- Collection:
- Interdenominational Theological Center Theses & Dissertations Collection
- Title:
- Out of context: the Western Christian in cross-cultural ministry, 1992
- Creator:
- Healan, Randy
- Date of Original:
- 1992-01-01
- Subject:
- Dissertations, Academic
Degrees, Academic - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798
- Medium:
- theses
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- application/pdf
- Description:
- The high attrition rate of Western missionaries can be observed in the fact that a large percentage either do not make it to the end of their first term, or do not return for a second term. In light of this trend of premature departures, I sought to research the following ministry question: How can an individual who is rooted and grounded in a community of faith within his/her own cultural context, move to another community of faith within a different cultural context and function effectively? Specifically, my research was aimed at discovering how a W'estern missionary could surmount the obstacles and resolve the problems that he/she encounters in attempting to minister across culture. First I sought to uncover and examine some of the reasons for the high casualty rate among Western missionaries. My research reveals a variety of reasons, including the inability to overcome the effects of culture shock, conflict in interpersonal relations, the inability to cope with excess emotional baggage, an inability or unwillingness to identify with the people they have come to serve, and faulty training. After examining the causes of premature departure, I searched for ways to reduce it. I looked for ways in which a missionary can reach the point of achieving effectiveness, both in his/her adaptation to his/her new culture and in his/her particular ministry. Helping a missionary candidate develop the qualities of flexibility, adaptability, a teachable spirit, a servant heart, humility, and the attitude of a learner is one positive approach. Obtaining a new way of looking at culture is another way to lessen the chance of an early return. There must also be a shift from the Western compartmentalized approach to spiritualty to the integrated approach that characterizes other cultures. The key for all these things is the kind of orientation a Western missionary receives. It is the orientation that can give the missionary the tools he/she needs to reduce the turbulence of a cross-cultural move and go on to function effectively overseas. For the act of ministry I prepared material from both reading and research. Reading was from a variety of fields and resources. On the basis of this reading, pertinent questions were designed to be used in interviews with missionaries, mission executives, and others involved in overseas ministries. This dissertation concludes by highlighting several implications and recommendations that my research has produced.
Date of award: 1992-01-01
Degree type: dissertation
Degree name: Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Granting institution: Interdenominational Theological Center - Metadata URL:
- http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12322/itc.td:1992_healan_randy
- Holding Institution:
- Interdenominational Theological Center (Atlanta, Ga.)
- Rights:
-
