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245187 Disc Missions ins 9/6/07 1:04 PM Page 66 66 A Global Church Framing the Gospel Message The idea of contextualization is to frame the gospel message in language and communication forms appropriate and meaningful to the local culture and to focus the message upon crucial issues in the lives of the people. The contextualized indigenous church is built upon culturally appropriate methods of evangelism; the process of discipling draws upon methods of instruction that are familiar . . . The structural and political aspects of leadership are adopted from patterns inherent in national cultures rather than imported. 14 —Sherwood Lingenfelter, consultant with Wycliffe Bible Translators Even though contextualization as a word was not coined by Taiwanese Shoki Coe until 1972, the process has been going on for centuries. Contextualization began in the Book of Acts. The key question facing the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 was about whether the gospel could be contextualized in the Gentile world and still retain its core essentials. In the early 1800s, Adoniram Judson’s adoption of the Burmese coffeehouse or zayat as an evangelistic meeting place was a contextualization breakthrough. Hudson Taylor’s embracing of Chinese clothing and hairstyles were attempts to aid contextualization. In the 1800s, Mary Slessor so identified with the people she served in Calabar that she could be described as more African than some Africans. Because of Slessor’s willingness to contextualize her ministry, she was instrumental in stamping out the custom of killing infant twins. Contextualization shapes preaching styles. It affects how invitations to accept Jesus as Lord are expressed. In the U.S.A., individuals are often asked to “take a stand” and come forward in a public service. Not so in Haiti, for example. There, people will likely declare their faith by joining a new believers’ Bible study class much as happened in the 18th-century Wesleyan revival in England. Contextualization affects forms of church government and decisionmaking processes. In good contextualization, church governing procedures will feel at home to believers. In some cultures, decisions are made on the basis of whether an idea can get 51 percent or more of the people to vote for it. In that situation, decisions have winning and losing sides. In other cultures, arriving at a consensus acceptable to everyone takes priority over marshaling yes and no votes. Good contextualization will affect the kinds of people chosen as leaders. Some cultures prize the wisdom that comes with age; others greatly value the energy levels and idealism of younger people.
245187 Disc Missions ins 9/6/07 1:04 PM Page 67 Power to Penetrate True contextualization accords to the gospel its rightful primacy, its power to penetrate every culture and to speak within each culture, in its own speech and symbol, the word which is both No and Yes, both judgment and grace. 15 —Lesslie Newbigin A Global Church 67 Contextualization shapes Christian music styles. The quarter tones of some Asian church music sound off-key to Westerners, and the joyous songs of groups like the Canela of Brazil can seem like funeral dirges to American ears. Contextualization will affect the way buildings are built and even the clothing considered appropriate for believers. Good contextualization affects the length of worship services and how they are conducted. For example, the Native American Wiconi movement is trying to get American Indian churches to consider using their people’s indigenous powwow format rather than following the lecture hall church service style of Euro-America. Contextualization affects the way theology is expressed. During the 19th and 20th centuries the theological center of Protestantism seemed to be in North America and Europe, with Germany being the nexus or center for theological scholarship. However, the issues German theologians talk about are not always the issues being wrestled with in other parts of the world. In this regard Korean Bong Bin Rho has written: Western evangelical theological schools have emphasized the inerrancy of the Scriptures and orthodox theology versus liberal and neo-orthodox theologies. But these are not major issues in Asia. Rather, the prevalent areas of concern here are poverty, suffering, justice, Communism, and non- Christian religions. 16 Thirty years ago Andrae and Sandra Crouch wrote a song titled “Jesus Is the Answer.” That is true. Jesus is indeed the answer in every context; nonetheless, the gospel does speak in unique ways to each cultural context. One hears talk of Asian theology, African theology, and Latin American theology. That need not mean a different gospel is being preached on each continent. Actually, it might be better to say theology in an Asian context, theology in an African context, and theology in a Latin American context because what is meant is that there are different emphases being highlighted in each context, just as happens with varying age-groups in the same culture. For example, those in the persecuted church find what the Bible has to say about suffering to be extremely relevant to their daily lives. In parts of the affluent and pragmatic West, people want to know what the Bible has to say about God’s plan for
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discovering missions - Southern Nazarene University

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