THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON ACCEPTABILITY OF CROSS- CULTURAL MISSIONARIES

Abstract

There is a tremendous awakening in sending the missionaries to the unreached communities in Kenya by all churches. An effective strategy in overcoming the cultural influence on cross-cultural missions and reaching those communities with the Gospel is needed. Although there are many missionaries sent out by Full Gospel Church of Kenya, majority of these missionaries eighty percent are in their cultural groups while only twenty percent are cross-cultural. The need for more cross-cultural missionaries with an attitude of overcoming cross- cultural challenges is huge. This research focused on the influence of the culture on cross-cultural missionaries’ acceptability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cultural influences on acceptability of the cross cultural missionary and come up with effective ways in overcoming these cultural challenges. The study was guided by four objectives; to establish the influence of the ethnocentrism on acceptability of cross-cultural missionaries, to investigate the influence of communication on acceptability of the cross-cultural missionaries, to establish the influence of gender roles on acceptability of cross-cultural missionaries and to investigate the influence of proselytism on acceptability of the cross-cultural missionaries in Full Gospel Churches of Kenya. The study sampled 23 missionaries from a target population of 50 missionaries sent by the church to five regions in Kenya that is North Eastern, Maasai Land, Upper Eastern, Coastal Area and Rift Valley. The study used descriptive research design. The research methodology used survey where questionnaires and interviews were used as research instruments. The pilot testing was done with three missionaries after whom the final questionnaire was prepared. Data was analyzed descriptively and results and findings presented in frequency tables and charts. The findings of the study established that ethnocentrism and communication are barriers of acceptability of cross-cultural missionary. The findings of the study indicate further misunderstanding the gender roles and imposing the culture of the missionary to the host community may result in rejection of the missionary. The study recommends that cross-cultural missionaries should be sent for mission’s exposures to understand the gender roles in the host community’s culture before they are deployed to their mission field. The church should also provide translators to assist in learning the gestures and the facial expressions of the host culture and finally the cross-cultural missionaries should contextualize their teachings according to the culture of the host communities.