Cultural Challenges in Missions

By Dr. Michael G. Loftis, President of ABWE

He stood tall in the pulpit, grinning in all his Texas glory: cowboy hat and boots, diamond ring and bolo tie, with an off-white Western suit. Pacing back and forth, he thundered forth his message, repeating his points with God's Word curled up in one hand. He made emphatic gestures as big as his voice was loud, occasionally slamming his fist into the Bible or dropping it on the pulpit. Then he paused, staring straight into the eyes of the people sitting before him as he waited for his words to sink in.

There was just one problem. He wasn't in Texas. He was in Eastern Europe. And the people before him were struggling with the assault on their senses. Many looked down at the floor. This man was simply preaching the way he had always done in his own culture. But here, his clothing, speaking style, and handling of the Bible, were considered to be in poor taste for a man of God, and at worst, downright rude. Several walked out. Finally, one old gentleman stood and shouted for the Texan to sit down and keep quiet until he could learn a schoolboy's common manners. It was a difficult day to be a foreign visitor in that church.

Foreign, unknown, uncomfortable, awkward, embarrassing, frustrating. For centuries, missionaries have experienced these symptoms of culture shock, particularly in their first months or years of learning to live in a new culture.

People of different cultures have a particular way of thinking and speaking to one another about all aspects of life. Often the grammar and word order of another language is so completely different that the missionary has to learn to think and speak backwards, or in reorganized fragments.

Hand gestures, facial expressions, posture, and vocal inflection can all give out unintended signals of disrespect, vulgarity, rejection, or even obscenity. Amount of eye contact and personal space are governed by local culture. Learning to live by a new set of rules can be mentally and emotionally exhausting. So why do missionaries endure the challenges of acculturation?

Only one reason makes such a life worthwhile-communicating the good news of salvation through Christ across cultures. Consider 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 as you read this issue, and pray for missionaries as they strive to overcome the challenges of today's cultures.