Causes of Friction between Missionaries and Nationals

by Donald Banks

Five problems between missionaries and nationals were discussed at a staff-management consultation. The author gives the details and shows that the bulk of them were cultural in origin.

Five problems between missionaries and nationals were discussed at a staff-management consultation. The author gives the details and shows that the bulk of them were cultural in origin.

One of the African members of staff was getting married and asked if he could be allowed to use a mission car for his wedding vehicle. The missionary in charge considered the request carefully and foresaw problems if it were granted. It could cause a precedent and would probably lead to other similar requests, and he saw that the whole situation could easily get out of hand. Also, there was the difficulty of who should pay for the gasoline and the mileage charge. He said the vehicle could not be made available, and the man managed to persuade one of his friends to lend him his car for the occasion.

This episode was brought up at a staff- management consultation. Four other items were also aired at the discussions: (1) The staff wanted a mid-morning break for breakfast. The missionaries had argued that they should take their breakfast before work started, as they did. (2) The staff objected that sometimes the missionaries walked past them without greeting them. (3) A staff member said he had discussed a problem with one of the expatriates and later he had been called by the area supervisor who questioned him on the matter. He had then realized that his conversation had been repeated to the top man without his knowledge. (4) The final matter brought up concerned evangelism. Some of the staff visited the local prison and undertook preaching assignments and evangelistic activities. They had to travel by foot or by local transport, which could be extremely unreliable. Yet they could see parked in the mission compound vehicles not being used. They did not understand why there should be a rule prohibiting them from using the vehicles, especially as they would be using them for the "Lord’s work."

As we discussed these problems, it became clear that three of them were concerned with cultural differences, one was a management matter, and one was a lack of love. Although these special problems are unlikely to occur in precisely this form in other places, yet they illustrate clearly that the problems which so often bedevil national/ missionary relationships are often 80 percent cultural in origin, 10 percent managerial, and only 10 percent caused by a lack of Christian love.

Yet we missionaries so easily get ourselves into emotional tangles because we feel that the breakdown in relationships is evidence of a lack of genuine Christian love, and that if only we could "love that awkward brother more" then all the difficulties would be solved. But in many cases the cause of the trouble has nothing whatsoever to do with "Christian love" but has a totally different cause.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
The cultural difference underlying the problem of whether or not the mission car should be made available for the wedding is that the American and European is time and money oriented, but the African is traditionally event oriented. We missionaries come from a cultural background which places great value on the use of time and money. Thus, the missionary viewing the situation from his cultural background can see many sound reasons why he should not make the vehicle available. It would not be good stewardship and, viewed from his standpoint, the particular African concerned is being unspiritual because he should have made proper provision if he wanted a car for his wedding, and should have saved up for it beforehand.

To the Africans, with their event orientation, the event is much more important than the car, and it seemed shameful that the staff member should have to go to an unbeliever to beg for a vehicle for his wedding. To them, the missionaries – with their concern for the financial aspect of the matter – appeared to be acting in a mercenary and unspiritual manner!

This difference of cultural background also underlay the dispute over the breakfast break. From the missionaries’ time oriented background it was reasonable that the Africans should have their breakfast before leaving home, as they did, so that working hours could be spent in working. But the Africans customarily eat around 10 o’clock, and if they were to eat before leaving for work it would mean having their meal at about 6 a.m. The European sees the principle involved and the saving in time, but for the Ghanaian the event (in this case the meal) is more important.

This difference in orientation explains many causes of friction. Missionaries often complain of "African time, " implying the African is unpunctual, and it is a constant source of frustration why Africans are not punctual to church services, arriving any time from the singing of the first hymn to the pronouncing of the benediction. But for many Africans the event, attending the service, is the most important thing, and the time of arrival is relatively trivial.

This was highlighted for me by something Bishop James Mundia of Kenya once said. He told of an old lady who walked many miles to attend their fellowship meeting. When she arrived she would say, "Sisters and brothers, I have just come to see your faces shining in the Lord; and I’ve just come to say, "Praise the Lord!’ And will you pardon me that I may go back, because I have to walk seven miles."

I think many of us would be tempted to comment, "All that effort for nothing. What a waste!" But for the bishop, and for the lady, it was obviously something wonderful.

We need to recognize that if two people view the same problem from different viewpoints it is almost inevitable that they will come to different conclusions. You cannot say that one is right and the other is wrong; it depends on the viewpoint.

I was reading recently the account in Acts (chapter 15) where Paul and Barnabas had a sharp difference of opinion over whether they should take John Mark with them when they revisited the churches they had established. Then I read this comment on the chapter written by an African Christian: "It seems strange that such fine Christian men as Paul and Barnabas could disagree so bitterly. It is interesting that no comment is made on who ‘I’s right and who is wrong. Barnabas’ concern was for the welfare of John Mark, for he thought that this visit would help him. Paul’s concern was for the welfare of the churches. He believed that an unreliable member of the team would hinder their ministry to them. " Different viewpoints; different conclusions. But God overruled the situation for good and two missionary groups started work instead of one. Yet so often we try to paper over the differences, when it would be better to agree to differ, as Paul and Barnabas eventually agreed to do.

GREETINGS
The idea of greeting people when you meet them is another cultural difference. The missionary is in a hurry to get started with the day’s work, and it seems a waste of the Lord’s time to stop and ask each member of staff how he is, how is his wife, inquire if the children are well, and so on. The European’s lack of interest in greetings is reflected in the paucity of the English language in this respect: "Hello, hi, good morning, good afternoon, how are you?" and a few others are all that we have, but most African languages, if not all, are rich in greetings. In Ga (one of the Ghanaian languages), the visitor starts by stating that the people from where he comes bring their greetings, to which one replies by inquiring about how the place is. He responds that everything is in order, and so you ask about the people there. He replies that they are well, and then you inquire after his wife and children. He says that they are quite well and they send their greetings, and so it goes on; the European is tempted to think "ad infinitum. "

The children are taught always to greet visitors and people they meet. It is more than courtesy or good manners – it is a recognition that the other person is a fellow human being and not a thing. Should you pass someone by without greeting him, it is equivalent to treating him as a thing, and you are implying that he does not share your humanity.

When the European passes the African worker without a single greeting, some of them may excuse him, recognizing that it is not our culture, but they will still think it is somewhat rude. But many will-sit at their desks worrying, "Have I wronged him? Have I done something to displease him, or what have I done?"

MANAGEMENT MATTER
The problem of reporting someone to the top man without going through the right channels was recognized as a management matter which could fairly easily be put right by establishing lines of communication and chains of responsibility. Yet the failure to institute these basic management structures is a frequent cause of friction in Christian organizations. Each person should have a clear job description and should know precisely to whom he is responsible and to whom he can make his complaints and suggestions and expect to see action taken.

A Christian organization in Ghana doing an excellent work among students lost two of its key national workers because the organization regarded it as "unspiritual" to introduce management procedures and preferred to regard itself as "one big, happy, Christian family. " These workers, university graduates, became completely frustrated because they did not know to whom they were responsible, how they should channel suggestions, and what were their specific responsibilities and duties. They resigned, as one of them expressed it, "in protest."

LACK OF LOVE
Only in the last case, concerning the use of mission vehicles for evangelistic outreach, could a lack of love be attributed as the underlying problem. Although even here there could be detected many cultural overtones, with the European seeing the principle ("Will this be the thin edge of the wedge? Who will pay the gas and depreciation?") and the Ghanaians the event ("This is Christian work and so why not use the vehicle for it?"). So where does the lack of love come in?

Although not articulated, the prohibition suggests a hidden reluctance to accept the African "brother" as an equal when it comes to handling an expensive item of equipment such as a car, with the related thought that the European "brother" is a more careful driver and will look after the vehicle better than the African "brother."

In this particular case, we decided that the rules relating to the use of vehicles for Christian work should be revised.

Management, lack of love and culture, these three; and the greatest cause of trouble is still culture.

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