Talking Together as Christians Cross-Culturally: A Field Guide

176 Pages·2010·1.34 MB·English

Talking
Together
as Christians
Cross-culturally
A Field Guide
Revised Edition
Talking Together as Christians Cross-culturally: A Field Guide, rev. ed.
Written by Ronald W. Duty
Copyright ©2004 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Copyright for the Revised Edition,
©2009. Permission is granted to reproduce this document as needed provided that each copy carries
the copyright notice printed above.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and
are used by permission.
Preface and Acknowledgments
The church today not only lives in a multicultural world, the church itself is also a multicultural body
of Christ that is still struggling and learning to live fully into that reality. Two personal examples may
illustrate this struggle and also why talking together as Christians cross-culturally is important for the
church’s life and mission. The congregation in which I grew up was located in a largely White blue collar
suburb. When Latinos and African Americans started moving into the area in greater numbers, members
of the congregation, many of whom lived in the immediate area, began to discuss this informally. When
I suggested that perhaps we ought to welcome them, the pastor abruptly changed the subject. No effort
was made to invite the newcomers to the area to worship with us. The congregation which once saw
between 125 and 150 people worship on a Sunday now has about 30 at worship each week.
While this first example is a mission failure Those congregations and pastors include: The
marked by fear of people who are culturally Church of the Abiding Savior, Durham, N.C.,
different, the other example concerns an effort Rev. Gordon Myers; Angelica Lutheran Church,
at cross-cultural spiritual discernment about an Los Angeles, Calif., Rev. Carlos Paiva; Iglesia
urgent matter for church and society. A few of us Luterana Ascención, Dorado, Puerto Rico, Rev.
from that same congregation also met with others Vivian Davila; Ascension Lutheran Church Hmong
in the Lutheran Human Relations Association at Ministry, Milwaukee, Wis., Revs. Youa Kau Vang
Messiah Lutheran Church—LCMS, an African and Jon Jacobs, and Ms. Caitlin Vang; Augustana
American congregation in San Diego’s Logan Lutheran Church, Portland Ore., the late Rev.
Heights section, during the late 1950s and 1960s. Ramona Soto Rank and Rev. Walter Knutson;
We met to discuss developments in civil rights Chinese Life Lutheran Church, Alhambra, Calif.,
campaigns of the Southern Christian Leadership Rev. Timothy Fong; Christ Lutheran Church
Conference, and to talk about what the realities of Cambodian Ministry, St. Paul, Minn., Rev. Ronald
race in America and these developments meant for Johnson and Ms. Thaly Cavanaugh; Church of
us as Lutheran Christians in that time. Dream Builders, Anaheim, Calif., Rev. Joel Lee;
Iglesia Luterana Epifanía, Bayamon, Puerto Rico,
This church, the ELCA, imagines for itself a Sr. Carmen Ramirez; First Lutheran Church,
more flourishing multicultural future, a future for Torrance, Calif., Rev. Fumio Itoh; First Lutheran
which it may now act in hope. This field guide is Church African Ministry, Sioux Falls, S.D., Mr.
offered as a means to help this church live into that Samuel Gayetay and Rev. Natanael Lizarazo;
future. Any effort such as this one to provide a field Frederick Lutheran Church, Charlotte Amalie, St.
guide for cross-cultural conversation in the church Thomas, Virgin Islands, Rev. Stephan Kienberger
is naturally a cross-cultural one itself involving and Rev. Rochelle Lewis; Good Shepherd Lutheran
many conversations. This project gratefully Church Korean Ministry, Naperville, Ill., Rev. Jae-
acknowledges the collaboration of several ELCA Bum Kim; Hmong Central Lutheran, St. Paul,
congregations and their pastors, who acted Minn., Rev. William Siong; Holy Trinity Lutheran
hopefully by engaging in conversations that helped Church, Fredericksted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands,
open up for the author how these congregations Rev. Robert Wakefield; Holy Trinity Lutheran
engage in public conversation in their own cultural Church, Hollis, Queens, N.Y., Rev. Perucy Butiku;
contexts. These conversations inform the material Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Inglewood, Calif.,
in Sections 21-40 of this field guide. Rev. James Lobdell and the late Rev. Carol Scott;
i
Huria Kristin Batak Protestan of New York, Juan, Puerto Rico, Rev. Mario Miranda; Mision
Elmhurst, Queens, N.Y., Rev. Samuel Silaban; Luterana San Pablo, Weslaco, Texas, Rev. Ismael
Huria Kristin Batak Protestan, Upland, Calif.., de la Tejera; Iglesia Luterana Santisima Trinidad,
Mr. Hasudungan Hutajulu; Indians for Christ, Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Rev. Jose D. Zayas; St. Elias
Rockville, Md., Rev. Chandra Lite; Joy of the Christian Congregation, Chicago, Ill., Rev. Rimon
Gospel Lutheran Ministry, Lake Ridge, Va., Rev. Said; St. Jacobi Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, N.Y.,
Edward Buabeng; Kingshill Lutheran Church, Rev. Mary Chang; St. John’s Lutheran Church,
Kingshill, St. Croix, Virgin Islands, Ms. Thelma Austin, Texas, Rev. Timothy Anderson; St. John’s
Youngblood; Lao Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sudanese Ministry, St. John’s Lutheran Church,
Minneapolis, Minn., Rev. Thiem Baccam; Living Council Bluffs, Iowa, Mr. James Dak Rut; St.
Waters Lutheran Church, Cherokee, N.C., Rev. Mark Lutheran Church, Los Angeles, Calif, Rev.
Mary Louise Frenchman; Lord God of Sabaoth Brian Ecklund; St. Mark Sudanese Ministry, St.
Lutheran Church, Christiansted, St. Croix, Virgin Mark’s Lutheran Church, Storm Lake, Iowa, Mr.
Islands, Rev. Lester White; Mabaan Sudanese Peter Duk; St. Michael’s Truth Lutheran Church,
Community Ministry, Grace Lutheran Church, Mitchellville, Md., Rev. Immanuel Grantson;
Omaha, Neb., Mr. David Nange and Rev. Damon St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Lao Ministry, Revs.
Laker; Messiah Lutheran Church, Los Angeles, Phetsamone Vannavong and Donna Brown; Thai
Calif., Rev. Vivian Martin and Ms. Marie Gunigale; Church Washington, D.C., Arlington, Va., Mr. Supot
Nile Lutheran Ministry, Trinity Lutheran Church, Ouasri; Thai Community Church of Chicago,
Omaha, Neb., Mr. John Beding; Nile Lutheran Forest Park, Ill., Ms. Monta Limthongviratn;
Mission, Rochester, N.Y., Rev. Jordan Long; Oromo Truth Lutheran Church, Naperville, Ill., Rev. Peter
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Washington, D.C., Wang; Tumaini Swahili Chapel, Chicago, Ill., Mr.
Washington, D.C., Rev. Waagtolaa Dinagdee; Our George Mungongo; and United Sudanese Lutheran
Redeemer Oromo Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ministry, United Lutheran Church, Lincoln, Neb.,
Minneapolis, Minn., Rev. Melkamu Negeri; Peace Mr. John Keck.
Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Va., Rev. Nana
Opoku; People’s Community Lutheran Chapel, This project owes a significant intellectual
Baltimore, Md., Rev. Titus Clarke; Purna Jiwan debt to two scholars and practitioners of cross-
South Asian Ministry, Chicago, Ill., Rev. Eardley cultural conversation. We owe to Dr. Patricia
Mendis and Rev. Omega Varma; Reformation Taylor Ellison a debt for her pioneering research
Lutheran Church, Chicago, Ill., Rev. Joseph on moral conversation in congregations and on
Bocko; Salam Arabic Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, congregational leadership of conversation which
N.Y., Rev. Khader El-Yateem; Salem Cambodian informs and helps to shape this project. We are
Mission, Dakota City, Neb., Rev. Soriya Roeun; grateful to her for her comments on sections 46 and
Parroquia Luterana Sagrado Corazón, Waukegan, 47 of this field guide on “Congregational Gifts and
Ill., Rev. Heriberto Prudencia; Parroquia Luterana Assets for Talking Together” and “Leader Assets;”
San Francisco de Asís, Aurora, Ill., Rev. Hector sections 46 and 47 of this field guide summarize
Garfias Toledo; Iglesia Evangelica Luterana San some of her work. We also owe a significant debt to
Marcos, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Rev. Marysol Dr. Thomas Kochman for his pioneering research
Diaz; Iglesia Luterana De La Trinidad, Chicago, Ill., on public conversation between African Americans
Rev. José Goitia; Iglesia Luterana San Pablo, San and European Americans. His work has illumined
ii Talking Together as Christians Cross-culturally
aspects of public conversation that are important staff. These colleagues reviewed earlier drafts of
in this field guide and helps to inform the ethnic- this field guide, provided helpful criticisms and
specific sections of this field guide. We thank him suggestions, or produced demographic data.
as well for his personal generosity with materials Without these colleagues, this project would not
he uses in his consulting. have happened. The project team for the first
phase of this project from 2001–2004 includes:
As you will see as you use this field guide, it Ms. Joanne Chadwick, Commission for Women;
owes a great deal to those who have developed Rev. Ruben Duran, Division for Outreach; Ms.
processes and methods of moral conversation and Victoria Flood, Research and Evaluation; Ms.
deliberation. Rather than reinvent the wheel, this Loretta Horton, Division for Church in Society;
field guide takes their work as a gift, and endeavors Ms. Marilyn Olson, Division for Ministry; Rev.
to show ways to use their processes with deliberate Fred Rajan, Commission for Multicultural
care in cross-cultural conversation in a way that Ministries; Dr. Leonard Schulze, Division for
also honors cultural distinctiveness. The work for Higher Education and Schools; Ms. Evelyn Soto,
which we are grateful includes Growing Healthier Division for Congregational Ministries; Ms. Valora
Conversations by Dr. Patrick R. Keifert, Dr. Patricia Starr, Women of the ELCA; and Ms. Charlotte
Taylor Ellison, and Rev. Ronald W. Duty; the Williams, Commission for Women. The project
InterReligious Council of Central New York’s End team for the second phase of this project from
Racism, Improve Race Relations, and Begin Racial 2007–2009 includes: Rev. Gemechis Buba and
Healing, written by Ms. Beth Broadway; The Study Dr. Everett Flanigan, Evangelical Outreach and
Circles Resource Center’s Study Circles in Paired Congregational Mission; and Rev. Sherman Hicks,
Congregations; the ELCA’s Talking Together as Rev. Hector Carrasquillo, Ms. Rosemary Dyson,
Christians about Tough Social Issues, written by Rev. Rev. Pongsak Limthongviratn, Ms. Kholoud
Karen L. Bloomquist and Rev. Ronald W. Duty; Khoury, Ms. Christine May, Ms. Marilyn Sorenson,
the United Church of Christ’s See—Judge—Act, and Rev. Albert Starr, Multicultural Ministries.
written and compiled by Ms. Robin Peterson and We also thank Ms. Marilyn Campbell, Church
Ms. Lou Ann Parsons; Finding Common Ground in Society, Ms. Kim Berry, Evangelical Outreach
in the Abortion Conflict, by Ms. Mary Jacksteit and and Congregational Mission, and Ms. Sally Miles,
Sister Adrienne Kaufmann, and the Women of the Multicultural Ministries, for their administrative
ELCA’s Called to Deal with Difficult Issues, written assistance.
by Ms. Faith Fretheim and Ms. Joan Pope.
Others have contributed to the development
Our thanks to those who reviewed earlier of this field guide, to whom we would like to
drafts of this field guide for their critical insights, express gratitude. Rev. John Stumme gave steadfast
suggestions, and other assistance: Rev. Said guidance and support throughout this project.
Ailabouni, Dr. Per Anderson, Ms. Heather Feltman, Mr. Bob Sitze was generous with his knowledge
Ms. Ana Cobiella Olson, Rev. John Stumme, Rev. of asset-based congregational life, as well as
George Villa, and Ms. Lily Wu. with unpublished material he wrote and shared
with the author. Thanks are due likewise to the
This project benefited greatly from the late Bishop Margarita Martinez, Ms. Lily Wu,
collaboration, support, and critical insight of two Ms. Maria Paiva, Rev. José Garcia, Rev. Pongsak
multicultural teams from the ELCA churchwide Limthongviratn, Rev. Gemechis Buba, Ms. Marilyn
iii
Sorenson, and Rev. José Diaz-Rodriguez for their We thank those who led portions of training
assistance in identifying congregations with whom events for synod teams using this resource in Miami
we consulted, and for helping to facilitate our in 2004—Rev. Ken Wheeler, Ms. Ana Cobiella
visits to San Juan and the Virgin Islands, Brooklyn Olson, and Rev. Ronald Duty—and in Orlando in
and Queens, Rochester, Southern California, 2008—Rev. Gemechis Buba, Ms. Rosemary Dyson,
Southwestern Texas, Portland, North Carolina, Dr. Everett Flanigan, Ms. Lily Wu, Rev. Sherman
Minneapolis and St. Paul, Baltimore, Washington Hicks and Rev. Ronald Duty. Ms. Victoria Flood
D.C., Sioux Falls, Dakota City, Neb., Omaha, and Ms. Modupe Edeoga, Research and Evaluation,
Milwaukee, and Chicago. provided demographic data for synod teams in
2004 and 2008, respectively.
Ms. Ann Rezny provided graphic design of
this revised edition, and Ms. Connie Sletto and The ELCA gratefully acknowledges the
Ms. Colleen Dorner of ELCA Communications funding received for this project from two
Services assisted in its production and publication. churchwide grants in 2001 and 2007 made
Ms. Esther Diley of Augsburg Fortress Publishers possible by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
assisted with copyright permissions. Thanks also to Additional funding or support has been provided
Rev. Rebecca Larson, executive director of Church by the following churchwide units of the ELCA:
in Society, and Rev. Sherman Hicks, executive Church in Society, the Commission for Women,
director of Multicultural Ministries, both of whom the Division for Congregational Ministries,
gave critical support at a very important juncture Multicultural Ministries, and Evangelical Outreach
of this project. Thanks in addition to Rev. Wyvetta and Congregational Mission. We thank them for
Bullock and Ms. Cathy Hunt in the Office of the their financial assistance. Finally, we are grateful
Presiding Bishop for their timely and helpful for the work of the Rev. T. Michael Nisbet, formerly
assistance at various times during this project. of the Division for Church in Society, who helped
Thanks are due especially to Rev. Charles Miller both to conceptualize this project and to draft the
for the vision to propose and support undertaking application for the first churchwide grant that
a major project on moral deliberation as part of funded it.
the ELCA’s participation in the UN Decade for a
Culture of Nonviolence.
The Rev. Ronald W. Duty,
We express our thanks to Dr. Frances Kendall Project Director
for permission to use material from two essays, Chicago, Illinois
“Understanding White Privilege,” and “How to October 26, 2009
Be an Ally If You Are a Person with Privilege,”
in the section on “White Privilege and Ally
Responsibilities for European Americans,” and,
also to The Copyright Company on behalf of Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard
Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Chris-
Chalice Press for permission to use material from
tian Education of the National Council of the Churches of
Rev. Eric Law’s, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb
Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.
in Section 19.
Used with permission.
iv Talking Together as Christians Cross-culturally
Table of Contents
Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
Preface and Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 About This Field Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Part I. Why Should We Talk Cross-culturally as Church?
3 Why Talk Cross-culturally as Church? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4 Talking among Christians of Different Cultures is Nothing New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Part II. What is Cross-cultural Conversation Like?
5 Experiencing Conversation as Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
6 Listening for What You Share in Common . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
7 Dealing with How You Differ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
8 Resources for Talking Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Part III. How Do We Train Leaders and Lead Cross-cultural Conversation?
Synod Teams Working with Congregations
9 Mapping Your Synod’s Assets for Cross-cultural Conversation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
10 Diverse Leadership of Conversation is Important . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
11 Identifying the Purpose and Scope of Your Team’s Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
12 Working as a Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
13 Training Skilled Conversation Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
14 Leading Conversation as a Synod Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Leading Congregations in Cross-cultural Conversation
15 Your Congregation’s Human Assets for Talking Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
16 “Mapping” Your Assets for Talking Cross-culturally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
17 Leading Cross-cultural Conversation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
18 Rituals for Talking Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
19 Talking by Mutual Invitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Cultural Factors in Conversation
20 Cultural Variations in Talking Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
People of African Descent
21 African Americans and Blacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
22 Caribbean Islanders of the U.S. Virgin Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Table of Contents v
23 East Africans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
24 Liberians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
25 Oromos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
26 Sudanese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
27 West Africans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
28 American Indians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
29 Arabs and Middle Easterners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
People of Asian Descent
30 Cambodians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
31 Chinese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
32 The Hmong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
33 Indonesians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
34 Japanese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
35 Koreans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
36 Laotians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
37 South Asians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
38 Thai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
39 European Americans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
40 Latinos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Assets for Cross-cultural Conversation
41 Gender Matters in Conversation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
42 Diverse Leadership of Conversation is Important . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
43 Using Scripture and Religious Traditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
44 The Experience of Faithful Christians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
45 The Assets of Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
46 Congregational Gifts and Assets for Talking Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
47 Leader Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
48 White Privilege and Ally Responsibilities for European Americans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Glossary of Key Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Other Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
vi Talking Together as Christians Cross-culturally
Introduction 1
Welcoming Strangers for Cross-cultural Conversation: An Invitation
This is the right time—perhaps even a critical time—for cross-cultural conversation for the sake
of the church’s mission. God is inviting congregations and other ministries to reach beyond their own
cultures to talk with people of cultural backgrounds different than their own about ministry issues that
matter. To engage in these conversations, God calls us to welcome the stranger. God calls us to open
ourselves up to others’ perspectives, and to embrace those who are different from us also as creatures
of God or as members with us of the body of Christ.1
This field book can be used to help cross-
Rich opportunities abound for ELCA cultural conversations about a variety of ministry
congregations and synods to engage in ministry matters. In this field guide, by ministry matters
with the variety of cultural groups that exist both we mean:
within the ELCA and outside of it in the United
States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Territories.2 Some s Outreach and evangelism
of these cultural groups have been present for a
s Congregational ministry questions3
long time; others have come with recent waves of
immigrants. They present the whole church with s Congregational social ministry
the opportunity to reach out with the gospel, and s I nvolvement in a variety of social justice
to partner with them to serve people in need, and peace ministries, such as community
to work for justice, peace, and the elimination development, faith-based organizing,
of poverty, and to receive the blessings of their public policy advocacy, or the practice of
partnership in ministry. These partnerships help non-violence
all who participate in them to discover part of what
s P artnership with community
God is up to in our midst and to participate in it.
organizations or social ministry
organizations of the church
The purpose of this field guide is to invite
and equip synods and congregations to have
The possibilities of ministry matters that can
fruitful public conversation across the frontiers
be discussed are limited only by your Christian
of culture about the full range of ministry
imaginations.
matters. It also invites ministries to go beyond
conversation, whenever appropriate, to deciding
and acting together with those of different cultural God in the Conversation
backgrounds. This resource will
The book of Genesis tells a story of Abraham and
Sarah offering hospitality to three strangers who
1. Help ministries talk cross-culturally
approach their tent at the oaks of Mamre (Genesis
2. Enable synods to equip ministries that want
18:1-15). During the meal and conversation they
or need to talk cross-culturally to have those
shared with the men, one of them promised
conversations
Abraham (while she listened at the entrance to the
3. Show why we are called to talk cross-culturally
tent) that Sarah would bear a son in her old age.
as church
Introduction 1
God was in the midst of this conversation the resource. Several congregations in the ELCA have
purpose of which was to tell Abraham and Sarah graciously and patiently explained to us how they
what God was about to do for them and with them. engage in public conversation about the ministry
We know this because Genesis begins the story, matters they face together. We are very grateful
“The Lord appeared to Abraham…” and identifies to these congregations and their pastors for their
God’s presence with the three strangers. trust and collaboration in this project. They are
identified in the Preface and Acknowledgements
God is active in the conversation when of this field guide.
Christians, who are the body of Christ, are in
conversation about things that matter. As they talk What Do We Mean by Culture?
and pray together, they should seek to discern what
God may be up to in their midst, and what God’s So far, we have talked about culture several
word is for them in that time and place.4 times without saying what we mean. So, what is
“culture” for the purposes of this field guide?
Cultures Addressed by this Resource
“Culture” is a very rich and complex concept.
The primary focus of Talking Together as It is hard to exhaust its meaning or give a short
5
Christians Cross-culturally is on ethnic cultures. definition that says everything important about it.
This field guide addresses most of the cultural But for the purposes of this field guide dedicated
groups currently present in the ELCA. These to helping Christians talk together cross-culturally,
include: “culture” refers to two kinds of reality with which
6
we are familiar.
s P eople of African Descent, including
African Americans and Blacks, Caribbean The first of these realities of culture is things
Islanders of the U.S. we can see, recognize, and describe when we pay
attention. These are a group’s distinctive habits and
s Virgin Islands, East Africans, Liberians,
patterns of living, its customs, the way it organizes
Oromos, Sudanese, and West Africans
its relationships, and its history and the stories it
s A merican Indian People
both remembers and tells. (See Section 18 for some
s A rab Americans and Middle Easterners cultural dimensions that matter for conversation.)
For example, although all cultures tend to have
s P eople of Asian Descent, including
some emphasis on the family, there are noticeable
Cambodians, Chinese, the Hmong,
differences between the families of different cultures.
Indonesians, Japanese, Koreans, Laotians,
European American families tend to allow more
South Asians, and Thai
expression of individuality and individual freedom
s European Americans to their members than, say, Chinese American
families, where the well-being of the family group
s Latinos
as a whole is more important.
This project would not have been possible
The second reality of culture is about things
without the collaboration of congregations with
we do not see, but about things people in the
people of the cultures that are addressed by this
2 Talking Together as Christians Cross-culturally