respect

Missionaries today stand increasingly aware of the need to acculturate as much as possible their message and work. Dr. Leonard Rascher of Moody Bible Institute has stated that “the overriding objective (of missionary training) . . .is to sensitize . . . (those) from the majority culture with regard to (the nuances of cross-cultural communications) as it relates to those in minority cultures.” Moreover, it is obvious that those in mission work must continually press toward increasing their sensitivity to the dynamics of culture.  Only in this manner can we even attempt to avoid the mistakes of our past.

Also, according to Dr. Rascher, the very first principle related to cross-cultural communication is that “we must be informed.” The following brief comments move to raise a few considerations about the role of the ethnic arts in mission strategy. Hopefully, these comments, along with some notes on why we in conservative evangelical missions have developed our present oversight of the arts in general, will help us include a close look at ethnic art forms in the development of our pre-evangelism, evangelism, and church planting strategy on the field.

In addition to the written and spoken language, increasingly we see the importance of body language, the language of social interaction, the language of ritual, etc. all of these, at first foreign and unintelligible to the outsider.  Throughout the world, astute missionaries, are working (to check to give close attention to these ever so important cultural keys to understanding. An understanding of a people’s thought patterns and cultural norms will form the freeways that speed on a culturally relevant gospel so desperately needed by all.

I strongly believe there exists (at least) one major area of neglect by most conservative evangelical mission works — THE ETHNIC ARTS. A close evaluation of a people’s music and other art forms provides the major road maps to grasping their thought patterns, value structures, and communication norms. Though cross-cultural missionaries have for years attempted to become more sensitized to anthropological considerations, because of our generally low view (or inadequate view) of the role of the arts within our humanity or our Christianity, very few have an awareness of the need to take care to observe a people closely in these areas. 

In the semi-literate and illiterate people groups, tradition, religion, social values, etc., are often almost exclusively transmitted through various art forms. Remember that, though written language and translation work are central to any mission work, we must teach a given illiterate people the whole concept of learning via writing and reading, over and above simply teaching them to read and write. How ethnocentric! In fact, reading and writing simply happen to be our way, the western way–in many cases a very foreign way.

For example, according to Rev. David Penz, missionary pastor and pilot with Arctic Missions, Anchorage, Alaska, and formerly with Wycliffe, the native peoples of Alaska are a “show-and-tell” people. They have for centuries, communicated their heritage, their traditions, and their teaching through chant stories, dance, and other art forms. This is true in numerous other people groups as well.

My major point is this–mission work will accelerate if:
1. Missionaries will work through local indigenous leadership, and do that as much as possible behind the scenes;
2. Missions strategy will focus on using every medium of indigenous communications possible in transmitting the truth of the Scripture; and
3. Evaluation and utilization of various ethnic art forms used in conjunction with and simultaneous to the development of language and translation work.

It is a recognized fact that the truth of God and the establishment of Christ’s Church will only occur as that truth enters via cultural points of contact and can be seen by a people as their own; to be developed within culturally familiar norms. In saying this, I am not advocating using Shaman dances in Christian worship. I do believe that dance forms can be developed though, in ways that may be quite appropriate (if developed by those natives sensitive to proper theology, proper decorum and proper motives related to worship, teaching, encouragement and evangelism). In general we must, as quickly as possible, do away with introducing culturally foreign forms of expressions (e.g., our stayed hymns, our systems of homiletics, etc.) and allow them to develop their own appropriate forms of Christian expression and style.

Dr. George Patterson, director of the Honduran Extension Bible Institute in La Ceiba, Honduras (Conservative Baptist Home Mission Society) has demonstrated the above principles well. Over 12 years, he was been responsible for the planting of over 70 churches in a 600 square mile area of Northern Honduras. Yet, he has never pastored one of these churches. He has been the only missionary directly related to the project and therefore has had to work always with the adult male leaders of the churches throughout this area. He focused on working behind the scenes with one or two key lay leaders who in turn teach others within their village. During the course of the growth of these churches they have simply witnessed their own indigenous music sprout and grow. They have recently invited Artists in Christian Testimony to come in to help record, transcribe, and provide some ideas as to its broader and general use throughout the region. That is to say, Dr. Patterson has attempted to stay as much as possible out of the way of the natural flow of the culture.

Dr. Vida Chenoweth, a leading ethnomusicologist with Wycliffe and director of Wheaton’s Ethnomusicology degree program, strongly urged that whenever possible the missionary should not stop “the natural flow of the culture.” Where that flow has been interrupted by the introduction of foreign styles or forms of communication the confidence of the nationals in their own norms is undercut. Therefore she emphasized, “The people do not have confidence in their art forms until the missionary demonstrates the validity of their art forms.” She went on to say concerning some solutions to this problem, that “. . . throughout New Guinea, in trying to bridge the cultural gaps, the people start producing hymns as soon as they are certain it is approved by the missionaries and when some of the outsiders have some ability to participate.” This same phenomenon can happen in other cultures.

The well-known keys to any effective communication of the Gospel are RESPECT and RELATIONSHIP. And that respect and relationship must be built upon a culturally familiar foundation. We in missions want to build bridges. Since we are the outsiders the burden of responsibility for cultural adaptation is on us. Therefore, our main question in developing strategy must be, “How can I touch these people in terms they understand?” We must then use their dialect, their body language, and their art forms to do it.

I am opposed to animistic occult practices, but not to carving per se. I am opposed to immoral and frenzied music and song fests, but not to singing per se. I am opposed to the ritual of the Shaman, but not to dramatic presentation per se. I advocated augmenting literacy, but I do not believe that intelligence and literacy go hand-in-hand. Therefore let us continue to increase our investigation and then our affirmation to use ethnic art forms to:

1. Help establish positive relationship bridges (cultural points of contact) that will serve as roads on which the Gospel can travel;
2. Put across God’s truth in Christ (redemptive and cultural analogies) in familiar terms as a form of expression;
3. Work as much as possible with the indigenous leadership and do that behind the scenes; and
4. Leave room to allow God’s Spirit to impress upon the indigenous leadership the “forms” and “styles” of communication, worship, and church life familiar to them.

Wherever this has happened the indigenous church has grown. Wherever the Western missionary and his or her “forms” and “norms” have dominated, the growth of the believers and their churches have been held back.

My appeal is simple. Do nothing risky. Begin with the national music leadership which has already surfaced. Encourage them to use their own familiar expressions, while at the same time trying not to introduce them to “foreign” expressions.

Perhaps some simple drama presentations based on passages of Scripture could be developed by natives for natives. Generally, God gives sensitive musicians who are strongly committed Christians. Capitalize on these national leaders as a windfall in helping teach the Scripture and instruct about problems in terms the nationals understand, and through those with whom they best relate, their own people. Couple the above move with an increased emphasis on working through local proven leadership, trained in their own villages behind the scenes (out of sight of most) through extension teachers.

All of this then should point to establishing village churches under the direction of village leadership who will be sensitive to guiding, in specific terms, forms of worship and teaching that are familiar to the local people.