The theology of cultural adaptation: part 1

Although my church is made up in large part of Brazilian immigrants, we are intentionally transitioning to become a multicultural and contemporary community fellowship in order to reach people from all ethnic groups with the Gospel. This kind of change involves cultural adaptation. It can be hard, and ethnic churches can only pursue it successfully if we understand the mission as a whole.

The prophet Jeremiah on cultural adaptation

Scripture offers different examples of cultural adaptation, both in the Old and New Testament. One example is the people of Judah who were relocated to Babylon. Though they faced a different set of circumstances, the adaptation process the ancient Jews had to undergo is similar to that of immigrants in America today. The prophet Jeremiah wrote a letter to Jews in Babylon which shares important points today’s immigrants can learn from in order to adapt to their new environment and culture.

“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.’”(Jer. 29:4–7).

The people who were exiled in Babylon felt that they were not going to stay long due to popular false prophecies that stated their return to Judah would be imminent. As a result, many refused to adapt to their new environment.

A mindset of leaving instead of staying

This attitude can be seen today in many Brazilians who have immigrated to the United States. A resounding majority came to the U.S. for economic reasons, with the perspective that living in America is simply an investment toward a better long-term future in their native land; thus, they resist adaptation.

But reality presents an entirely different scenario. A short-term stay can become a long-term residency due to children born or raised in the U.S. These children are reluctant to return to Brazil, which they see as a foreign country. Families that return to Brazil often regret their decision due to the culture shock that can destabilize their families. In this way, many immigrants come to realize that, like it or not, America is their new home. The letter of Jeremiah can serve as a model for Brazilian immigrant families like mine and many others in Framingham Baptist Church, offering us important insights into cultural adaptation.

Growing roots and seeking peace

The first lesson for immigrants is to grow roots in their new country: build houses, settle down, work, live off their earnings, allow their children to marry, and grow their families. Leaders at my church are not only modeling these principles but are even teaching members to buy property in America instead of Brazil so that their families can benefit from stability. Even if the parents return one day after their children are grown, these decisions are practical investments they can use for the family’s well-being.

The second lesson is that immigrants should seek the peace and prosperity of their new country. This is done at Framingham Baptist Church by encouraging members who can vote to exercise this civil right, to learn the language in order to better communicate with those outside their home and even with their own school-age children, to assimilate to certain aspects of American culture while not giving up their unique cultural heritage, and to contribute to the country by paying taxes, even if families are undocumented.

When the Jews heeded the admonitions of Jeremiah, they became influential in Babylon, as seen in the biblical accounts of Daniel and Esther. It is the vision of the leaders of many churches with large immigrant populations that we can also grow to have a godly influence in our communities.

Stay tuned for a follow-up article in which I will discuss New Testament examples of cultural adaptation.

Lierte Soares moved to New England from Brazil in 2014 to be a church planter. He currently serves as both a pastor in Vermont and a multicultural church planter in the Boston metropolitan area.