Culture and Ministry

Introduction: Cultures wow! We all feel proud of them when it comes to talk. We talk about our culture a lot when somebody takes interest in that. The cultures are very much part of our identity. We reflect them. Each country and people group has its own. And in most cases we are proud of our cultures. While we should be feeling proud of our cultures, we must also remember from the biblical point of view that all the cultures of the world are infected by sin. Each culture of the world has some good points and bad points. No culture in the world is perfect one.

Cultures are made of beliefs, traditions, values, language, music, dressing and behaving, different foods habits etc. When we go out of our cultures we feel uneasy and uncomfortable for it becomes harder for us to manage the life.

When it comes to Church…how it affects:

1) Food habits: for example in our North East culture you eat beef, pork etc freely but when it comes to North Indian states, you can not do so in some particular places and communities. If you are a minister and trying to reach the lost for God then you must think of North Indian way of eating. May be you have to stop your own eating habits and adopt the vegetables and Roti if you want to be effective to reach the people. The people of North India will accept you, more easily if you follow the local food habits. If you don’t follow then you ministry is going to suffer and people even may not give you their house on rent for worship and residence purpose.
Although as believers, we must remember that “food does not draw us to closer to God and if we don’t eat it, it does not keep us away from HIM.”. Our culture of eating has great impact on our Church ministry especially in Asian set up.

2. Smoking and drinking: Smoking and drinking also play important role in the cultures. In the Western Culture a minister can drink and smoke and still accepted by the people in general and Church members. In North East India they can chew a pan, chew tobacco and smoke but drinking is not allowed. If you drink then you can not serve and be a pastor. Well, in North India and Nepal as a whole, the minister and the believers both are expected not to drink, chew tobacco and smoke. The pastor or minister can not do that at all. IF they do the church will not allow them to be their head. The seminaries and Bible Schools in North India does not accept students who smoke, chew tobacco and drink, if found guilty of doing that then after warning the students are sent home.
If in a new situation where you have to plant a Church then you can not smoke, drink, chew tobacco, if you do and people notice you then be sure, no one is going to hear you and take you as a serious man. You message will be taken lightly. And people will be gossiping about you.

3. Traditions: Dress and outlook: there are girls who in order to share the love of God with the Muslim put on veil on them. If they don’t put this, they will not be considered good girls either leave alone the religious ones. And it is good that they have been accepted. T o share the love of God the culture need to be maintained not to be religious but to let people accept them with their Message.
In some particular places the Christians use the Sadhoos dress to be accepted by the people of the locality, when it became hard for them to stay there and to share the gospel. They changed it for the sake of God. In the villages area the girls with the pants and shorts are not accepted but with kurta and shalwar appreciated.


4. Sab chalta hai culture (All is Ok): In our country this saying is common to all. In Philippines it is ‘bahalana’. To get your work done, we might be asked by the offices to pay extra money. This is bad, but when we don’t pay, they make us come again and wait. Many times there may be work which needs to be done in time but because of this “sab chalta hai “ thing, even the ‘lating’ does not matter, they say it is ok. But according to God’s word, late is not good. How does it affect the Church, the Christians are also tempted to bribe to the officials. While we should not be giving that, many fall prey to it.

If a member is a sick and did not attend worship service, then the Pastor is also tempted with this philosophy, no matter, if he/she did not come. The church will still continue, but it is a bad thing to think like this. We should be going and meeting the member and asking what went wrong. And then we can pray and give some counseling and advice.

5. Culture of modern media: The modern media has given some good positive points to the ministry of Church. With satellite channel and broadcastings we can reach the world with the message of hope and salvation. Radio ministry, TV ministry and internet have given more opportunities to us to minister to masses. The media makes possible for us to reach where we can not reach physically. And it makes possible that we can reach millions of people at one time, which physically not possible, although media can not do what we personally if allowed can do.
If you can not carry a Bible to Middle East or restricted Communist states, the Computer makes it possible that wherever you are, you can get Bible printed now. This a good gift of modern technology to the Church. Printing Bible and other Theological books now been made easy and cheaper, this in the olden times was not possible.
The Christian music, messages, and drama can be listened to any corner of the world through internet and computer. We must be thankful to God for giving us such “media means” to reach the people with his message. The Church should seize the opportunity to present the gospel.

Along with some advantages of media we are also getting pornography, other cultures/faiths being propagated, light moral values (just do it) being propagated. And our members, youth and kids get impacted by these or struggle with these. The Church need to know its disadvantage for her members and take necessary steps.

Conclusion: There is no complete and perfect culture. What for me is appropriate may be wrong for other culture. When God created man and women, they were in the perfect state and culture but when sin entered the world, all things became corrupted including the cultures. As the world is becoming global village, the cultures are changing and they are not absolute anymore but wherever they are strong enough, the church should honor them as far as they don’t contradict the Word and God’s will. But there are some bad cultures too, like burning of widow in the past, killing baby girl, dowry system, burning of bride, caste system, bribe, polygamy, etc the Church need to preach against them and bring reform in the society. The cultures of sin and oppression need to be redeemed in and Through Christ. All cultures need to seen right and wrong in the light of the word of God, which is ultimate authority of decision in all maters. And if there is anything which is not mentioned in word, then we need be wise and use our head to decide basically it should be depending on the Christian values.