The theology of cultural adaptation: part 2
In Part 1 of this article, I made a case for the importance of ethnic churches adapting to the local culture instead of remaining separate and distanced from the majority culture. We looked at how principles the prophet Jeremiah shared can apply to today’s immigrants. This article follows up by discussing New Testament passages that shed light on the importance of cultural adaptation.
Adjusting our preferences to win people to Christ
In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul states that his goal is to win as many as possible for the Kingdom of God. The goal of any church should not be to maintain the status quo, but to grow by sharing the Gospel with as many as possible.
A church that is focused on ethnic traditions and does not have English-language services can only reach out to those that share its ethnicity and language. If this ethnicity represents a growing population, being rooted in a particular language and culture might be the best way to grow that church and effectively minister in that community.
However, this is not the case with Brazilians in the United States. Across the country, the Brazilian community is diminishing, while the number of Brazilian evangelical churches is numerous. Instead of competing for the same members, Brazilian churches ought to adhere to the principles of cultural adaptation offered by the apostle Paul:
“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Cor. 9:19–23).
My church is located in the Greater Boston Metro area, which is home to more than 5 million people, representing over 80% of the population of Massachusetts. There is no way of knowing how many Brazilians live in the area. Some reports estimate 64,000, but this figure is dropping. Looking at the statistics, it becomes paramount for a church such as Framingham Baptist Church to make a targeted effort to reach more of the 5 million that reside in the Boston Metro Area. To do so, the church must transition from a Brazilian church to a multiethnic church in order to “become all things to all people so by all possible means . . . save some.”
The question of English
William Barclay writes, “We can never attain to any kind of evangelism or friendship without speaking the same language and thinking the same thoughts as the other man.”
This is the best possible form of cultural adaptation. Ethnic churches need to understand that God’s purpose for them is greater than to simply reaching their own people. The Great Commission clearly instructs them to go into the entire world, and part of the world is in the town, neighborhood, or city where the church is located. To follow Paul’s admonition, churches must learn the local languages and cultures in order to effectively tell their neighbors about the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ in a way they will understand.
The Pentecost narrative is a beautiful illustration of the importance of language. Acts 2:11 tells us that people were shocked to hear the disciples declaring the wonders of God in their own tongues. When the Holy Spirit came over the first disciples and empowered them to be witnesses of Jesus Christ, He gave them the ability to speak in languages they had never learned as a sign of God’s power and in order to communicate clearly the message of the Gospel.
Language is a powerful tool to empathize with people. A multiethnic church can opt to become multilingual and be able to reach different cultures; however, I believe this is not the most effective way. It is far more efficient to unify with one language, which is decided upon by the majority. At Framingham Baptist Church, English is the chosen language. As a multiethnic church, we allow for expressions of worship in native languages and provide small group discipleship in multiple languages, while making English the main language spoken in worship services.
Jesus’ example of cultural adaptation
Finally, the incarnation could be considered the greatest form of cultural adaptation: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14).
Jesus not only dwelled among humanity but became like one of us. When the Samaritan woman in John 4 met Jesus, she recognized him as a Jewish man, because he must have not only have looked like one but also acted like one. He assimilated the culture in order to minister to that culture. As disciples of Jesus, we must follow His example, adapting to the local culture for the greater purpose of sharing the Gospel.
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.