Published in Holiness Today, March/April 2017
On February 7, 2001, I was one of six students from Eastern Nazarene College traveling to Romania, where we would spend our spring semester taking classes and serving in church-related ministries. I was unsure of what to expect. I had no prior experience living outside the United States and brought with me only preconceived notions about what it’s like to minister in another culture. Growing up in the Church of the Nazarene, I had learned a lot about missions around the world but had not experienced a clear calling to become a missionary. It wasn’t until those six months in Romania, as I was exposed to a new culture, that I began to feel God leading me into cross-cultural ministry.
I’ve come a long way in the last sixteen years. Following college graduation, I spent a year in Romania as a volunteer before continuing my education at Nazarene Theological Seminary. For the past seven years, I’ve been serving as a Nazarene missionary to Romania. In each of these chapters of my life, I have learned important lessons which have formed how I approach cross-cultural ministry today.
Here are five of the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way.
1. Embrace the culture.
As a study-abroad student in a cultural immersion program, I lived with a Romanian host family and took classes on Romanian history and language. This allowed me to experience what everyday life is like for Romanians. I not only learned to recognize cultural differences, but also to appreciate and embrace those differences. In other words, just because Romanians do things differently than Americans doesn’t mean their way is wrong and my way is right; it means that there is often more than one way to accomplish the same task.
As a missionary, there are times when I’m tempted to replicate American models in Romania (anything from worship styles to construction materials) simply because that’s what I know best. I must remind myself that what works in America won’t necessarily work in Romania. To be most effective, I need to know Romanian culture well enough to make culturally-relevant adaptations.
2. Respect indigenous leaders.
It’s not enough for me to understand Romanian culture. I need to respect Romanians. This sounds obvious, but over the years I’ve met some cross-cultural workers who act condescendingly toward the indigenous Christian workers in their country of service. Rather than displaying an attitude of humility and a willingness to learn, they speak with smug superiority.
As a missionary, I need to listen to, learn from, and be respectful toward Romanian church leaders, recognizing that I am a guest in their country and in their church. Far from seeing Romanians as inferior to myself, I see them as my friends and partners in the Gospel as we learn and grow together.
3. Equip others for ministry.
As a study-abroad student, and later as a volunteer, I led several church ministries. I wanted to do my best. This sounds great; but after I left, there was no one to continue what I had been doing. My hard work had produced few lasting results.
I now operate under a different principle: preparing Romanians for service. I’ve realized that focusing on what I alone can accomplish is short-sighted, but a healthy long-term approach involves equipping others for ministry. Now, I’m constantly seeking to work alongside Romanians that I can prepare for various leadership roles. Sometimes this training takes weeks; other times it involves years of mentoring. Empowering others may mean more work for me in the present, but it will create a healthier Romanian church for the future.
4. Be part of a team.
Ministry isn’t a competition. It’s not about who gets credit. I’m blessed to be part of a team of missionaries and Romanians serving in very diverse ways. We each possess different gifts and abilities and use them to accomplish different aspects of our unified mission. My missionary colleagues – including a scientist, a pair of social workers, and a music teacher who is also a carpenter – use their unique backgrounds to serve in ways I never could. I, on the other hand, have a seminary education which I use in other areas of service, such as training Romanians for pastoral ministry. We don’t simply duplicate one other’s efforts; we complement each other’s distinctive contributions.
5. Have patience, flexibility, and a sense of humor.
Living in another culture can be full of surprises, each with the potential of becoming overwhelming and stressful. I was advised early on that when nothing seems to go according to plan, I need to exhibit patience, flexibility, and a sense of humor. I am reminded of this guidance every time I’m forced to run all over town just to obtain a single document or when the only perceivable solution to a problem seems ten times more complicated than I think it should be. In those situations, instead of complaining about my circumstances, I need to be adaptable and learn to laugh at the situation.
There are, of course, many other lessons that have formed my approach to cross-cultural ministry since I first came to Romania as a college sophomore. I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way and have had to learn some lessons the hard way. As I continue under God’s guidance to minister cross-culturally, I look forward to the new lessons He has in store for me.
On February 7, 2001, I was one of six students from Eastern Nazarene College traveling to Romania, where we would spend our spring semester taking classes and serving in church-related ministries. I was unsure of what to expect. I had no prior experience living outside the United States and brought with me only preconceived notions about what it’s like to minister in another culture. Growing up in the Church of the Nazarene, I had learned a lot about missions around the world but had not experienced a clear calling to become a missionary. It wasn’t until those six months in Romania, as I was exposed to a new culture, that I began to feel God leading me into cross-cultural ministry.
I’ve come a long way in the last sixteen years. Following college graduation, I spent a year in Romania as a volunteer before continuing my education at Nazarene Theological Seminary. For the past seven years, I’ve been serving as a Nazarene missionary to Romania. In each of these chapters of my life, I have learned important lessons which have formed how I approach cross-cultural ministry today.
Here are five of the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way.
1. Embrace the culture.
As a study-abroad student in a cultural immersion program, I lived with a Romanian host family and took classes on Romanian history and language. This allowed me to experience what everyday life is like for Romanians. I not only learned to recognize cultural differences, but also to appreciate and embrace those differences. In other words, just because Romanians do things differently than Americans doesn’t mean their way is wrong and my way is right; it means that there is often more than one way to accomplish the same task.
As a missionary, there are times when I’m tempted to replicate American models in Romania (anything from worship styles to construction materials) simply because that’s what I know best. I must remind myself that what works in America won’t necessarily work in Romania. To be most effective, I need to know Romanian culture well enough to make culturally-relevant adaptations.
2. Respect indigenous leaders.
It’s not enough for me to understand Romanian culture. I need to respect Romanians. This sounds obvious, but over the years I’ve met some cross-cultural workers who act condescendingly toward the indigenous Christian workers in their country of service. Rather than displaying an attitude of humility and a willingness to learn, they speak with smug superiority.
As a missionary, I need to listen to, learn from, and be respectful toward Romanian church leaders, recognizing that I am a guest in their country and in their church. Far from seeing Romanians as inferior to myself, I see them as my friends and partners in the Gospel as we learn and grow together.
3. Equip others for ministry.
As a study-abroad student, and later as a volunteer, I led several church ministries. I wanted to do my best. This sounds great; but after I left, there was no one to continue what I had been doing. My hard work had produced few lasting results.
I now operate under a different principle: preparing Romanians for service. I’ve realized that focusing on what I alone can accomplish is short-sighted, but a healthy long-term approach involves equipping others for ministry. Now, I’m constantly seeking to work alongside Romanians that I can prepare for various leadership roles. Sometimes this training takes weeks; other times it involves years of mentoring. Empowering others may mean more work for me in the present, but it will create a healthier Romanian church for the future.
4. Be part of a team.
Ministry isn’t a competition. It’s not about who gets credit. I’m blessed to be part of a team of missionaries and Romanians serving in very diverse ways. We each possess different gifts and abilities and use them to accomplish different aspects of our unified mission. My missionary colleagues – including a scientist, a pair of social workers, and a music teacher who is also a carpenter – use their unique backgrounds to serve in ways I never could. I, on the other hand, have a seminary education which I use in other areas of service, such as training Romanians for pastoral ministry. We don’t simply duplicate one other’s efforts; we complement each other’s distinctive contributions.
5. Have patience, flexibility, and a sense of humor.
Living in another culture can be full of surprises, each with the potential of becoming overwhelming and stressful. I was advised early on that when nothing seems to go according to plan, I need to exhibit patience, flexibility, and a sense of humor. I am reminded of this guidance every time I’m forced to run all over town just to obtain a single document or when the only perceivable solution to a problem seems ten times more complicated than I think it should be. In those situations, instead of complaining about my circumstances, I need to be adaptable and learn to laugh at the situation.
There are, of course, many other lessons that have formed my approach to cross-cultural ministry since I first came to Romania as a college sophomore. I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way and have had to learn some lessons the hard way. As I continue under God’s guidance to minister cross-culturally, I look forward to the new lessons He has in store for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment