge teachers. During the first several weeks of Hassan’s effort he organized Bible studies in the home of a Project Manager for a new Bank. However, he found that the people hesitated to turn up on a consistent basis. He learned that many of the people felt uncomfortable crossing social barriers to fellowship in such a wealthy man’s household. However, when Hassan decided to visit contacts throughout the city in their homes, the church began to grow. He discovered that the people were happy to come to the contractor’s home on Sunday, but during the week they preferred to hold prayer and Bible study meetings in their own socially comfortable units. Hassan noticed that in these neighborhood meetings, the prayer requests moved from superficial to serious heart felt ones. He noticed a greater degree of participation and involvement from the members in the local meetings than the one that required them to cross social barriers. In effect he found that the homogenous concept of "birds of a feather prefer to flock together," worked successfully for him and for his contacts. This not only applied to their educational but economic standings as well as their ascribed social positions. From this method, Hassan was able to establish four areas meeting daily between 7:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.. With these new meetings there was always a great turn out of people. Friends of the family soon joined the small neighborhood meetings and the church grew more naturally along social class lines.
The implications of the above case study are numerous, but here are some of the most significant ones:
a. A layman can be just as effective as a Pastor in starting new churches and helping them grow.
b. Fellowships grow most successfully along approved social lines than religious or spiritual ones.
c. Neighborhood fellowships allow people greater involvement, identification, and feelings of ownership of their meetings.
d. The evangelist must be willing to go to where the people are rather than waiting for them to come to the establish center continuously. People are much more open in their own socially approved areas than in a place of mixed social units.
e. Small groups generally produce greater qualitative and quantitative growth around approved social units. This should be supplemented with weekly large group meetings for worship, celebration, community affinity, and congregational unity.
f. After the small groups are sufficiently stable, then a piece of land should be purchased and not before. The groups should determine where they want their church to be constructed rather than being told where it will be built.
g. The incarnational model of becoming and identifying with all social groups is key to cross-cultural evangelism. When Hassan expressed his willingness to go into each house and fellowship with the family in its own terms, he found acceptance of his message. Without the willingness to cross-over social lines as Jesus did for us, our message by writing, speaking, teaching, or film ministries will seem contradictory. The personal presence is the most effective kind of cross-cultural ministries as modeled by Christ’s willingness to "become like us in all ways, even to the point of death on a cross."
For more defensive groups that are prone to be less responsive, more social services open the doors for the gospel. When S.I.M. began their ministry in Nigeria, they gave much attention to the social services through education, medicine, rural development, and land acquisitions. These social services provided credibility, bridges of trust, and broke down resistances of leaders who initially rejected missionaries’ attempts to convert them to Christianity.
The true miracles came through medical break through in the early days of the mission’s history. Dr. Allen won the confidence of several Emirs and traditional rulers through his competence in setting up medical dispensaries throughout the north. Tommy Titcombe gained wide acceptance in the Egbe area through his minimal knowledge of pharmaceuticals. Dr. Stirett became known as "Bature mai magani", the white man with medicine. From the social services that these men helped to give, a platform for the gospel was established that launched millions into the churches. An effective cross-cultural communicator will take into account the principles and practices of sociology and anthropological realities. To ignore these aspects of the ministry would be like closing one’s eyes to some of the greatest facilitators for the gospel. This will involve a knowledge and good relationships with kinships groups that includes the extended family members. By using family seed heads, the evangelist is able to work through the accepted order of communication that the people are conditioned to respect. By starting seed family Bible studies using family heads as lay leaders, the cross-cultural communication process will be enhanced propitiously and enduringly.
Socially sensitive cross-cultural communicators are able to use festivals and ceremonies to attract people to Christ. Each society has favorite social celebrations that allow expression of deep community values. I watched a football game where thousands of people forgot their social differences and rallied around their favorite team. As the people cheered widely when a goal was scored, I could see people hugging each us in celebration of common objectives accomplished. The players became the mediators of communication for the differences represented in the crowd. The spectators were jubilant over the vicarious accomplishments they shared through their sides’ victory. Equally, the losing side shared opinions over why their side lost, blaming the players and the coaches for the loss. Evangelists need to look for common denominators that rally people together around social similarities of interest. It may be sports, cultural festivals, patriotic ceremonies, or even political campaigns, but these should not be allowed to substitute, only facilitate, the social linking of people to Christ.
Tribal societies are characterized by face to face decision-making. Trying to win people through crusades may work in urban environments where the people are used to more individual decision-making. However, in most African societies, people are closely related to one another in the security of extended family units. It is for this reason that one needs to learn how to work through the family heads in order to effect change that is enduring. In fact it would be better to delay the baptism or the coming out of individuals from a family unit giving sufficient time for the family leaders to convert. Fear of loss of belonging to the family can hinder many people from becoming Christians. By slowly tearing the family apart through social disintegration, the evangelists can impair the growth of the church through impulsive estranging of the new converts.
Closed societies will resist the conversion more than open urban-educated ones. There will always be a resistance from a tight-knit family oriented society to change. Allow for plenty of time for these societies to make decisions for change. Group conversions centered around family units assure converts of the social support, acceptance, and belonging needed to nurture their spiritual growth. This will call for a sensitivity on the part of the evangelist to know when a sufficient number of people are ready to make the transitionary conversion together.
You may begin with the stories of the O.T. in order to provide people with examples of families who moved together in unity as Joshua said, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Josh. 24)
Give the choices for the gospel to those who are in positions to make valid decisions that will affect the greatest social units. By converting the Phillipian jailer, Paul and Silas saw the natural results of the whole household follow him to salvation in Christ. By allowing your communication to go through the village head, the family heads, or the district heads, you are allowing the most valid decision-making person to affect the people in ways that will produce the most qualitative changes. He is better able to handle the social pressures than anyone else in the society.
By gaining the confidence of the village head, you gain the assurance of socially approved decisions. We are deceived if we think that isolated decisions of youth or women or children will produce the most effective wholistic changes in a tribal society. This will vary in a highly urbanized society with greater individual autonomy. However, to the degree that societies are affected by authority figures, so prayer should be directed to the changing of the "kings heart" as God can turn his heart as water. (Prov. 21:1) "The heart of the king is as streams of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he wills."
Pray for opportunities to reach people outside of their socially confined networks and during times of transition. When I was a 19 year old, I got drafted away from the security of my family and thrust into the Vietnam war. Not only was this socially upsetting, but it made me rethink all of my social values and securities. Suddenly, I was placed in a company of 68 men who came from a variety of social backgrounds. Some came from the ghettos of South side Chicago. These men were used to swearing with about every third word. Their conversation shocked my lilly white ears to hear their "blankety-blank descriptions of every like or dislike of theirs. After three months of associations, I even found myself using some of their language, in order to be accepted. However, it was during this time of social uprooting that I became and grew as a Christian. The Navigators, an interdenominational Christian organization, provided me with social support, friends, and a community of committed believers to help me use my time in the service for evangelistic and discipleship purposes. Through the socially approved network of my Navigator friends, I lived in an apartment with officers, commuted with colleagues aboard ships, and conducted Bible studies aboard most of the vessels in 32nd Naval Station in San Diego, between 1972-1975. This socially disintegrating time could have spelt disaster for me as it did for so many of my recruit companions who joined the wrong crowds. However, God knew that with my strong non-christian family background I probably would have rejected the gospel unless I had left my previous social moorings. The strategic time to reach me was during my transition to a new set of social relations in the military. Fortunately, someone reached out, risking his own rejection, to include me into his fellowship. In a very real way, his invitation introduced me to the social network that has saved my life from the emptiness of my former way of life. There are risks in reaching across social borders, but the rewards are worth it. We should be especially concentrating our evangelistic efforts on people in transition socially. These people usually include migrants ie. , urban-to village or village to urban workers; university students, secondary school students, governmental workers, transportation workers, salesmen, traders, etc. Any people who are involved with geographic, job-related, or social transfers horizontally or vertically are generally more open to the gospel.
Recognize the validity of group movement toward Christ. While some may argue that decisions are made on an individual basis, people movements are a vastly underutilized form of cross-cultural evangelism. In many African societies the group response is the only valid one producing lasting changes. In McGavaran’s people movement concept he suggests three things that should precede the groups decision to become Christian all at once:
a. Background information about God, creation, the fall of man, Israel’s historic rebellion, Christ, the offer of salvation, grace, faith, and the stories of Jesus.
b. Initial discipleship information and demonstration.
c. Instruction about the meanings and implications of a decision for Christ and subsequent responsibilites as a Christian.
d. Explanation of the importance of repentance and commitment to service and maturity in Christ.
e.Community responsibilities in the context of the church. Plus the roles that mature laymen will play as elders of the church.
With these foundations, McGavaran suggests that we should not question the people’s motives anymore than we question the incentives of individuals who want to come to Christ in urban environments. Oft-times group movements are more successful ways of bringing the entire family, village, or clan to Christ in socially supportive manners. It could be that for this reason film ministries are so effective in African contexts. They allow people to become Christian in mass movements within the surroundings of socially approved channels of conversion and growth.
Structure your church services along the lines of socially approved communication channels. Each society has socially approved ways of communicating important messages to one another. This may be through singing, using authoritative spokesmen, or using selected mediators. Choose carefully how you will channel your communication through the most effective people and forms that the society deems credible.
In tribal societies there is a stress, according to Paul Hiebert on p. 385 of Perspectives on the following kinds of socially approved communication patterns:
a. Stress kinship as a basis for social bonding. In other words use relatives or extended family members to share the most important transfer of knowledge, beliefs, and behavioral patterns based in the scriptures.
b. Communicate through the elders a strong group orientation with mutual respect. Help everyone to feel that they have some part in the consensus decision-making processes.
c. Try to down-play social classes as most people like to see themselves as one. Use terms such as brother or sister as this connotes the belonging of people to one greater family of God.
d. Realize that communication in most of the developing world is essentially vertical and not horizontal. This implies that accepted truth comes from upper authorities that determine what is true, good, and profitable for the majority of the people. e. Security comes from how well related to people you are. Delay decisions if they may hinder the trust between authorities if necessary.
f. Practice supporting people when they are in trouble as evidence of community solidarity. People are usually most responsive to new ideas when they find themselves in difficult situations. Ask God for the ability to help these people be delivered through prayer, financial assistance, or medical attention etc.
Learn to use qualified lay people as the leaders of your small family fellowships. Emphasize the unity of the group through the diverse use of gifts, talents, and multiple roles in the church. Help each lay person to feel that they have a valuable contribution to make with regards to the church and her ministry. Help balance out the utilization of the gifts of preaching, teaching, serving, exhorting, counselling, administration, evangelism, healing, showing mercy, hospitality, etc with the attitude of group and individual synergistic produced fruits. This will come as testimonies are given and prayers are answered in ways that people can see and hear how God works corporately and individually. Much of this can be done by outlining the following roles for the various tasks in the new fellowship. For example some of the people will need to teach the Sunday School lessons to the children, youth, women, or men. Others will have to prepare the refreshments so that the people can feel comfortable in sharing one another’s homes and possessions. Still others will need to deliberate on the future growth and leadership of the fellowship using Biblical principles. Treasurers will be needed to give accurate accounts of how the offerings are collected and spent.
In addition some people will need to be able to share their prayer requests and hear how God specifically answers these prayers. Finally, some people will need to be responsible for outreach and visitation of new contacts. These should be people who are gifted and motivated in evangelism and bringing people to Christ through loving presentations of the gospel.
By showing lay people how important their contributions are they will be able to bring invaluable human and spiritual gifts to the overall growth of the church and God’s kingdom. We need to get away from the idea that God’s service is only done in the house of God. One day a shoemaker was measuring a powerful woman’s foot for a new pair of shoes. He was radiating happiness. "Why are you so happy?" The wealthy woman asked the poor man. "Jesus has forgiven all my sins and put a song in my heart," the shoemaker humbly replied. The woman was so convicted that she sought out people of her social standing who could instruct her in the proper means of conversion to Christianity. That woman eventually converted the Emperor of Russia. Some of the most valuable contributions to God’s purposes are done by lay people in their own lines of work and social contacts. We need to rethink the importance of what the apostle Paul wrote in Eph. 4:12,13 "To equip the saints for the work of the ministry for the building up of the body of Christ. Until we ALL may arrive at the unity of the faith and that understanding that brings completeness of personality, tending toward the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." BIBLIOGRAPHY1. Apeh, John Social Structure and Church Planting, p. 105-6, Companion Press, Shippensburg, PA. 1989 2. Dickson, Kwesi Continuity and Discontinuity Between the Old Testament and African Life and Thought, p. 95-99 found in African Theology En Route given in the Pan African Conference, Dec. 17-23, 1977 in Accra, Ghana, Orbis, Maryknoll, 19793. Hiebert, Paul Social Structure and Church Growth, p. 380-384, found in Perspective, edited by Ralph Winter, William Carey, Pasadena, 19884. Gilhland McGavaran, Don Understanding Church Growth, p. 262-280, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 19745. Nida, Eugene Communication and Social Structure, p. 428-436, found in Perspective, edited by Ralph Winter, William Carey, Pasadena, 19886. Nida, Eugene The Relationship of Social Structure to the Problems of Evangelism in Latin America, p. 150-160, found in Smalley’s Readings in Missionary Anthropology, William Carey, 1958
