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Crossing boundaries
Kuaying Teng knows a thing or two about crossing ethnic and cultural boundaries. In fact, he personifies it. Teng, minister of Asian ministries for Mennonite Mission Network, the son of a Chinese father and a Vietnamese mother, was born in Laos and grew up in Thailand. Now living in St. Catharines, Ontario, he has been in North America for 18 years. "At home, my dad spoke Chinese, and my mom spoke Vietnamese," Teng recalled. "Sometimes when we would bring the Lao culture home, Dad would yell at us because he wanted to keep his Chinese identity and pass it on to the next generation." So Teng understands deeply that any sort of outreach to people of another culture needs to start with relationships and listening. "Learn to know their background," he said. "This is how you have to work with them." And don't get trapped by cultural assumptions, particularly that another group’s ways are opposed to Christianity simply because they are different. In fact, Teng said, the Bible needs to be held in tandem with cultural understandings, such as how they deal with conflict or discuss finances. Even though Scripture says Christ served bread to his disciples at the Last Supper, Teng has conducted communion with East Asian groups using rice. In regard to cultural assumptions, church planters and other workers in North America have something to learn from overseas mission workers, who were immersed themselves in new, often strange contexts. They learned they couldn’t impose their Western ways but had to adapt. Similarly, Americans and Canadians have to allow newcomers to adapt. But that doesn't mean that culture trumps Christianity. For example, the Hmong, one group with which Teng has worked, have a tradition of polygamy. Even though this practice is in stark contrast with Western culture influenced by Christianity, that fact means little to Hmong trying to maintain their ways of life. "You're American; you have a [different] culture — [we] don’t care [to follow it]," Teng said as he described how many of the Hmong respond to Christianity. But he has discovered that the Hmong are willing to listen to teachings against polygamy when they are based not in cultural terms but on scriptural injunctions. "You have to have a biblical foundation," Teng said. Indeed, some aspects of faith hold particular significance for some groups. Teng has ministered to Laotian, Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean groups in addition to Hmong. Many of those have fled their homelands because of violence and persecution. "They left a country in the midst of pain and suffering," Teng said. "They think they are the enemy." As a result, Mennonite emphases on peace and justice can be well received. Despite the relevance of the message, however, small cultural groups often still feel isolated and marginalized by Western society. One reason is language. Teng laments the lack of Mennonite resources available so those groups could read in their native tongue. "If they don't have Mennonite teaching and nurturing materials in their language, they’ll borrow from other denominations," he said. And, according to Teng, sooner or later those groups will leave the Mennonite fold. In the absence of such materials, relationships become even more important to link groups with denominational structures. Part of Teng's work is being simply an intermediary and an advocate for the people of other cultures. "I have to talk to the conference minister," he said. "That is the way it is." But his work also includes encouraging newcomers to participate, such as by sending delegates to area conferences and denominational conventions. "You have a right to go to that microphone," Teng admonished, "because you have a perspective." Read Tengs account of crossing cultural boundaries within his family in In my parents' baptism, I practiced cultural respect. In this issue: Features Highlights Viewpoints |
