The Beauty of Partnership Study Guide, Standard Edition, is perfect for individuals and small groups who are engaging in cross-cultural partnerships, but are unsure about what constitutes truly healthy and wise practices. Ideal as a six-week study for small groups, we envision many local churches using this resource.
I have been working intensely on getting the Standard Edition version of The Beauty of Partnership Study Guide ready for distribution. This version of The Beauty of Partnership will be 210 pages. It will be one-third: study guide—with learning lessons and Bible studies—and two thirds: readings—from a variety of authors.
This edition of The Beauty of Partnership Study Guide is excellent for individuals and small groups who are engaging in cross-cultural partnerships, but are unsure about what constitutes truly healthy and wise practices. Ideal as a six-week study for small groups, we envision many local churches using this resource.
Foundational beliefs / assumptions for The Beauty of Partnership
Healthy cross-cultural partnerships are centered in Jesus Christ and his mission. Healthy cross-cultural partnerships glorify God … are attractive because we live in such a fractured world … and are cost-effective.
There is a continuing trend toward cross-cultural partnership in the work of Christian world missions.
Many thousands of local churches are doing short-term mission trips without the benefit of training in cross-cultural ministry.
A growing number of churches and Christian leaders are engaging in cross-cultural partnerships without the benefit of learning from those who are partnership experts; frequently, this results in misunderstand-ing, conflict, and significant wasted money and resources. This is a big problem in Christian world missions and can be remedied.
Learning from a variety of experts is vital to gain a broad perspective.
Healthy cross-cultural partnerships are the result of developing godly character, cultural intelligence, and organizational competence— among all partners.
Healthy cross-cultural partnership ministry is not exclusive to certain Christian agency professionals. Almost any adult follower of Jesus Christ can learn how to engage in healthy cross-cultural partnerships.
Learning to engage in healthy cross-cultural partnerships benefits spiritual formation (becoming like Christ), and contributes to the health of one’s relationships generally.
Most adults learn by doing; people grow and have genuine behavior change through being on a journey with others—“learning in community.”
While Mission ONE still has much to learn, we believe we can provide significant value to others engaging in cross-cultural partnerships.
Managerial paternalism is perhaps the hardest nut to crack. We middle-class North Americans love to see things get done as quickly as possible. Relative to many other cultures, including many low-income communities in North America, we are prone to take charge, particularly when it appears that nobody else is moving fast enough. As a result, we often plan, manage, and direct initiatives in low-income communities when people in those communities could do these things quite well already. The structure and pace might well be different if the low-income communities undertook the project themselves, but they could do a good job nonetheless.
The authors then go into the reasons for managerial paternalism, and the alternatives. If you want to know more, you should buy the book!
At Mission ONE, we do not try to run our partners’ ministries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. We do not tell outstanding indigenous Christian leaders how to manage their financial administration, how to delegate responsibility, how to do accountability in their culture, how to pursue their vision. We do ask, “How can we serve your vision?” We do require quarterly reports covering ministry progress, stories, prayer requests and financial disbursements. We do trust one another, not only as organizational partners, but as friends who serve the Lord together for God’s glory.
With these kinds of relationships between Mission ONE and our ministry partners in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, we avoid managerial paternalism. Want to know more about Mission ONE’s ministry partners? Write to me at werner@mission1.org.
Labor paternalism occurs when we do work for people that they can do for themselves. I remember going on a spring break mission trip to Mississippi while I was in college. I will never forget the sick feeling I had as I stood on a ladder painting a house while the young, able bodied men living in the house sat on their front porch and watched. I did so much harm that day. Yes, the house got painted, but in the process I undermined these people’s calling to be stewards of their own time and talents. It might have been better if I had stayed home for spring break, rather than to have gone and done harm.
This statement really hits hard: “I did so much harm that day.” I am grateful for the authors’ honesty and vulnerability. I wonder: How many non-poor evangelical Christians from North America are willing to admit that they “did harm” on their mission trips, despite their good intentions?
How many mission trips have occurred in which North American believers built a church for a community, while marginalizing members of the local church, local construction workers and small businesses?
Helping the poor and cross-cultural partnership is not simple. It requires training and learning from others. Thank you, again, Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert for your insights. God help us to avoid “labor paternalism.”
Do you know about Equipping The Saints (ETS)—a ministry that provides a huge array of high-quality/low-cost ministry tools and resources—serving western as well as indigenous majority-world missionaries all over the world?
ETS is directed by my friend Keith Jones, with whom I have had the pleasure to serve as steering committee members for COSIM (Coalition on the Support of Indigenous Ministries). Keith and his team are wonderful servants to the Body of Christ around the world.
ETS helps ministries find the materials and equipment they need at a minimal cost by networking with individuals, businesses and ministries around the U.S. to meet these needs. Whether it’s finding and shipping a bus to Chile, medical supplies to the Ukraine, computers to Tajikistan, a road grader to Brazil, shoes to Romania, clothes to Sudan, food for Iranian refugees or projectors to the Philippines, ETS is ready to serve.
Many items provided by ETS are obsolete in the U.S., but still useful in other countries. Most items come from government auctions. Other items are purchased at special discounts. Vehicles, medical and dental equipment, computers, office and school equipment are sometimes donated. Once, an entire print shop was given!
Why send used things to missionaries?
Here are six reasons why “used” can be better than “new”:
Good quality used equipment is usually available at a fraction of the cost of new items.
Used items usually clear Customs with no or greatly reduced fees.
National co-workers can be equipped with the same ministry tools as missionaries without creating dependency or the perils of paternalism.
Missionaries spend less time raising funds and more time in ministry.
Parts and repairs for older computers, printers, projectors, etc., are more readily available in developing countries than for “the latest and greatest” gadgets.
Used equipment shipments can provide employment opportunities for national believers.
Ministries are charged a minimal cost for the supplies and must pay for shipping. Books, Bibles and videos are regularly available in Spanish and French as well as English at a reduced cost. Items are available in other languages at your request. For a partial list of items available, click here. If you don’t see what you need, it’s possible that we can find it. Please email us at ets.usa@hotmail.com and let us know what you’re looking for.
Visit their web site! Check out Equipping The Saints—and discover how they can help you achieve your ministry vision—with high quality/low cost ministry tools and resources.
Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert are the authors of this excellent book
I have been reading When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. The authors argue that a common unhealthy practice of North American Christians toward the poor is paternalism.Note: Since I am reading this book with an Amazon Kindle, I am referencing the book using the Kindle reference system which is by “location” rather than by page number.
Avoid paternalism. Do not do things for people that they can do for themselves. Memorize this, recite it under your breath all day long, and wear it like a garland around your neck. (location 1690)
The authors have outlined five types of paternalism.
Resource paternalism
Spiritual paternalism
Knowledge paternalism
Labor paternalism
Managerial paternalism
I am grateful for the work of Corbett and Fikkert in making these distinctions about the various kinds of paternalism. With this post, I am beginning to write my take on each of these “paternalisms.”
I define resource paternalism as the practice of providing money, materials or other assets to people or organizations who could otherwise provide it themselves.
Resource paternalism hurts the poor because it tells them indirectly that they do not have the ability to provide for themselves, thus harming their dignity as responsible, capable, creative persons made in God’s image. It hinders the development of the poor because it reinforces the idea that they lack the capability to address their own problems. Resource paternalism advances a worldview that contributes to the cycle of poverty.
Resource paternalism hurts the non-poor because it releases resources that could have been invested more wisely and effectively for God’s kingdom in other ways. Moreover, it contributes to a “poverty of spirit” on the part of the non-poor—pride and arrogance—failing to recognize that, in the words of Corbett and Fikkert,
… until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do far more harm than good.
Can middle- and upper-class Christians from North America avoid paternalism, and rather, take an attitude of servanthood toward people in poverty—an attitude which recognizes “our mutual brokenness” and rejects a spirit of pride and superiority?
The Chalmers Center at Covanant College has developed an outstanding ministry of training Christians for helping the poor in the most biblical and effective
I have finished reading When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself, by Steve Corbett and Dr. Brian Fikkert. Steve and Brian draw upon decades of experience as practitioners, researchers, and trainers in economics and community development both in North America and around the world. They serve with The Chalmers Center at Covenant College. From what I have gathered from their book and their web site, their work and range of services is simply outstanding. I recommend them both to you.
The Lausanne World Pulse web site has an article by Ken Lane of Focus on the Family. Lane makes several good points that relate to the practice of cross-cultural partnership. Mr. Lane argues that:
Duplication of effort arises within an organization because of:
Ignorance. Different business units are unaware of similar efforts by other business units.
Pride. Different business units believe their approach to meeting needs is the only correct way.
Confusion. Different business units are unclear about who should be doing what in relation to each other (no integrated plan).
Duplication of effort arises outside of organizations because of:
Ignorance. Organizations are unaware of similar efforts by other organizations.
Pride. Organizations believe their approach to meeting needs is the only correct way.
Confusion. Organizations are unclear about who (which organization) should be doing what in relation to each other (no partnership plan).
Below is an excerpt from Roger C. Altman’s[1] article in Foreign Affairs, entitled “Globalization in Retreat: Further Geopolitical Consequences of the Financial Crisis.” This article represents a macro/secular/western/American point of view; I believe there is much for us to consider as followers of Christ who serve as advocates of cross-cultural partnerships. The article begins with the following four paragraphs. It is well worth reading the whole article, which is available here.
It is now clear that the global economic crisis will be deep and prolonged and that it will have far-reaching geopolitical consequences. The long movement toward market liberalization has stopped, and a new period of state intervention, reregulation, and creeping protectionism has begun.
Indeed, globalization itself is reversing. The long-standing wisdom that everyone wins in a single world market has been undermined. Global trade, capital flows, and immigration are declining. It also has not gone unnoticed that nations with insulated financial systems, such as China and India, have suffered the least economic damage.
Furthermore, there will be less global leadership and less coordination between nations. The G-7 (the group of highly industrialized states) and the G-20 (the group of finance ministers and centralbank governors from the world’s largest economies) have been unable to respond effectively to this crisis, other than by expanding the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The United States is also less capable of making these institutions work and, over the medium term, will be less dominant.
This coincides with the movement away from a unipolar world, which the downturn has accelerated. The United States will now be focused inward and constrained by unemployment and fiscal pressures. Much of the world also blames U.S. financial excesses for the global recession. This has put the U.S. model of free-market capitalism out of favor. The deserved global goodwill toward President Barack Obama mitigates some of this, but not all of it.
What might the macro-perspectives in Altman’s article mean for Christians who are advocates of cross-cultural ministry partnerships?
With their relatively insulated economies, India and China “have suffered the least economic damage.” Might this mean that India and China will become less dependent on resources from the West? Will Christian leaders from India and China assert greater leadership in the world Christian movement?
“…creeping protectionism has begun.” Could this mean that more people in the American evangelical missions community will invest more in local missions? Will a form of “protectionism” in the local church cause a wane in the short-term missions movement—or a reduction in funds available for global concerns?
What are the implications stemming from the likelihood that the “global economic crisis will be deep and prolonged?” That funding for the Great Commission originating from North America will decline? That Christian leaders will take a harder look at the ways that their missions resources are being invested? Will this result in more funding for indigenous ministries, which inherently cost less, and less funding for westerners who want to go as missionaries?
“Much of the world also blames U.S. financial excesses for the global recession. This has put the U.S. model of free-market capitalism out of favor.” Will this hinder the influence of U.S.-based global mission efforts? Or will the “global goodwill” toward President Obama make it easier?
Given the vast numbers of immigrants from non-Western nations and unreached peoples in North American cities, will local churches focus more resources on reaching these people in their own communities?
What do you think? Please comment below.
1. Roger C. Altman is Chair and CEO of Evercore Partners. He was U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary in 1993–94.
Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert have written a great book about serving the poor: EXCELLENT for advocates of cross-cultural partnerships
Here is additional material from When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. Note: Since I am reading this book with a Kindle, I am referencing the book using the Amazon Kindle reference system which is by “location” rather than by page number.
A helpful first step in thinking about working with the poor in any context is to discern whether the situation calls for relief, rehabilitation, or development. (location 1507). One of the biggest mistakes that North American churches make—by far—is in applying relief in situations in which rehabilitation or development is the appropriate intervention. (location 1527).
Our perspective should be less about how we are going to fix the materially poor and more about how we can walk together, asking God to fix both of us. (location 1168)
… poverty is rooted in the brokenness of human beings’ four foundational relationships … [relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation].
Unfortunately, as recent research has demonstrated, Caucasian evangelicals in the United States, for whom the systems has worked well, are particularly blind to the systemic causes of poverty and are quick to blame the poor for their plight. Evangelicals tend to believe that systemic arguments for poverty amount to shifting blame for personal sin and excusing moral failure. (location 1390)
Development is not to people or for people but with people. (location 1522)
Avoid paternalism. Do not do things for people that they can do for themselves. Memorize this, recite it under your breath all day long, and wear it like a garland around your neck. (location 1690)
[There are five kinds of paternalism: Resource paternalism, spiritual paternalism, knowledge paternalism, labor paternalism, managerial paternalism.] (location 1739)
There are situations in which a lack of local leadership and managerial ability may require the outsiders to perform these functions, but we should be very, very cognizant of our tendencies as middle- to upper-class North Americans to take charge and run things. (location 1755)
… many Christian community development experts have discovered the benefits of using “asset-based community development” (ABCD) as they seek to foster reconciliation of people’s relationship with God, self, others, and creation. ABCD is consistent with the perspective that God has blessed every individual and community with a host of gifts, including such diverse things as land, social networks, knowledge, animals, savings, intelligence, schools, creativity, production equipment, etc. (location 1822)
This image from the 15th Century goes with the ancient Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (Public domain) It is an icon of the Transfiguration of Jesus by Theophanes the Greek (15th century, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow). Talking with Christ: Elijah (left) and Moses (right). Kneeling: Peter, James, and John.
One of the major premises of this book is that until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do far more harm than good.
The authors say that there is a deep brokenness that exists among both the poor and the rich.
In the case of the poor, they have a “poverty of being” often reflected in their loss of dignity; they may be marred by both their personal sin as well as the sin of the world system that contributes to their poverty.
In the case of the rich, they have a “poverty of being” often reflected in their arrogance and pride; they may be marred by both their personal sin as well as the sin of the world system that contributes to the gap between the rich and the poor; their “poverty of being” may be contained in the false belief that they are superior and know innately how to alleviate the problems of the poor. Corbett and Fikkert refer to this as a “god-complex.”
One of the great seductions for western Christians in serving the poor is the belief that money and technology will solve the problems of the poor. Of course, this is partly true. But what westerners often fail to recognize is that without relational healing—without the transforming gospel and kingdom of Christ—money and technology will often only make matters worse. Corbett and Fikkert argue this point very persuasively.
I have been thinking about this idea of “embracing our mutual brokenness” and have made a connection with an ancient practice and prayer of the Christian church. It is called the “Jesus Prayer.” At the risk of sounding simplistic, I offer this as an antidote to the problem of rich Christians serving the poor:
There is a prayer from the Eastern Orthodox tradition that is widely prayed by people of faith all over the world. It is short—and it is meant to be said over and over again—almost like a mantra. It is a prayer that is meant to cover all the bases as it were—and goes like this.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner …
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.[1]
“The Jesus Prayer is composed of two statements. The first one is a statement of faith, acknowledging the divine nature of Christ. The second one is the acknowledgment of one’s own sinfulness. Out of them the petition itself emerges: ‘have mercy.’” [2] Of course, the Jesus Prayer is not all there is to serving well in a cross-cultural partnership. We are advocates for developing godly character, cultural intelligence, and organizational competence (for more on these three arenas of competence, see page on The Beauty of Partnership). But I believe that the godly character trait of humility—the inverse of superiority—is perhaps the one thing that will carry your partnership further than any other.
What if the Jesus Prayer characterized the attitude and behavior of both western and majority-world Christians—as they partnered together in serving our Lord’s Great Commission? I imagine that in living this prayer … “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” … we would:
be more aware of the presence of Jesus Christ in our cross-cultural relationships and in our work together,
be willing to confess our mutual brokenness to one another, sharing our life stories, praying for one another, touching each others’ lives, hearing each others’ hearts,
be in less of a rush to get things done, more patient with one another,
not hesitate to repent of attitudes of superiority or inferiority, realizing our dignity is solely in Christ,
be connecting to the ancient grand narrative—the history of God’s people, the church—who have for centuries, been giving witness to the redeeming presence of Christ in a broken world,
more readily and more deeply experience our unity in Christ,
be able to work through conflict or confusing situations with less effort,
be less dependent on money and technology while more dependent on God,
have deeper, longer-lasting friendships that glorify God.
What do you think? How can we more readily “embrace our mutual brokenness” in our cross-cultural partnerships? Please comment below.
Healthy cross-cultural partnerships are the result of developing godly character, cultural intelligence, and organizational competence—
among all partners.
