These are random thoughts. I did not have the time to set it up in a nice academic fashion. So forgive me if the grammar is poor, and the thoughts there are hard to follow. I type it in as it unfolds in my head.
(up next: if I have the time: Part 2: Why we islanders can & must be Missionaries)
1) The Identity Problem: There is no real unity within Micronesians. They are all loose affiliations. The problem has to do with the mentality that Micronesians have when identifying themselves. They are first and foremost from the villages they are born into: Nechocho, Rumu'u, Dededo etc.
So the church polity in the islands makes each local village church autonomous. This makes it difficult when politics and economics come into play where the village has to take a stand on issues. It becomes a damage to church relationships. Because sometimes churches on the same island can found themselves on the opposite sides of the political spectrum. Given the little population of those villages sometimes the ones voting are the same people that populate the church.
2)The lack of Global Mission: Many Micronesian Christians lack a global vision of the Great Commission. They just do not relate to it. And so there is no budget for mission work. The only existing budget that they to have is sent to a local Missionary in Yap. Other than that, there is no other effort to do anything else. But even the one that they have in Yap was initiated by foreign missionaries in the islands, not the islanders themselves.
3)The Receiving Mentality: For over a 100+ some years Micronesians have been on the receiving end of monetary benefits and stuff that the West has introduced into the islands. And so Micronesians in the many years that has passed grew comfortable with this set up. They see themselves as the ones who should be receiving not the ones giving.
4) Economical Woes: Many of the islands lack a solid economical foundation. Many of the islanders are aware of this. The distorted mentality here is that Missionaries being sent are or should be at a better advantage, economically, over the people they are sent to. Otherwise how would they support themselves and give support to the people in need.
5)Role Models: The missionaries that the islands have been receiving are, in the minds of the local islanders, rich white Westerners. They are also smart and intelligent. In this day and age, an average islander out in the islands still has no idea what the internet is. This may change, and if it does they are already at a disadvantage of being late comers.
And the list goes on....
2 comments:
Happiness,
I look forward to your next entry.
I am interested in your comments about politics being a hindrance to missions. There is at least the potential of that being true here in North America. A large part of the divide between the emergents and the older evangelicals is around politics. I hope that young, Micronesian leaders like yourself can lead your churches in a different direction.
Sorting out the relationship of church and state is an important matter, something that North American evangelicals have not done very well.
Here is an interesting thought from a Micheal Gerson,
"there is something essentially countercultural about Christianity that should make evangelicals restless in any political coalition. Christianity indicts oppressive government -- but also the soul-destroying excesses that sometimes come in free markets and consumerism. It teaches enduring moral rules -- and an emphasis on justice for the least and the lost. It is often hard where liberalism is soft, and soft where conservatism is hard.
If evangelical Christianity were identical to any political movement, something would be badly wrong. It is supposed to look toward a kingdom not of this world, one without borders, flags or end. And by this standard, homelessness is a natural state." (Michael Gerson, Faith Without a Home, Washingtonpost.com)
Thanks
You are a smart guy, & besides you know my wife's name, so you probably already figured out that the last comment was from Howard. I was using Kathy's computer and didn't realize until later that the post was identified as Kathleen.
She is much smarter than me. If she really does write, you had beeter listen.
Back to the point. It would be great if there were some way in which some of the leaders in Chuk who do not have access to internet could get in on this conversation. Perhaps some of you who do have access could talk to some of those who don't and include a summary of their comments.
Have a good day.
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