WHEN YOU CROSS CULTURES - World Evangelical Alliance

66 WHEN YOU CROSS CULTURES
BACKGROUND FACTORS
Christian workers are no special breed. Background factors should not
be overlooked. Some come from stable and secure families, others from
dysfunctional homes. Sometimes personal or relational problems faced by
missionaries on the field can be traced back to their family backgrounds.
Background factors also influence a person’s values, lifestyle and certain
aspects of personality, which may remain even with conversion. With the Spirit’s
enablement, strengths can be developed and weaknesses minimised. But
limitations will remain.
One of the young men in our early ministry lost his father when he was
a few years old. His mother was emotionally and mentally disturbed. This
affected his upbringing. He was an only child, and was left with relative freedom
and minimal discipline. He received Christ in his teens and received personalised
attention in the follow-up process. But he had constant problems with areas of
faithfulness and consistency. He would start well on projects but fail to complete
them. When he lived in our home, the problems of consistent faithfulness
continued in spite of careful check-up which he initiated.
This setback did not prevent him from having a good ministry. Later,
after marriage, he left for a foreign mission field. At first he performed quite
well, but later had to return from the field because of certain tensions and
problems. These were not major sins, but partly stemmed from weaknesses
and limitations with roots in his background. God continues to use him in his
home country as a lay person. The mission agency he belonged to has ruled
out any possibility for a return to the mission field.
We should take into account the background factors of those considering
the mission field. Generally speaking, those coming from more stable families
adapt to a different culture readily. They also cope better with changes and
stresses, and relate to others in a mature way. This does not mean that those
from insecure homes and families will not do well. Mission leaders must examine
their backgrounds to ensure that there are no unresolved conflicts.
Aspects of personality may need to be assessed. These should not hinder
the person’s growth and overall effectiveness. Do not assume that those from
Christian backgrounds are necessarily better-off. Some may have had insecure
Christian homes, while others may have come from secure and loving non-
Christian homes.