A Biblical Perspective On Multi-Cultural Missionary Teams
Mark Turney, MA
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Biblically, missions is done from every nation to all nations. The practical reality forces the Church to accept that different players will be found on the same mission field. Thus, there is need to develop paradigms of working together for the Church to emphasize the purposes of God instead of denomination name and pride. This article takes a look at what the Bible has to say about multi-cultural teams. In the first four sections of this article we will look at several examples of teams in the Bible, with particular emphasis on teams in the history of the early church as recorded in the book of Acts. The remaining sections of the article highlight several biblical themes that I believe are directly relevant to the topic of multi-cultural ministry teams. This study of biblical themes will show that multi-cultural ministry teams should not be considered an anomaly or an unnecessary frustration, but rather an integral part of God’s redemptive plan and a reflection of the unity and diversity inherent in the body of Christ.
Teams in the Old Testament
The concept of teams is certainly nothing new. The wisdom literature of the Old Testament reveals to us that the ancients saw the value of working in teams. In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Solomon uses practical illustrations from life to emphasize that it is always better to work together than alone. Proverbs 11:14 speaks to the fact that the joint experience and knowledge in a team brings wisdom and guidance for right action. Proverbs 27:17 shows that working with others will help us to maximize our own potential.
Perhaps the most intriguing illustration of the power of teamwork in the Old Testament is found in a negative example. In Genesis article 11, we find the story of a group of people who unite to build a city with a tower that would serve as a focal point for their society to keep them from being scattered over the face of the earth. They set out to accomplish their task as a team, powerfully united by a singular purpose. When the Lord saw what they were doing, he made an amazing statement. “The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them’.” (Genesis 11:5, emphasis mine). God, who created mankind and knew the tremendous capacity that He had placed in man to cooperate toward a common goal, said, “Nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them!”
Of course, the tower of Babel was rooted in the will of man and man’s thirst for glory. God took control of the situation, sending the team of Babel into disarray by planting confusion and misunderstanding between team members. Unlike the team at Babel, missionaries share a common goal that is rooted in God’s will and is for His glory. God will not stand against those who unite to accomplish His purposes. He will empower them to accomplish His mission, and if God is for us, who can be against us? Only God knows what could possibly be accomplished if His church, anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit, were to unite together with the one purpose of winning the world for Christ.
Teams in the Book of Acts
The book of Acts not only gives us a history of the early days of the church, it also provides us with a very effective model for missionary work. In Acts we see an example of how the early church went about the task of carrying the gospel to the whole world. In most instances when a new cross-cultural ministry was launched, it was done by a team rather than by an individual. For example, in Acts article 8 when the apostles in Jerusalem heard about the revival in Samaria under Philip’s ministry, they did not remain in Jerusalem, leaving Philip to continue on alone. Acts 8:14 says that “. . . they sent Peter and John to them.” When Peter and John arrived in Samaria, they began ministering with Philip. The result was an even greater revival as God began to pour out His Spirit. God used Philip to work miracles and preach the gospel, causing many Samaritans to repent and turn to Christ, but He used other members of the team to lead the new converts into the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts article 10, when God sent Peter to Cornelius the Roman centurion, he did not go alone (Acts 10:23). Crossing the Jew/Gentile barrier to minister to Cornelius and his family was a big step for Peter. The team who went with him gave him support and was there to witness what took place. When Peter was challenged in Jerusalem for his actions, his team members backed him up with their testimony (Acts 11:12).
In Acts article 11, the church in Jerusalem sends Barnabas to help with a new church of Greek converts in Antioch. Barnabas recruits Paul in Tarsus to join him in this new ministry, and later others join the ministry team as well (Acts 13:1). Here we have the first example of a multi-cultural ministry team. The team in Antioch was made up of people who had been born and raised in different lands and cultures. Paul was from Tarsus in Cilicia (modern-day Turkey). Barnabas was from the Island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. Some scholars believe that Simeon called Niger is the same Simeon of Cyrene who carried Christ’s cross, which would indicate that he was of North African descent. [1]
Paul’s Missionary Team
In Acts article 13, we read how God calls Paul and Barnabas to carry the gospel to the Gentiles. When they set out on their first missionary journey, they take yet another team member, John Mark, with them. On Paul’s second journey he is accompanied by Silas, Timothy and Luke. From this point on all of Paul’s missionary work is done in the context of a team. Many others are mentioned in scripture as being co-laborers with Paul throughout the years of his missionary work.
In most of his letters Paul refers to members of his missionary team, and three of his letters, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, were written to members of this team. In Paul’s letters we see his great concern for his coworkers, especially in times of separation. It is apparent that Paul was not just interested in what the team could help him to accomplish. He was personally committed to the growth and well-being of each member of his team.
In time the missionary team, organized and led by Paul, became very multi-national in its makeup. Timothy was from Lystra in modern-day Turkey (Acts 16:1). Titus was a Greek, the son of Gentile parents, although we do not know from where (Galatians 2:3). The context of Colossians 4:10-14 indicates that Epaphras and Luke were also Gentiles. Sopater was from Berea in modern-day Greece (Acts 20:4); Aristarchus and Secundus were from Thessalonica in modern-day Greece (Acts 20:4); Gaius was from Derbe in modern-day Turkey (Acts 20:4); Tychicus was from Asia, possibly Ephesus, (Acts 20:4); and Trophimus was also from Ephesus in modern-day Turkey (Acts 21:29).
From these examples we can see that teamwork has been a pattern for doing missions from the beginning of the church. In Paul’s ministry, in particular, we see multi-cultural teams as the pattern for doing missions. As Paul carried the gospel into new cultures, and God called people from those cultures into ministry, Paul quickly integrated them into his multi-cultural mission’s team.
Team Conflict in the New Testament
While showing a model for multi-cultural missions teams, the New Testament does not gloss over the difficulties and conflicts faced by these teams. We are given a realistic presentation of some of the challenges that these teams faced. For example, in Acts 15:36-41, we see where Paul and Barnabas disagreed over the continued participation of John Mark, one of their team members. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along on their second missionary journey. Paul was reluctant because of John Mark’s previous desertion during their first missionary journey. Acts 15:39 says that Paul and Barnabas disagreed so strongly on the matter, that it caused them to part ways.
It seems that Paul was like a lot of team members who like to feel that they can count on others in good times and bad. When team members could not be counted on to help complete the task, he felt it was time to dissolve team. On the other hand, Barnabas may have been like team members who are more focused on building up other workers than accomplishing the immediate task at hand. Rather than loose John Mark as a worker, Barnabas preferred to form a new team that made room for him to continue in ministry. This difference of opinion between Paul and Barnabas may stem from a difference in gifts that led each one to focus on a different aspect of ministry. In any case, the narrative in Acts makes no judgments as to who was right and who was wrong in this particular situation, but it does serve as an example of the inevitable conflicts that come from human interaction.
Later New Testament passages seem to indicate that with the passing of time
John Mark proved his faithfulness as a team member and eventually regained Paul’s trust (Colossians 4:10, 2 Timothy 4:11, Philemon 1:24). It is also possible that with time Paul’s attitude toward his coworkers softened, as he gained experience in working as part of a team and saw the value of giving team members a second chance. Other members of Paul’s missionary team did not fare so well. Demas, who is mentioned in Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 1:24, is later reported to have abandoned Paul and the ministry because of his love for the world (2 Timothy 4:10). Paul undoubtedly faced great disillusionment and sorrow caused by team members who failed him.
Multi-Culturalism and the Great Commission
After Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He gave instructions to the church to go into all the world and preach the gospel. The Great Commission of our Lord is recorded in all four of the Gospels as well as the book of Acts. [2] Not one of these passages (or any other Bible verse) indicates that the task of world evangelization was given only to a particular nation, people group or culture to accomplish. The Lord’s commission to preach the gospel to the whole world was given to the whole church. Acts 1:8 clearly indicates that believers who are empowered by the Holy Spirit can be witnesses for Christ any place on earth that God might take them. The words “. . . you will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth,” imply that any believer who is filled with the Spirit can be an effective witness for God anywhere in the world.
Furthermore, a study of God’s mission to redeem mankind in the Bible shows that God is intent on saving as many people as possible from every nation on earth. [3] In his book Missions in the Age of the Spirit, John York says that God’s greatest goal is the salvation of the world, and there is no people group on earth that cannot come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. If all men everywhere can be saved, then it stands to reason that all men everywhere can testify to God’s saving power and be used by Him to accomplish His mission. [4]
The Great Commission is not just for the American or western church. The biblical mandate to preach the gospel to all nations is a command to all believers in all cultures. As the gospel is preached and believers from all nations are converted, we should expect to see missionaries being raised up all over the world. It is a dynamic of the gospel that the worldwide missionary force becomes progressively more multi-national in nature. As more and more of our A/G churches wake up to the call to go into all the world, we will see more and more non-American A/G missionaries being sent out. I would challenge us as USA A/G missionaries to take this new missionary force into account in our missions paradigm. I believe that we will be more in tune with what the Spirit is doing when we recognize the potential of this great missionary force and anticipate and desire their contribution on our fields.
Multi-culturalism as Testimony
There is a powerful theme woven throughout the writings of the New Testament. Paul deals with it in his letter to the church in Ephesus when he explains that from eternity past God has been working toward the reconciliation of all men to himself through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 1:4-7, he states that God the Father “. . . chose us in [Christ] before the creation of the world…In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ…In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin.” In article two Paul goes on to show that God’s master plan of redemption not only includes the reconciliation of all peoples to Himself, but also the reconciliation of all peoples one to another. In other words, part of God’s plan in redeeming us through Christ is to make us one in Christ, destroying the barriers and hostilities that cause division between different cultures and nations.
The work of reconciliation between different peoples began with the inclusion of Gentiles into the early church. The nation of Israel, who had received the covenant of circumcision, the law of God and the promises of God, rejected and despised the Gentile nations, whom they viewed as under the judgment of God. Paul refers to this attitude of the Jews when he says in Ephesians 2:11, that the Gentiles were “. . . called ‘uncircumcised’ by those that call themselves ‘the circumcision’.” In verse twelve Paul affirms that the Gentiles were, indeed, excluded from the people of God, “. . . and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God.”
However, the coming of Christ marked the beginning of a new relationship between Jew and Gentile. Ephesians 2:14-16 tells us that Christ
has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility . . . His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
In article three of Ephesians, Paul goes on to tell us that the Holy Spirit has revealed a great mystery, which is “. . . that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:6, emphasis mine). Verse ten of article three helps us to understand the purpose of God’s plan to unite us as one body. In it Paul says that “[God’s] intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” In essence Paul is saying that part of God’s mission and calling for the church is to give testimony to the fact that in Christ the dividing wall between peoples of all nations has been torn down and that a new community of God’s people has been formed. Throughout the history of mankind Satan and his rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms have worked to build hostile divisions between different people groups. The church is to be a living testimony that the cross of Christ has destroyed these hostile divisions. Christopher Sugden expresses this idea well when he says that:
The creation of a community from members of hostile groups in which all live in reconciliation with each other is to be a major task of the church. Thus, the way in which Christians from different cultures and groups relate to each other is not a distraction from the primary task of mission nor an unnecessary frustration. It is a central mission of the church to declare God’s purpose to those spiritual forces that resist his purpose and continue to cause damage by reinforcing hostile divisions. [5]
A multicultural missions team can be a powerful witness of the work of the cross, as it becomes a model of the community that is formed in Jesus Christ. Edward Stetzer also describes the importance of this multi-cultural unity for the purpose of witness:
The ability to function as a harmonious team is more than just an idealistic goal—it is a function of biblical theology. It must be emphasized at every step.
Most cultures place great value on community. If we cannot find effective community among Christians, there is no human reason for others to be attracted to Christ. Jesus taught that our faith would be evidenced by our love for one another (1 John 4:7-8; John 13:34-35). This is best evidenced when a team is modeling Christ-like unity in a multicultural setting. [6]
If it is God’s intention that the church exemplifies what Christ has done to tear down dividing walls between different cultures, then it is especially important that missionaries, who are called to establish the church among the unreached, exemplify this truth. We need to understand that when we as American A/G missionaries encounter missionaries from our fellow A/G churches working in the country of our calling, we have an obligation before God to work and live in unity with them if at all possible. At times we may find it difficult to develop relationships, but I would urge us to press on. If we do not seek to work past the hostilities and divisions that sometimes separate us, we will have fallen far short of what Christ accomplished for us. As we live and work together as a multi-cultural body, we will give testimony to the world and to the spiritual forces that oppose God’s purposes, of the power of the cross and the wisdom of God’s plan.
Dealing With Cross-cultural Conflict among Believers
In Romans article 14 and 15, we find an interesting case study dealing with cross-cultural conflict within the church. In the church in Rome there were both Jewish and Gentile Christians who held different opinions about the importance of traditions, church practices and abstinence from certain foods. This difference in opinion eventually led to conflict and broken fellowship between the two groups. On the one hand, the Gentiles believed that they were more mature in their faith and free from these practices. The Jews, on the other hand, felt they were more righteous because they continued to observe them. As a result the two groups began to judge each other as to who was weak and who was strong, and each one felt superior in their faith.
Paul makes it clear that the more important issue was not who was right or wrong about traditions and practices, but rather maintaining peace and unity in the church. The different practices of the two groups were not critical issues that affected salvation, but believers on both sides of the conflict were blowing them out of proportion. As the proverbial molehill became a mountain, it divided the church and damaged the work of God.
Paul’s counsel to the church, first of all, stresses peace and consideration among believers that would lead to mutual edification. Paul pleads with the two groups saying, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification…Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” (Romans 14:19, 15:2). Secondly he stresses the importance of unity in the church that would result in God’s glory. In verses 5 and 6 of article 15, he says, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you many glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Let’s consider more deeply Paul’s admonishment to the church to live in peace for the purpose of mutual edification. Paul implies that both the Jews and Gentiles would benefit and learn from the each other if they were willing to accept each other and work in a loving relationship. Human wisdom tells us that those who are weak can benefit from those who are strong. What is surprising here is that Paul implies that those who thought they were strong had something important to receive and learn from those who they considered to be weak.
In my own experience I have seen attitudes among missionaries that could be compared to the attitudes of the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome. I have seen missionaries who seemed to feel they were superior to missionaries from other countries. In some cases the attitude of superiority came as a result of looking down on the practices of the sending national church of the other missionary. In some cases the attitude came from a missionary’s perception that he was better prepared to get the job done than his fellow missionaries. I have seen missionaries who felt they were superior because they had made greater contributions to the work in terms of material resources.
It is easier to observe these attitudes in others than to detect them in ourselves. At times God has had to use drastic measures to wake me up to my own attitude of superiority when my way of looking at things came into conflict with the perspective of my brothers from other cultures. It is human nature to think that our way is right. These attitudes can harm relationships and create barriers to the mutual benefit that each missionary could receive from the other in their own personal life as well as in the work they are doing. Jim Reapsome speaks very clearly to this issue in his article “Of Trials and Towels”:
We must learn to get along with missionaries from other countries, not simply to do the job of world evangelization, but because Christian character demands it. Dominating spiritual imperialism is just plain wrong. We can’t assume we aren’t afflicted by it just because our missionary brothers from other cultures don’t tell us we have it. This insidious infection requires daily detection and treatment. We all need to visit the Upper Room quite frequently, to take up the towel, as it were, and wash the feet of our fellow workers from other countries.
While we are doing that, we will not only be cleansed of the sin of superiority ourselves, but who knows, we may also learn a few things from them about how to do missionary work in a more fruitful way. We have no corner on methods and strategies. [7]
To have an attitude of superiority goes against what scripture teaches. In
Philippians article 2, Paul exhorts us to take on an attitude of humility and servanthood like Christ himself. In verse three he states, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Throughout scripture we see that God most often chooses the weak in the eyes of the world to accomplish his greatest works. [8]
Paul’s second word of counsel to the Jewish and Gentile believers in Rome is that they strive to maintain unity. Paul warns the church that their divisions were threatening to destroy the work of God (Romans 14:20), and he indicates that unity in the church is essential to the church’s testimony (15:5-7).
Division in the body of Christ is destructive in two ways. First of all it harms a believer’s relationship with God. Jesus warns us in Matthew 5:23-24 that if we offend our brother, it will be an obstacle to our prayers. Jesus also teaches us that if do not forgive a brother who has offended us, we will not receive forgiveness from our heavenly Father (Matthew 6:15-15; 18:35). Secondly, division harms the testimony of both the individual believer and the church as a whole. How many times have unbelievers rejected Christ and missed out on salvation because of the poor testimony of fighting believers. In John 13:34-35, Jesus commands us to love one another. He said that when the world sees our love for one another, they will know that we are truly His disciples. The quality of our relationships, good or bad, sends a message to the world.
This is why in Romans 14 and 15, Paul urges the church in Rome not to allow minor points to cause division, thereby harming the work of God and the testimony of the church. He says, “Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food,” and again, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (14:20, 15:7). With these words we are reminded of the power of unity for the sake of glorifying God through our testimony. In the context of multi-cultural missions teams these passages have a vital message. When missionaries from different cultural backgrounds can overcome their differences and come together in a loving, mutually edifying relationship, it is a powerful witness that will build up the work of God and bring glory to His name.
Members of One Body
The biblical image of the church as the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians article 12 emphasizes the need for unity in fulfilling God’s mission. Through this illustration Paul helps us to see the strength and value of diversity within the church. The body of Christ is made up of many parts that are different, and each part needs the other in order for the whole body to function properly and remain healthy. In 1 Corinthians 12:22-25, Paul says that “Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. . . But God has combined the parts of the body . . . so that there should be no division.” We are to value the contribution that each one makes to fulfilling God’s mission.
When we apply this illustration to the church worldwide, we see that the diversity of the body of Christ is vast indeed. There is no doubt that we are enriched by this diversity. Each one gains from what the other has to offer. However, the wealth of this diversity can only be exploited when each member of the body learns to value what the other has to contribute. When the body comes together as a unit, it can realize the full potential of what each part has to offer. In the same way I believe that there is a powerful dynamic when members of a multi-cultural missionary team can value the unique contribution that each member makes. This type of team is not only enriched by the diversity of gifts represented by team members, but also by the diversity of cultures and church backgrounds that each team member contributes to the team’s capacity to accomplish God’s mission.
[1] There seems to be scriptural evidence to support this theory. Acts 11:20 indicates that men from Cyprus and Cyrene had been instrumental in starting the church in Antioch. Niger, which means black, may be a reference to Simeon’s racial background.
[2] Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18, Luke 24:46-48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8
[3] Isaiah 2:2-4, Zechariah 2:10-11, John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:3-6, 2 Peter 3:9, Revelation 5:9-10.
[4] John V. York. Missions in the age of the Spirit. (Springfield, MO: Logion Press, 2000), 21-23.
[5] Christopher Sugden. “International Partnerships in Mission: New Testament Reflections.” PNEUMA: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies. 16:2 (Fall, 1994), 290.
[6] Edward J. Stetzer. “Multicultural Teams in Church Planting.” http://www.newchurches. com/resources.htm , 4.
[7] Jim Reapsome. “Of trials and towels: the causes and cure of spiritual imperialism.” Evangelical Missions Quarterly 19:3 (July, 1983), p. 198.
[8] 1 Corinthians 1:27
