Connecting Culture and Ministry - Some Worldview Tendencies to Consider

The Role of Authority and Social Control [i] [ii]

The issue of who has authority, and how power is exercised also varies from culture to culture. Here again, the distribution of authority in the rest of the world, can often be quite similar, particular in contrast to North American perceptions. The charts here show two categories, "American," and "Contrast-American." There are, certainly, exceptions to these generalizations. They are used, however, to underscore the possible cultural barriers which might occur, when two cultures interact.

It was my responsibility at Cambridge First, as host pastor, to keep everything running smoothly. When we first arrived, if one church wanted to use a space used by one of the other churches (on exception), that pastor would come to me for a decision. I would direct that pastor to work it out with the other congregation. Only once in eight years was it necessary to call a meeting to work it out. Everyone showed an amazing spirit of cooperation.

The Decision-Making Process

The decision-making process is an additional part of the 2^nd degree of separation. Again, North American decision-making differs from that of most other cultures. These differences are, to a large degree, built upon the perception of the role of authority in the culture. The table above gives us some examples to illustrate a few of these perceptual differences. There are, as always, individual differences. However, the church that is interested in reconnecting will disregard them at its own peril.

The Nature of Property

The nature of property also varies from culture to culture. What is property? To whom does it belong? In North American culture, private ownership is seen as an extension of one’s self. In many other cultures, property is more than likely to have a "natural" use, regardless of ownership. This is one example that is illustrative of our decision to allow unused space in Cambridge to be available to all. The effort was to make certain that everyone would feel as though the building belonged to them.

An immigrant from a particular country was seen picking fruit from a plum tree that was hanging over the sidewalk in my friend’s front yard. My friend was upset about it, until I asked him if he planned to use the fruit. He said no. I explained that in his neighbor’s country, as in many countries, fruit trees belong to the community, and his fruit would be put to good use and not wasted. He seemed to accept that.

In a Two-Thirds World country, a number of squatters moved onto some pasture which bordered on a main road. The land belonged to a missionary school. The missionaries had not built on the road, because they did not want the students to be subjected to the "bad influences" of the people living on the side of the road. The North American missionaries, who ran the school, went to court to remove the squatters. The judge ruled that the squatters had a right to remain on the land. What was more, he ruled that after five years, the squatters could also use the rest of the pasture. His reasoning was that the "natural" use of the land was for living and not pasture, because it adjoined the main road. The missionaries were distraught. Losing the use of that portion of their property was the same as having it stolen.

The enculturation process provides the cultural filters out of which come stereotypes, perceptions, traditions, customs, urban legends, and superstitions. We do not have to be captive to them, but we must fight them if we are to overcome them.

Socio-Economic Distance

This third degree of cultural separation represents a further distance in bridging cultural difference. Bringing the classes together in one congregation, particularly Protestant churches can be difficult. Although it has been done, one could argue that class may be even more difficult to bridge than race. The issue at stake here is feeling at home. When it has happened, in most cases, race had also been bridged before class.

Language Difference

Language is the fourth degree of cultural separation. When there is no easy way to communicate, language becomes the most difficult distance to bridge. Even with translation, language confusion can create all kinds of communication problems. These differences can be most noticeable, when churches share facilities. It is not practical to walk around with a translator at one’s side. In our multi-congregational structure, I was blessed with our four congregations and a large Chinese Bible study group. It was always possible to communicate with the pastors and leaders who shared the building with us. In my eight years at Cambridge, we always found a way to communicate. It is always good when everyone, to at least to some degree, speaks the same language. During that time there was never an angry word spoken, at least in my hearing.

What are your experiences when ministering to other cultures?

 

 

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[i] Adapted from material by Edward Steward, who wishes to acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Jasper Ingersoll, Department of Anthropology, Catholic University to the development of this table.

[ii] Adapted from my book “Reconnecting the Church: Finding Our Place in Complex Culture.”

Connecting Culture and Ministry - Deductive & Inductive Reasoning

Inductive AND Deductive Reasoning [i]

A further contrast that can create cultural dissonance is the way people process information. Cultures that think deductively are most often influenced by the scientific method.

In the Western world, modernity and most of its scientific advancement have been powered by deductive reasoning.  It is the way those educated in western schools and universities think. It also becomes the basis upon which most decisions are made. It should, then, come as no surprise that church members think in the same way. It could also be said that the children of immigrants who have gone to school in the West, will also tend to think predominately in this fashion.

One begins with what one has learned, and then thinks about how that knowledge might be extended. A theory is formulated. Then a specific hypothesis is devised to test that theory. The hypothesis is tested, and the data that result are examined to determine whether there is a confirmation of the original theory.

Inductive reasoning works in the opposite manner. One begins by making an observation. Observations are catalogued, and when one sees regular occurrences over time, one moves from those specific observations by discovering broader patterns. On this basis, a tentative hypothesis is formulated that one can explore. In consideration of the previous data gathering process, the investigator finally arrives at a general conclusion or a theory.

One can see how these two ways of thinking and forming conclusions might lead to misunderstanding. Inductive reasoning, by its very nature, is more open-ended and exploratory, especially in the beginning. Stories tend to be inductive in nature. In cultures that are inductive, narrative will most often trump logic, and need will often trump rules.

Deductive reasoning, on the other hand, is narrower in scope and is concerned with testing and confirming hypotheses. Cultures that think deductively will more often refer to bylaws and agreements. When an immigrant culture that is predominantly inductive and an American congregation are occupying the same building, this factor alone can get in the way of understanding.

Just to know how a particular culture comes to conclusions will go a long way to help one better to understand the world of many immigrants. Such knowledge can be very helpful when two cultures minister side-by-side.

Understanding can become the basis for loving and long-lasting cross-cultural relationships. For example, at Cambridge First Church of the Nazarene, four congregations and a large Chinese ministry worshipped together during my 8-year tenure in harmony and cooperation. Each of the leaders, to their credit, were nothing but cooperative.  We met regularly and did three things: a) we worked through any concerns each church might have, b) we updated the schedule as to the allocation of space and time in the building, and c) we planned events where we would come together for combined services and activities. Everything we decided was by consensus.

How do the people to whom you minister process information?

How do the people you want to minister to process their information?

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[i] Adapted from my book “Reconnecting the Church: Finding Our Place in Complex Culture.”

Connecting Culture and Ministry - Customs and Manners

Social Customs and Manners[i]

The second degree of cultural separation (see the illustration in Part Four) includes social customs and mores. They can also be observed as being part of the first degree of separation as well. The most ingrained and non-observable barriers are the stereotypes that reside in people's minds.

Social customs, manners, and mores are organized into five major categories. They are best described in terms of the use and allocation of:

a.   Time

b.   Space

c.    Authority and Social Control

d.  The Decision-Making Process

e.   The Nature of Property

Time:

The first category of the second degree of separation is the use and allocation of time. Time, and its use, means many things to different cultures. The figure below, depicts two different perceptions of time—Western time and Two-Thirds World time. As always there are exceptions to both generalizations. The invention of the clock in Europe helped to organize the Industrial Revolution, making the concept of time knowable and punctuality enforceable. The Western concept of time is based on this model. In the Two-Thirds World, being “on time” is calculated more generally. Time, is not as important in those cultures as are relationships. Life is lived without the pressures of exact punctuality or time constraints. In Anglo cultures time is a matter of utmost importance. Pastors who allow the worship service to go over time will probably hear about it—I know.

For example, if two congregations coexist in one church building, their differing concepts of time can create problems. The Anglo church, in our example, will probably feel the most pressure. What happens when a church’s service is scheduled for one hour and it goes for two? Or joint meetings are scheduled, and the “other” congregation arrives in dribbles. It is pointless to allow hard feelings to arise. Trying to change the other group is more than pointless, it could be characterized as paternalism.

Space:

The use and allocation of space is an additional separation factor that cultures often see differently. For example, most cultures use space to communicate social distance. Social space for American males is about a 12ft. diameter. People outside that radius are often treated as scenery—possibly ignored. People inside that circle know to stand at a respectful distance. If they do stand closer, they lower their voices.

On the other hand, most Latino Americans or Koreans, for example, often have a much smaller social radius. They are more comfortable standing or sitting closer together. The diagram, for example, shows what might happen were an Anglo and a Latino to enter into a conversation without understanding each other's concept of social space.

Other cultures are prone to speak in a relatively loud voice. In a typical conversation, some Italians might sound to Northern Europeans as if they were angry with each other. Sensitivity to these differences will serve to help a person to be observant. In most cases, you can ask if your conversation partner is comfortable.

In a multi-congregational church, space can also be a source of conflict. A church that assigns space and time on a rigid schedule will have a problem if a “renter” diverges from that schedule. The size of Cambridge First’s building was only about 12,000 square feet. Every weekend, as many as 700 people would be in attendance. There were four churches and a Chinese Bible Study Group, of 80-100. It was absolutely essential to assign space and time for worship services and regular meetings. However, if a space in the rest of the building was not being used, it was available to any church that needed it.

Does your church house more than one congregation?

How are you doing with the allocation of space and time?

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[i] Excerpted from my book “Reconnecting the Church: Finding Our Place in Complex Culture.”



Connecting Culture and Ministry - Part Four

Four Degrees of Cultural Separation[i]

Cultural sensitivity grows out of an awareness of cultural difference. The figure below lists four barriers to cultural understanding, or what I am calling four degrees of cultural separation. Going from left to right, the figure moves from the least difficult barrier to overcome to the most difficult. Ironically the evangelical Church, with a few exceptions, has had difficulty getting past the first degree of “cultural fundamentalism.“

A.    Cultural Fundamentalism

There are two concepts that are growing. The first is the multi-congregational church where at least two churches with different cultures worship in the same building. In a multi-congregational church, where two or more cultures are represented, there is likely to be conflicting worship and music preference. In our Cambridge church, a Haitian congregation, started by my predecessor, met during our church service upstairs, in our church building. The volume of their service would, at times, become too disruptive for our worship service. These differences were understood by both congregations. When it would become too loud, a designated person would go quietly to their sound person to make the Haitian church aware of the problem. Soon there would be a noticeable lowering of the decibel level. Awareness, cooperation, and communication were the keys. In Cambridge, with five churches, a spirit of cooperation by all was also crucial.

The second concept that is growing is the multi-cultural church. Because our multi-cultural congregation in Cambridge has been about half African-American for the last forty years, it is also inter-generational. Often, churches with multiple cultures represented, are likely to be almost uniformly young. Many of these churches are composed of the children of immigrants who prefer to worship in English. Since difficulties with the first degree of cultural separation are most often generational, this degree of separation would seem to be relatively easily bridged in these congregations.

Worship and music preferences are most often a product of culture. As knowledge increases it does so exponentially. This means that change will also tend to increase exponentially over time, and new cultural contexts will be created in much less time than we have seen in the past. These new contexts can differ significantly even from the previous generation. The context can, in fact, be so unlike the previous generation that different values and preferences come into play. Thus, we can observe an added aspect of the first degree of cultural separation.

This phenomenon is not new to the Church. In the 1960s, the Baby Boomers were raised in an economically prosperous post-war era by parents who had lived through the Great Depression. The disparities that resulted between the two generations touched almost every area of their lives: lifestyles, worship, and music. Partly due to their parent’s rigidity, the Boomers left the Church (they make up 30% of the population and only 15% of the Church). The Millennials, the children of the Boomers, have grown up in the Digital Age. The explosion of Information Technology is making the emergence of an additional cultural shift increasingly probable. Can the Church keep up?

Churches are by their nature conservative, and tend to equate methods with the message. At this lowest level of separation, one would think that Christian charity would prevail in the Church. Sadly, too often, even these differences are not able to be bridged. If a church wishes to minister cross-culturally, it becomes almost necessary to overcome this degree of separation.

What can the Church do to cross this barrier?

What have you done, in your congregation?

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[i] Excerpted from my book “Reconnecting the Church: Finding Our Place in Complex Culture.”

Connecting Culture and Ministry - Part Three

Churches Need to Know About Cultural Awareness[i]

We are all aware of cultural difference. Churches all over the country are experiencing, to varying degrees, an increasing change in the communities where their members have traditionally come.

Most neighborhoods across entire metropolitan areas are becoming increasingly multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, in other words complex. Many local churches find themselves located in neighborhoods into which large numbers of immigrants are moving, many or most of whom do not speak English. In the 1950s and 1960s churches moved to suburbia where they found their preferred demographic. Today, the changes are everywhere. There is no place to go. What are we going to do about it?

We have already mentioned the need for planting churches among non-English speakers. Before such a program gets launched, however, it is absolutely crucial to prepare your congregation for the inevitable cross-cultural experience (see Part Two of this series of posts).

Before starting, the Church must increase its awareness and acceptance of cultural difference, and the potential of cross-cultural ministry. When a local congregation decides to share its building with people of another culture, it is crucial for the congregation to become conversant with cultural differences. If a congregation skips such preparation, it will bring unnecessary suffering to both congregations. The congregation that makes the effort to prepare will be rewarded with a much more satisfying experience. It is our lack of contact with and knowledge of other cultures that fuels our ignorance and places potential good outcomes in jeopardy.

It is to a good idea to bring in a consultant to help with the cross-cultural particulars. The information to come in the following posts is also designed to help assist you in your preparation.

Are there people of color who live in the community where you minister?

Do they have felt needs your church can meet?

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[i] Excerpted from my book “Reconnecting the Church: Finding Our Place in Complex Culture.”

Connecting Culture and Ministry - Part Two

WHAT CULTURE TEACHES[i]

Carley Dodd gives us a more expanded definition of culture. Culture teaches, "Attitudes toward time, property, dress, food, and even the proper distance between people talking to each other all have been determined by culture. Your culture tells you what is beautiful, ugly, sexy or exciting. Your culture teaches you the value of hard work, thrift, privacy, competition, frankness and fair play."[ii] Congregations that wish to plant new churches among new immigrants, who live near their church, would be wise to learn about the cultures they wish to reach. 

SOME PSYCHOLOGY SURROUNDING CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

IN A MULTICULTURAL CONTEXT[iii]

It makes good sense to consider and acknowledge the profound emotional content of cultural difference. Dodd has done some work on the emotional/psychological aspects of racial and cultural difference, and breaks the emotional impact into three levels.

The Personal Level
This level, first of all, is very individual in nature, and begins with a personal question. At what point were you first aware of difference? In this country, for example, it is safe to say that if you grew up as a person of color, your first recollections of difference would most likely be of race. For Anglos who are older, one’s first recollection of difference would most likely be centered on religion or class. In North or South Boston, one’s first recollections of difference might revolve around one’s country of origin. In the small towns of rural America, it could easily be on which side of the "tracks" one resides.

Our first recollections of difference and the emotions connected with them will often become one center around which our lives revolve. Rarely is difference emotionally neutral. Almost always, our understanding of difference is learned, which means that it is taught. It is too often connected with concepts like, “good or bad,” “right or wrong.” Prejudice is not inherently innate; it is learned.

Some suggest that going back in time to examine and understand our first recollection of difference can help us to get in touch with our feelings about religious bigotry, racism, or sexism. Questions and unsolved issues need to be resolved, like: “Where did I get my negative feelings about a specific group of people?” “Where did I acquire my prejudices?”

In the context of ministry, we must develop the understanding that difference is simply that—and nothing more, nothing less. The Church must begin to live out Paul’s declaration that “in Christ there is neither Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free.”

The Inter-Personal Level
The inter-personal level connects us with what is going on between us and other people. Think of yourself as interacting with people who are mostly similar to you (at church, in school, shopping, etc.). Then move in your mind to situations which are increasingly different. Do your emotions change at all, as you shift from one scene to the other? If they do, how do they shift? Can you agree with Malcolm X when he said that we all need to play multiple roles as we move cross-culturally?

At this level, we must always be aware of "where we are." Am I intellectually or emotionally uncreative when I am interacting with someone whose ethnicity is different from my own? Do I find my gut churning when I know the players have changed? How do I feel emotionally when I deal with difference? Do I enjoy meeting people who are different from me (race, culture, religion, language, class, or ideology)?

The Social Level
The following questions relate to our views on the increasing role of difference in American society. What kind of impact does multiculturalism have on society? What difference does multiculturalism make in how I go about doing ministry? What difference will it make as I reconnect with my community? Am I impacting my world in the same way it is impacting me?

Ethnocentrism is the belief that my culture is superior. It expresses itself when I behave as though all other cultures are inferior. This attitude often happens very subtly, and can manifest itself in multi-congregational churches as paternalism. An illustration of a paternal statement would sound like, “We need to tell that other group how to discipline their children!”

We need to assume that other cultures will do things differently, discover how, and adjust accordingly.

What does complex culture look like where you are?

What are some of the differences you have seen and what are you going to do?

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[i] Excerpted from my book “Reconnecting the Church: Finding Our Place in Complex Culture.”

[ii] Dodd, Carley H. 1989 Dynamics of Intercultural Communication. Dubuque, IA: William C. Brown. p.42.

[iii] Dodd, Carley H. and Frank Montalvo, eds. Intercultural Skills for Multicultural Societies. Washington, D.C.: Sietar International. 1987.

Connecting Culture and Ministry - Introduction

As a pastor in Cambridge, MA, I would often walk the two minutes from my office to Central Square, the municipal center of the city. I would sit and observe a veritable United Nations walking by in that busy square. I could walk into my bank and interact with the employees, and patrons from around the world.[i]

When standing in Central Square, I could spin the Buddhist Prayer Wheels installed as permanent fixtures there. From that spot, I could walk two blocks to a Mosque in one direction, and a Marxist Education Center in another. Harvard is a mile to the North, and MIT is a half mile to the South. There are also sixty-five churches inside a half-mile radius, but only two percent of the community attends church regularly.

Every day in that city, people are confronted with multiple cross-cultural experiences, be they visual (dress), auditory (language), or experiential (personal interaction). In Cambridge, cross-cultural experiences are an integral part of every person’s life, and they are celebrated by almost every resident.

With the history of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, and ongoing discrimination, race is rightfully considered a most significant difference in the United States. However, without diminishing the importance of the historical racial struggle in our country, the immigration patterns of the last fifty years have brought many added cultural dimensions to our country.

Seen from a broader anthropological perspective, depending where you live in the world, culture can be more important than race. If you live in Europe, for instance, being White is not as important as being Italian, or Danish. If you live in Asia, being Asian is not as important as being Korean, or Japanese.

For new immigrants in our country, the same dynamics apply. When a person from Armenia, for example, immigrates to the U.S., he or she will most likely be looking to connect with other Armenians. The same can be said of immigrants from most cultures when they first take up residence in our country. Language is often an additional factor driving those decisions, but it is only one of several factors. We will examine those factors more closely later on.

Dr. Soong Chan Rah, who was a pastoral colleague in our multi-congregational church in Cambridge, now a professor at North Park Seminary, has recently published a book, entitled, The Next Evangelicalism. In it, he gives us a needed perspective. He writes that in the next few decades, the majority of evangelicals in the United States will be people of color. His conclusion is inescapable. Evangelical congregations must be more welcoming to people of color, or risk becoming anachronistic and an endangered species.

The rewards of reaching out far outweigh the risks. This series of posts will attempt to give you a little insight into some of the issues one can encounter when ministering cross-culturally.

How is your church serving people of color in your community?

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[i] Excerpted from my book “Reconnecting the Church: Finding Our Place in Complex Culture.”