Seen From a Secular Viewpoint ¹

Introduction
A commonly heard statement against missionary work is to leave people alone: do not spoil their culture and belief systems. One should not bother people groups with alien belief systems.

This argument is understandable because many appreciate the diversity of cultures around the world. Rightly so, it is one of the many beautiful aspects of human beings. Humans around the world have developed their own style of music, dance, and other traditions.

Nevertheless, the aforementioned objection is not as obvious as it seems. This paper will accommodate the given objection with the necessary comments. Note that most of this paper’s focus will be on rural African situations. Yet, this does not mean that the discussed ideas are restricted to this setting alone.

World-view
Before we move on to the actual objection it will be valuable to be familiarised with the concept of ‘world-views’. Cultural diversities make a big difference in people’s understanding of the world around them—how one interprets diseases, prosperity, natural events, etcetera, depends strongly on one’s belief system. To illustrate how one’s world-view can differ from others we will take a look at a paragraph from Burnett’s book ‘Clash of Worlds’:

Implications
People who state that it would be better to leave other cultures alone, often forget that their statements have come forth out of certain presuppositions. Firstly, to say that Christian missionaries are bound to spoil one’s culture seems to implicate that the culture in question is ultimately satisfying to its inhabitants. And secondly, it indicates an outdated idea of missionary work where missionaries try to ban the established cultures in order to Westernise the world.

Satisfying in Every Aspect?
The first implication basically states that people from other cultures are most content with their own belief systems and co-existing cultural traditions. This, however, is not as straightforward as one might think. Especially in many rural African societies, where people give a lot of weight to the worship of ancestors and nature spirits, people suffer many fears. Frequently the people consult so called witch-doctors or medicine-men, who prosper on the fears of their ‘patients’. Diseases and other misfortunes are quickly explained as being a punishment or as inflicted by an upset spirit or by a witch. ³ Often it requires a sacrifice to restore the delicate balance. To say that this cultural facet is satisfying to the inhabitants is far from the truth.

Missionary of Culture
The second implication seems to have some historical truth in it. True enough, in colonial times many (but not all) missionaries viewed their own culture as superior to that of the people they tried to evangelise. Christianity was not only a personal belief, it was embedded in every aspect of many Western societies. Thus, bringing the Gospel was, for many, equivalent to bringing one’s culture. This attitude, however, changed rapidly after the enlightenment period. Today the West is no longer predominantly Christian.

Today’s missionaries understand that the Modern Secular Western culture is not advertising the Christian faith. ⁴ In other words, Western culture is not the appropriate tool to evangelise people since it does not guarantee a sound understanding of Christianity. Thus missionaries will try to make the Gospel culturally relevant for people. They cannot water down the Gospel but they can highlight different aspects. Take Jesus’ sacrifice for example: In the West we tend to highlight the juridical solution. In a nutshell this view says that all people have sinned against God and deserve punishment for their wrongdoing, just like a thief or violent person needs to be punished by a judge. It was Jesus Who took the punishment for us and He fulfilled the juridical requirement. Those who accept His offer can go free. However, cultures that do not highlight the legal side of society tend to emphasise aspects like shame and traditional fears for ancestors or spirits. For these societies it will be more applicable to focus on Jesus’ victorious work over all evil. Jesus had authority over evil spirits, He was shamefully treated and hang naked on a cross. He took the shame upon Himself of being separated from the Father. He died, but after three days He came back to life thus defeated death itself. Both viewpoints are equally true but will not always resonate with the listeners. It is important to find the most relevant aspects to make people listen. Later one can always teach the other aspects as well.

Secular Gain Through Missionary Work
Language
Most rural Africans have their own language and will have great difficulties learning in the official language. Often one of the primary goals of missionaries is to learn the native language. Normally they will try to put this language into writing. It does not need explanation to state that this is a great advantage for the people. Many local schools started right after these writings were (partly) finished. By learning how to read and write, people are more armed against fraud when buying or selling their goods.

Healthcare
Another very important aspect is that of healthcare. Clean drinking water, simple remedies against diseases, AIDS/HIV prevention programmes, etcetera, are all part of many modern missionary organisations. The success rates of these programmes are hard to express in figures. However, many organisations are committed to stay on a long term basis. During this period they will seek to train the native Africans. This way the organisation shares its knowledge and consequently the people become less dependent.

Economy
Although missionary work starts with the longing of spreading the Gospel, it is often a great boost for the local economy. Missionaries do not consider profitable areas as more important than non- profitable areas. That is to say, secular Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) will have to abide to strict regulations of where to go and what to do. ⁵ Furthermore, secular NGOs may do a good job in education and the like, but more often than not rural Africans are not capable, due to religious convictions, to fully profit from their help. ⁶ Parris says the following about it:

Missionaries, on the contrary, have the freedom to go to people groups who do not have access to proper education and/or healthcare. Additionally, Christians are not committed to a secular world- view thus capable to address the religious aspects more effectively.

The Christian faith strongly depends, in contrary to the traditional rural African religions, on individual decisions. The Christian faith emphasises the unique bond between God and human. Christians do not need intermediaries in order to have a relationship with God. No longer will the person have to be subordinate to others, which will result in a bolder attitude towards progression. A naturalistic and materialistic approach to a people, who are deeply rooted in religious traditions, will not help them. Their religious system will have to change alongside. Fears need to be addressed. The traditional rural Africans will not change certain habits because they fear the possible negative consequences—better not disturb the ancient spiritual order. Those who entrusted themselves to the Christian faith however, will abandon these fears because they know that their new Saviour became victorious over all evil. Parris testified that the Christians he met “were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world—a directness in their dealings with others—that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.” ⁸

Conclusion
Missionary work in Africa is not only about winning souls. It digs much deeper in the change everyone wants to see in Africa. Although secular NGOs are of great worth, they cannot replace the deepest longing in the hearts of many Africans. Many rural Africans have a deeply rooted religious system which is unlikely to change through secular education. Missionaries can offer a solid replacement of their, often fear-driven, religious ideas.

To change the beautiful African culture should not and is not the goal of most missionary organisations. Nevertheless, there are certain aspects in these cultures that need a head on approach. ⁹ Many Africans are illiterate because in their culture they never actually needed it. Times change and so do trades. A literate person will not likely be a victim of fraud. Furthermore, reading and writing is of great use when it comes to education. To read that certain customs are harmful can help to change their (often cultural infused) habits. ¹⁰

Instead of spoiling a culture it would do more justice to missionaries to state that they enrich one’s culture. Not only in spiritual aspects but also in materialistic ways. This holistic approach has proven to be very sufficient for economical growth—and economic growth that many Westerns wish to see happen among the people from this beautiful continent called ‘Africa’.

Endnotes

1. ↑ Secular: Denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.
2. ↑ Burnett, D., Clash of Worlds: What Christians can do in a World of Cultures in Conflict, London: Monarch Books, 2002, p. 15.
3. ↑ Burnett, D., World of the Spirits: A Christian Perspective on Traditional and Folk Religions, London: Monarch Books, 2000, pp.126-128.
4. ↑ Whether it ever did, is a different debate.
5. ↑ Maggay, M. P., ‘Justice and Approaches to Social Change,’ in (eds.) M. Hoek & J. Thacker, Micah’s Challenge: The Church’s Responsibility to the Global Poor, Colorado Springs: Paternoster, 2009, p.131.
6. ↑ Ibid. p.123.
7. ↑ Parris, M., As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God, Times Online, website (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece, 2008), Downloadable pdf: http://www.rootedinjesus.net/docs/Parris.pdf.
8. ↑ Ibid.
9. ↑ Maggay, M. P., ‘Justice and Approaches to Social Change,’ in (eds.) M. Hoek & J. Thacker, Micah’s Challenge: The Church’s Responsibility to the Global Poor, Colorado Springs: Paternoster, 2009, p.123.
10. ↑ Matters of nutrition, immunization, personal hygiene, family planning, child rearing, seeking early medical care, disposal of solid wastes and human excreta etc.

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Africa Inland Mission (AIM) is a missionary organisation with over 100 years of experience in Africa. It was founded in 1895 and works on the continent of Africa and the isles in the Indian Ocean (including Madagascar). AIM is an evangelical, non-denominational organisation: missionaries come from a wide variety of church backgrounds.

AIM’s stated mission is to see Christ-centered churches among all African peoples. The goal is to introduce those who have never heard to the One who died to save them – Jesus Christ. AIM seeks to help new believers to grow strong and healthy in their faith and to see new believers enfolded in a maturing church. AIM aims to invest in the lives of current and future church leaders so they can effectively affect the lives of others who can in turn reach out to the vast population of Africa and beyond.

From it’s very beginning, AIM has sought to work alongside local churches and local believers – if existing. AIM has succeeded to gain the trust of the people served through the perseverance and morality of its workers. Today, AIM still seeks to work together with local churches and believers. As an illustration: there are several teams with African team leaders.

AIM works in several countries, as shown below. Madagascar, where we hope to serve, is part of Southern Region. Would you like to learn more? Then visit AIM Europe’s website.

AIM focuses on unreached people groups, but what are they. According to Joshuaproject.net unreached people groups lack enough followers of Christ and resources to evangelise their own people. In other words: unreached people groups have no chance to hear the gospel.

An estimated 6,900 people groups are still unreached, 42% of earth’s population. That means almost 3 billion people! In Africa there are more than 900 groups still unevangelised, representing 27% of Africa’s people, or 316 million people.

Sometimes people groups are only partly reached, or it may seem they have acces to the gospel through the presence of a church. In Africa and other developing regions it is of the utmost importance to bring the gospel close to the people, to deliver it on their doorstep. There are tribes that live isolated from the outside world. Illiteracy prohibits people from taking in written information. To reach people in such circumstances, believers must physically visit the people where they live and work to tell the gospel in their own language.

The existence of a local church does not guarantee that people have a chance to hear the good news. An example is a small church in Betroka. Betroka, in South-Madagascar, is a central town in Bara territory. The church is not visited by Bara. Why? Part of the answer lies in the fact that the service is not in Bara, the only language they speak. The readings are from the Malagasi Bible, which they cannot read. The minister has no means to evangelise the Bara. In situations like these, AIM can come alongside (which has happened in Betroka). Read more here.

AIM expects its missionaries to learn the local language, study and – where appropriate – to live the culture of the people they serve. In that way the gospel message can be shared in a way that is culturally fitting, in the heart language of the people.

Madagascar is an island off the coast of Africa (separated from it by the Mozambique Channel) in the Indian Ocean. It size compares to twice the UK. From north to south the island measures 1500 km and 500 km across. Because of its size and the biodiversity on the isle Madagascar is sometimes referred to as ‘the eighth continent’.

The first inhabitants came ashore around the beginning of our calendar. During the first century to 700 AD the far away neighbours from Africa, Arabia and the Indonesion archipelago travelled across the ocean to start a new life on Madagascar. In 2013 the number of people had grown to over 22 million.

Madagascar’s people are diverse: 18 different people groups are distinguished. Sometimes their looks reveal clearly where there origins lie: the Bara and Mikéa look most like Africans with their dark skin and frizzy hair, whereas the Mérina have a lighter skin and straight black hair like the Indonesians. Malagasi is spoken throughout the island, but in 10 very different dialects.

In the early days the different tribes formed their own kingdoms with their own laws. There were conflicts between them. In the 17th century Madagascar became a stopping place for ship travelling to the east. Slave traders, pirates, merchants and shipwrecked crews found a save harbour. In 1828 the Mérina had conquered almost the entire island and subjected the other tribes to their rule. This rule ended when the French colonised Madagascar in 1896 and sent away the Mérina-queen. In 1960 the country became an independent republic with a central government.

Most Malagasy are animists: they worship the spirits of their ancestors. The spirit world must be appeased to prevent mishappenings. Ambiosy (witch doctors) function as intermediaries between the people and the spirits. There is the belief in a creator, Zanahary or Andriamanitra, but he is far away is not concerned with everyday life. A special act of worship is the exhumation of the dead to rebury them again in their tombs after a feast.

The first protestant missionaries (from the London Missionary Society) came in 1818. They proselytised the people mainly through their literacy programme, in which children learned to read and write with the help of a Bible in Malagasy. They started the school on the special request of King Radama I. In 1835 all missionaries had to flee the country since Queen Ranavalona banned the Christian faith. The young church was heavily persecuted until her death in 1861. Missionaries came back and the church grew in large numbers. Christianity became popular amongst the upper class Mérina and the royal court, but traditional beliefs were still adhered to.

Although there are Christ-centered churches on Madagascar, they can be found mainly in the highland. The highland people (mainly Mérina) have sofar taken very little initiative to evangelise the other peoples of Madagascar. This is beginning to change. Where possible, AIM trains local Christians as missionaries amongst the unreached people groups of Madagascar.

Of the 18 people groups on the island at least 8 belong to the unreached / least reached: the Antandroy, Antanosy, Mahafaly, Tanala, Antakarana, Bara, Gujaraty and Sakalava peoples. More information about them and how to pray for them is available from www.prayafrica.org.

So ones in a while we receive questions about the children.

• Is it wise to take kids with you to the mission-fields?
• How do mission organisations respond on children?
• What about schooling?

We would like to answer these questions on this page. The answer on the first question can be read below. The others will follow.

Please let us know if you have a question that is relevant for this page: Contact

Is it wise to take kids with you to the mission-fields?

Before we answer the actual question we would like to look at it from an different angle. When we look at other missionaries we see that they mostly leave while they are still very young. Than after a while, when we read up on them, we found out that they were blessed with children. That is great of course because that is the way life goes. But now we have a question. Why is it that people do not mind missionaries to receive children whilst on the field and at the same time question whether it is responsible to receive them before one goes? In both cases children grow up in two or more cultures. Children, born on the field, will have to deal with a return (for short or long term to the culture of their parents. It will be no different for our children. They are used to the Netherlands and will have to get accustomed to an other culture when we leave for Madagascar.

Now the actual question. We are fully aware of the responsibility we have over our children. This made that we were consciously looking for a suitable location. Sadly enough there are many unsafe countries. Than there are projects that are simply not suitable for families. One such project is the AIM Extreme Lesotho team.¹ The missionaries have to travel along with the shepherds under very primitive circumstances. Together with AIM we have examined the possibilities and came up with Madagascar. The people of Madagascar are not hostile towards white people. The landscape where we are going to live is save and the roads are relatively good. Next to that we are only going to work among people who invited us, thus we will be welcome. Matters of hygiene and medical care are taken very serious. Our house will have a concrete floor to avoid rainwater flowing in. Appropriate sanitary measures will be taken. And we will have a connection (telephone and internet) to contact the home front and, when necessary, important people or other authorities. No, we will have not the same luxury as in Holland but we will have the most important necessities in place.

All in all it will be a unique experience for the children. An experience that will have its advantages in a world that becomes more and more globalist. The children will quickly learn that other habits are not bad by definition… just different. They will also learn how to function in a strange environment. Adapting to the people, language learning, discovering what habits they can use and what they should not use. This knowledge shall be in their advantage when they grow up.

AIM is aware of the impact a move can have on children. To help they have organised a course called Europe Based Orientation (EBO). We attended this course in 2014. The children had their own programme in which they learned a lot about being a mission-kid. This course will be extended in Africa. When we leave for Madagascar we will receive a Africa Based orientation (ABO) which will take three weeks. Besides these two important courses we also attended a course in the UK which was completely about families going abroad. Just like the EBO the children received their own education during this course as well. In addition to these organised courses we do a lot about world orientation at home. This means that the children learn many things about different cultures and countries. Ever since we know that we are going to Madagascar these lessons are more concentrated on that country. What kind of people live there, what does the area look like, what are their habits and languages. The children are looking forward to go! And of course there is this feeling of ‘leaving behind’, which the oldest two can pretty well describe. But all in all, they cannot wait untill we go. We belief that all this preparation will contribute to the well-being of the children and will make the transition much smoother.

Endnotes:

1. ↑ The AIM Extreme Lesotho team: http://eu.aimint.org/lesotho-shepherds-basic-living/ and click here to see a video about these shepherds.

How do mission organisations respond on children?

The danger of answering this question is that people might feel hurt by hearing it. However, we would like to try with the trust that the reader realises that we have no intentions to judge the choices that have been made in the past.

The presupposition of this question was that the mission couple would not have as much time for the work when they have five kids around to take care for. An understandable, but very Western thought. Why Western? Because this thought suggests that both the mother and the father need to do the work as much as possible. To accomplish that, one could say that children are a bit of a burden. This thought use to be present in mission work as well. It was not unusual to send children to a boarding-school or to find others means to free up the parents time.

We have heard remarks from people whether the missionaries were wrong in doing so. Our answer is simple and short: No! Nevertheless, with the passing of the time also the insights are changed. Missionaries brought big sacrifices in their families, and we have great respect for their works and efforts. Just like these pioneers and with the lessons of the generations before us and the new insights we want to see God’s kingdom grow!

We al ready mentioned the term ‘Western’. In many non-Western cultures people do not leave the education and upbringing of their children easily to others. Whenever the mother works outside the house one can find the children close to her. Family ties are very important and children often mean security for the future. Besides that, many groups see children as a blessings of God. The more children one has, the more God blessed this person. Organisations noticed that it is harder for individual missionaries to make contact with the local people. This seems strange as the individual has more time than the missionaries with a family. The work done by these individuals are enormous! But when it comes to social contacts the families are in the advantage. Children around the world have the habit to play together. Parents have a common topic of interest which can speed up the social contacts. In cultures where children are this important, the locals will think it is strange when those Western children are send away from home.

Of course one can find many more examples but we trust you will see the logic of our decision. Mission organisation are happy with all missionaries but have certain situations in which they prefer whole families. AIM Is no different in this. AIM responded very enthusiastic on our longing to serve, as a family, on Madagascar. The announcement of Katja’s pregnancy (2015) resulted in many happy reaction among the AIM-workers. As for us, we are glad to go together. There are these situations in which the individual worker (although supported by the organisation) needs to deal alone with all the emotions—a problem acknowledged by many of them. This can be less of a problem for families, who always have each other. AIM is well aware of this problem for singles. They do their utmost to help them as it would be a pity to see them return to their country because of a burn-out or something else. Not to say that this cannot take place among families but they do have some advantage above singles.

We would like to end this answer with a short anecdote out of our own life:
A while ago Jurgen had a conversation with a Dutch lady and a lady from Eritrea. The Dutch lady heard about Katja’s pregnancy and responded with a joke that now we surely will not go to Africa? Jurgen’s answer was that the Africans finally start to take us seriously. All this time the lady from Eritrea listened and did not realise that we where joking. She answered on Jurgen’s responds and said: “you are absolutely right! In Eritrea we would think it is strange when a man without children comes and talks about God as God’s blessing is apparently not on him.”
We would not like to go down this road but it illustrates nicely how different people groups can view the value of big families.