I was skimming Ron Gleason’s blog when I ran across a statement which caught my eye. BTW, if you don’t know who he is, here’s his CV:
I am a 1967 graduate of The Citadel (Distinguished Military Student, member of the Economic Honor Society, Dean's List), a 1975 graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div., magna cum laude, member of the Phi Alpha Chi academic honor society); I attended the Free University of Amsterdam and completed my History of Dogma there and then received a full scholarship from the Dutch government to transfer to the sister school in Kampen, Holland. In 1979 I graduated from the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Churches of Holland (Drs. with honors in Ethics). My New Testament minor was completed with Herman Ridderbos. I am also a 2001 Ph.D. graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary (Systematic Theology) in Philly with a dissertation on the "unio mystica" in the theology of Dr. Herman Bavinck (1854-1921). I am a former tank commander, and instructor in the US Army Armor School at Ft. Knox, KY. I have been happily married to my childhood sweetheart and best friend, Sally, for 42 years. We have 6 children, one of whom is with the Lord, and 13 wonderful grandchildren.
As you can see, the poor guy is an underachiever. Hopefully he can still make up for lost time.
Anyway, here’s the statement:
“Observing two predominantly Hispanic church plants in my Presbytery for a number of years has not yet convinced me that this is true. While I am thankful to have ministry to Hispanic communities, we have yet to receive confirmation that these church plants will eventually assimilate into Anglo congregations already in existence.”
http://rongleason.blogspot.com/2009/11/normal-0-false-false-false.html
1.I agree with Gleason’s position on illegal immigration.
2.That said, I don’t think assimilating immigrants into the mainstream culture is the duty of missionaries or church-planters.
3.I’d add that the issue of assimilation isn’t limited to illegal immigrants. That applies to legal as well as illegal immigrants. Arguments over illegal immigration should be distinguished from arguments over assimilation.
4.The attempt to assimilate a foreign culture can get in the way of evangelism and discipleship. For example, I appreciate the heroic efforts of David Brainerd to evangelize the American Indians. At the same time, he made no serious effort to accommodate or adapt to the target audience. It didn’t even occur to him. And that greatly hampered his commendable ministry.
5.I think a missionary should ground his converts in Christian theology and ethics, then leave it to them to make the necessary adjustments to their indigenous culture. They need to work out their own strategies.
6.Acculturation involves adaptation to the dominant status quo. But there’s nothing sacrosanct about the status quo. It’s just a question of who got here first. The first wave of settlers to colonize an area transplant their culture of the new world. To some extent, later waves of immigrants have to fit in, although they bring their own customs and social mores along for the ride. Which culture represents the dominant culture is a historical accident. Although the status quo ante establishes a socioeconomic frame of reference, that’s not a normative frame of reference, per se. That’s not the standard by which converts ought to measure themselves.
7.In addition, the dominant culture varies from one region to the next. What would it mean for a contemporary Chinese immigrant to assimilate to the Bay area? What would it mean for a contemporary Latino immigrant to assimilate to Miami or LA?
Once again, Gleason is responding to specific claims, and I don’t take issue with his responses at that particular level. But we need to distinguish that from general principles of Christian missiology.
8.Also, I get the impression that Gleason is a Southerner. I suspect his views are, to some extent, conditioned by Southern pride and the war of northern aggression.
Since I myself am half-Southern, I can appreciate where he’s coming from. But, as Christians, we need to put our theological priorities ahead of our personal sympathies.
Well said, I think he should be glad to have a Hispanic congregation at all. Reforme dtheology is hard to groun into the Pentecostal background of many Hispanic communities (at least in my experience as a Hispanic in Southern California). More so, SOuthern California (since he is from that area as am I) is predomenantly Hispanic. We have our tons of radio stations, tv stations, restaurants, neighborhoods etc... So acclamation will be very different. I would love to see how a Hispanic community adapts to Reformed theology to be honest. We need more of that.
ReplyDeleteAttempting to combine cultural assimilation with missionary work has been a major reason American Indians tend to be wary of anything Christian. My dad (an American Indian) once told me that the Mormons worked out a great racket in missionary work by telling Indians they were the lost tribe of Israel even though that was obviously bunk. Still, compared to how other white missionaries tended to treat Indians the racket, as my dad put it, had the unfortunate effect of being effective.
ReplyDeleteAppropos of illegal immigration I think it bears mentioning there are illegal immigrants who are a white and, therefore, assimilate easily into the dominant culture but this does not mean they aren't still illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants from Europe, Australia, South Africa or other places where English can be readily learned can assimilate into Anglo culture quickly without actually being legal immigrants.
A Reformed Hispanic community sounds about as unusual as a Calvinist at SPU. ;-)
Well, golly geees, ah, maybe that was to filty, "golly geees"? Anyway, I am glad that God "assimilated" my sorry hide through the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom and set my course down the Roman Road to recovery so as not to be left behind but so as to have a Public Audience, this side of Glory, mind you, with My God, Who Sent His Son to assimilate the Elect Saints in every generation known before the foundation of the world, through Christ, the soon coming King of this Universe, the heavens, the earth, the world and everything in it!
ReplyDeleteI comment this way as a savage with a rich heritage! I am a California Indian and as a part of the treaty of Guadalupe Hilgado, the Mexican and Spanish authorities pleaded with Washington to protect them from my "rich" heritage after they were soundly defeated by the U.S. Calvary! :)
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (gwah-dah-loop-ay ee-dahl-go), which brought an official end to the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) was signed on February 2, 1848, at Guadalupe Hidalgo, a city north of the capital where the Mexican government had fled with the advance of U.S. forces.
Here's a catchy phrase from the document signed:
"IN THE NAME OF ALMIGHTY GOD".
Another one:::> "....ARTICLE IX
The Mexicans who, in the territories aforesaid, shall not preserve the character of citizens of the Mexican Republic, conformably with what is stipulated in the preceding article, shall be incorporated into the Union of the United States. and be admitted at the proper time (to be judged of by the Congress of the United States) to the enjoyment of all the rights of citizens of the United States, according to the principles of the Constitution; and in the mean time, shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty and property, and secured in the free exercise of their religion without; restriction....".
Now for the language in question:
Article XI
Considering that a great part of the territories, which, by the present treaty, are to be comprehended for the future within the limits of the United States, is now occupied by savage tribes, who will hereafter be under the exclusive control of the Government of the United States, and whose incursions within the territory of Mexico would be prejudicial in the extreme, it is solemnly agreed that all such incursions shall be forcibly restrained by the Government of the United States whensoever this may be necessary; and that when they cannot be prevented, they shall be punished by the said Government, and satisfaction for the same shall be exactedQall in the same way, and with equal diligence and energy, as if the same incursions were meditated or committed within its own territory, against its own citizens.
It shall not be lawful, under any pretext whatever, for any inhabitant of the United States to purchase or acquire any Mexican, or any foreigner residing in Mexico, who may have been captured by Indians inhabiting the territory of either of the two republics; nor to purchase or acquire horses, mules, cattle, or property of any kind, stolen within Mexican territory by such Indians.
So, the question remains, when will the Church rise up and proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth and then the end shall come? :)
Hey, I am praying daily for laborers to be sent to every tribe, kindred, tongue and nation, too!
The points on cross cultural missiology are well worth pondering in order to eliminate as much as possible the sinful myopia of many Reformed leaders in terms of their outreach to non-English speaking peoples right in their back yards.
ReplyDeleteAll,
ReplyDeleteI am from the South, attended university in the South, and served in the U.S. Army in the South. I did my M.Div. in the North and my Drs. in Holland. I served a Dutch-speaking church there as well as a Dutch-Canadian congregation in Toronto. I am somewhat aware of cross-cultural ministry, having had 13 years of it. I am also semi-literate and wear shoes. I served with Hispanics, Blacks, and Asians in the military and my congregation is highly multicultural, although we do not do anything special other than preach the gospel.
Y'all drive real careful now, you hear?