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Ministering Cross-Culturally: An Incarnational Model for Personal Relationships

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This text is one of the better guides for cross-cultural ministry that I have found. In its relatively few pages (only 120 pages), it contains a wealth of information based on some easily-remembered and applied principles.

Increasingly in the world today, no matter what profession one chooses, there will be people from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures -- even in the smallest of towns, people from different social strata will interact and come together in certain venues, and church and chaplaincy settings are among those. Cross-cultural ministry is not something reserved to those going off in foreign mission fields, but has an impact right here at home, wherever home may be.

One of the key concepts here is the dealing with conversation and conflict. The way people interact differently can lead to conflict -- not necessarily open violence (although sometimes that can happen), but rather the kind of tension that is caused when people don't understand each other. What we sometimes fail to forget is that people attribute importance and moral force to their actions and those of others, and will react not only to what is being said and done, but to their own interpretations of the meanings of those words and actions. This is derived from cultural influences -- shared culture as well as personal and family culture.

Lingenfelter and Mayer look at key concepts -- differences in the way we look at time, judgement, crisis management, goals, self-valuation, and vulnerabilities. For example, in urban cultures, people tend to lead fast-paced lives more frequently than those in small-town cultures; a person moving from one setting to another may find it irritating to be in such a setting, and perhaps not even know why.

The authors bring in examples from around the world (Yapese-Micronesian, Latin American, African, etc.) as well as different groups in North America for comparison and contrast. This is not a book of stories, but rather essays that illustrate the basic principles, which are in turn supported by stories and examples, including some of the authors' own experiences. This is in concert with the incarnational model the authors put forward, a way of growing into the culture, and being part of a culture respected and held as valid as any the outside observer or participant might naturally hold.

Ultimately, Lingenfelter and Mayers invite people to work toward being 150% persons, drawing on Malcolm McFee's observation about Native Americans (in particular, the Blackfoot) who were not quite completely Native Americans any longer, but rather about 75%, and that they had assimilated sufficiently into the dominant culture that they fit 75% in there, hence 150%. This is what we must do, working to incorporate other cultures into ourselves while retaining the best and most important of our own.

This is a very useful book, full of insight and helpful suggestions, key ideas and meaningful stories.

I first read this before my a short-term (6 weeks) summer trip to an east asian country, and although I am of asian descent, it definitely prepared me for things that I would have otherwise been caught by surprise.

For those preparing to go cross-cultural, even for short-term trips, this is a must-read. it isn't long, but its full of great stuff to pray, meditate, think about, and discuss. It does a great job of equipping and working on your mindset to be ready to face many of the things that will be guaranteed to culture shock you.

even for those who have already done/been doing cross-cultural work, I think this book is always a fresh reminder of the Biblical example we have in Christ, and that, as with all things, should be our singular focus. Who is Jesus the Christ, and how does that change the way I live my life for His glory?

"Ministering Cross-Culturally" is a practical book useful for all Christians, bur intended specifically for those who minister among people of another culture. Cultural differences often lead to misunderstandings and conflict as a person of one culture does not behave as a person from another culture expects. To avoid prolonged conflict, Sherwood Lingenfelter, provost and senior vice president of Fuller Theological Seminary, presents the anthropological work of Marvin Mayers and applies it to cross cultural ministry.

Marvin Mayers work analyzes cultural values and divides them into twelve dimensions. Each of these dimensions has a contrasting value, making six competing value pairs that can be plotted on a grid. Lingenfelter provides a simple test so that the reader might plot himself on a each of the six grids, and determine his personal/cultural values. These pairs of values are as follows:

Time (time conscious and punctual versus event-oriented)
Judgment (seeing the world in "black & white" versus "shades of grey)
Handling Crises (focus on preparation versus comfort thinking on your feet)
Goals (task orientation versus relationship orientation)
Individual Worth (is honor achieved by works or bestowed at birth)
Vulnerability (is it OK to show weakness?)

Lingenfelter then analyzes the six pairs of values to illustrate the similarities and differences between Western values, Yapese (from the Island of Yap, where Lingenfelter did most of his doctoral/mission work), and the values displayed by Jesus. This knowledge of our own Western values and the often-contrasting values of others is necessary to achieve the purpose Lingenftelter advances for the reader.

Should the reader find himself working or ministering to those of another culture, Lingenfelter encourages the reader to follow the example of Jesus and become incarnate within that culture. That is, just as Jesus was born into a particular (1st Century Jewish) culture, learned the language, customs, values, etc. and thereby ministered to the Jewish people, so we (as Christ's followers) ought to adopt our host culture, learn its language, values, customs, etc., and thereby equip ourselves to minister to them. Mayers' work gives us a tool by which we can understand our cultural values and the values of a host culture so that we might more easily embrace a new culture.

While the idea that missionaries should, as best as they can, live like those to whom they hope to share the Gospel, the presentation of its rationale is problematic. For one, the author's founding assumption (equating Christlikeness with adopting a local culture) is problematic as it equates horizontal righteousness with vertical righteousness. That is, ends up arguing that I can best be God-pleasing by simply adopting local values and norms. But even in this, Lingenfelter contradicts himself as he argues that we must rise above simple horizontal righteousness (12), free ourselves from our cultural prison by adopting other cultures' values (22), and even commends Jesus for NOT bowing to societal pressures (89).

Theologically, Lingenfelter does not properly interact with the doctrine of vocation and the closely-related theology of the Body of Christ. Jesus distributes many gifts to individuals within the Church so that these gifts might be used to his glory. To some he gives the gift of being task-oriented, to others he gives the gift of building relationships; to some he gives the gift of vigilance/preparedness, to others, he allows them to think well on their feet. Each is to be used to God's glory because each is necessary for the Church. One is not to be elevated over the other, but the beauty is to be found in the diversity of gifts. It can be argued that we are not to be jealous of others' gifts or try to be like them , but rather to take joy in our own gifts and use them in love.

Lingenfelter, in this short book, provides some thought-provoking anthropological analyses and encourages the reader to expand his boundries ("become a 150% person"), but the overall argument is poorly supported and doctrinally problematic. Neither recommended nor not-recommended.

Lingenfelter and Mayers help their readers examine the variouscultural values people encounter as they interact with people fromother cultures. The authors also provide useful tools to help readers determine their personal values. In addition, this book gives practical examples of how Christ lived out his values.

I found this book while I was browsing Amazon back in the Spring of 2002. I sent away for a used copy of it, and I'm glad I did.
The author of this book spent a good deal of time on the Island of Yap, which is in the South Pacafic, in Micronesia. He documents his cross-cultural experiences in this book. He tells of both the good and bad of his experiences and how it strengthened him as both a Christian and minister of the gospel. He also tells of the barriers he had to cross in order to effectivey share the gospel to the people of Yap. Overall, this book is a cross between a "how-to" and a cross cultural autobiography.
Like Rev. Lingenfelter, I am also involved in cross-cultural ministry. And even though I've never been to Yap, I can understand what he went through. If you do any type of cross-cultural ministry here in America or anywhere else, youshould read this book. It may not have all of the answers you need. But it will indeed get you pointed in the right direction.

I first read this book in an undergrad class on missions and was really impressed by being able to see my own culture as I filled out the exercises in the book. But it greatly helped me to work with people of other cultures when I began teaching students from around the world. I became much better at identifying their cultural tendencies because of what I had learned from reading this book. But then I took it a step further. I actually challenged my students to learn from the theories of this book in understanding themselves and the American culture. So this book can work in reverse too! It's an excellent guide to understanding the basics of different types of cultures.

Perhaps this book would more accurately have been titled: "Relating Cross-Culturally". Beyond its emphasis on "the servant attitude of Jesus", it would seem to contain little about ministry per se. However, it paints a humorous and humble picture of a sometimes inept cultural anthropologist seeking to come to terms with some awkward cross-cultural situations.

In keeping with the stated purpose of the book, it seeks to "reduce or even resolve tensions in interpersonal relations" which might arise in cross-cultural situations. In this regard, the focus is on "cultural and social backgrounds", rather than spiritual orientation or moral struggles. Thus the question arises as to whether deeper sources of "tension and conflict" might exist than those which are "cultural and social". There is the sobering example of a man who likely lost his life through the negligence of islanders -- yet Lingenfelter gives little or no indication that this might have involved anything more than a misreading of "culture" or a "particular orientation" on their part.

Lingenfelter states that the Bible "speaks to all people and all cultures". This would appear to mean that the Bible speaks to us by showing us the faithful example of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, it provides "values and orientations", "value biases", "values and lifestyle patterns", "principles on which we can build more effective relationships and ministry". Lingenfelter states: "The particular focus of this book is on priorities or values people use." However, there is little indication that the Bible might provide more than a source of values -- for instance, a Christ who may be worshiped, or an encounter with the Holy. We are simply "following the example of Christ".

Lingenfelter draws on "the model of basic values" developed by Marvin K. Mayers to analyse personal priorities. Mayers' model is "a significant tool for understanding others in their own community". "Our way of life is often equated with godliness", and this may unnecessarily create "conflict [and] confrontation". The model assists one in identifying potential tensions -- e.g. between task orientation or person orientation, dichotomistic or holisic thinking, and so on. Having said this, the book would seem to be best suited to minorities within a larger culture (e.g. a missionary family), rather than large groups from different cultural and social backgrounds, as one so often finds in the Church.

The book held a personal interest for me, in that I myself have both lived and ministered cross-culturally in Micronesia -- the region from which most of the book's illustrations are drawn. For those who, as Lingenfelter suggests, might tend to equate their ways "with godliness", this book might represent a useful corrective.

As a busy pastor of a multinational rural church in South Africa it is important for me and my elders and deacons to understand one another and the people we minister to. "Ministering Cross-Culturally" has been a great help in understanding ourselves so that we can minister more effectively to one another. I have used the apparatus in the book to train all our members to recognize themselves and so learn how to relate to those of different cultures. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone working in any cross-cultural situation, whether religious or secular.

The subject of this book is the tension and conflict that missionaries, pastors and laypeople experience when they attempt to work with people who come from different cultural and social backgrounds. The primary author is Sherwood Lingenfelter who draws many of his conclusions from his own extensive experience as a missionary in the Pacific islands.

Missionaries and others who accept the challenge of cross-cultural ministries must become personally immersed with people who are very different. They must enter a culture as if they are children - helpless, dependent, and ignorant.

It does not matter how many buildings we build or how many reports we submit. If we are not meeting people and loving them through interaction, we have lost sight of the Great Commission and our activities lose significance. It is important to realize that, although we might be doing a work of love with our hands or heart or mind, unless we show people our love in a personal way by interacting with them as individuals, our work will mean nothing to them.

If some people think and respond in ways different from the way we do, we must learn their ways. Our goal must be to build up the unity and fellowship of the body of Christ. To achieve that goal, we must always consider others better than ourselves. Our position is to be that of a servant. At issue is the question of submission to God and his will. Are we willing to consider others better than ourselves and to yield to those to whom we minister.

In a concise, yet not weak manner the author argues for a theologically strong point, which is that the incarnation of Jesus Christ is the model for doing missions. (If Christology-the study of Christ and who Jesus is-is not the strength of evangelicalism, then I don't know what is.) The author comes from the position of Christ's incarnation as a model for missionary work. This is a highly challenging concept because he grapples with the tough applications drawn from passages like Philippians 2 which call us to have the same humility as Christ. He concisely draws from his own experience on an island in Micronesia, and from a wide array of cross cultural examples to make point after point building in a clear and logical format to convince us that the best approach to cross cultural ministry is to do what Jesus did. Leave heavens culture and become a Jewish baby.

He says we should in a similar way leave our culture to embrace the culture we are reaching out to. So for a missionary to Taiwan from America, it means leaving Americanisms behind and embracing Asian culture as a baby would. The problem with this analogy that I'm still mulling over is precisely this: Jesus did not leave heavens culture to embrace our culture only. Yes he embraced our culture, but then He specifically called us to Heaven's kingdom (repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand). He came as one of us to call us to heavens culture. But missionaries who are called to leave their own country like America to Taiwan are not supposed to call Taiwan to American culture but to heavens culture. If his analogy was pushed in that direction the equivalent would be Americans saying change because America is here. Unfortunately we might actually be doing this in more instances than we realize. Anyhow, we are really supposed to be processing three cultures (not two). We have our old culture, heaven's culture and the culture of the people we are called to minister to. I didn't see him deal with this at all in his foundational premise for this book. the entire thought process was quite a distraction for me and I really wonder what the author thinks about this. So the analogies break down to a degree.

I also kept thinking that Romans 6 would preach well with some of the concepts he was laying out. I would like to see the principles of Romans 6 developed as another chapter in this book. I believe Romans 6 would strengthen the authors points quite powerfully.

Still this book is highly challenging. I think ya gotta read it! It's a great book. It made me think deeply and confronted selfishness in my soul. How many books actually do that?

If you prayerfully read it with an open heart you will probably be rocked to the core. Especially if you are in missions or going on a missions trip or focused on another culture for ministry within your community.

Interesting labels helped me remember his concepts. He takes the theological concept of the God-man (Jesus) and calls it 200% person. He then drives the point of a 150% person home...someone in two cultures 75% each. His ability to make a point stick in a few sentences or paragraphs is superior to most other authors I've read. Well done!

If you are a missionary or considering it as a career, you ought to spend the few dollars and get this book. I recommend you start a notebook on it as I have to take copious notes for future study and teaching. It's that good of a book. I found the criticism leveled at this book in one rather harsh review to be unwarranted.

One element I think ought to be explored more than this book does is how we are called to maintain a distinction between our native culture and the Kingdom of God's culture while embracing some elements of our target culture AND still calling them to personal abandonment of that culture to enter the Kingdom of God's culture. All of this while helping each culture 'culturalize' the gospel! That's a bit complicated, but isn't it what we are doing if we claim to bring the ancient truths of the faith in cultures around the world in a culturally relevant way?

For those who are into the Insider movement, this book lays an interesting track down that you might find very interesting. Although I'm not involved with your movement, I do appreciate the balanced approach you must continually wrestle with and this book may help you stay focused on Christ in that process. Although I may not be in agreement with all the elements of the Insider movement, the concepts in this book ought to help you no matter where you stand on those issues. It is rooted in a very strong Christological focus which is my favorite topic in all theology. Perhaps that's precisely why I love this book.

So I heartily recommend this book and am already asking other people I know to read it. I hope you do too.