Mission Research
We are the research
Why not knowing is sometimes the greatest gift
A few months ago, I was asked by a new member of my team, “Where is the research and reading that you’ve done for this?” They also noted that a lot of the statistics I had cited were quite old and asked for more recent data on the work we’re doing. I told them for both requests, “There isn’t any.”
We are the research. We will be the people that others read about in years to come.
It’s not because I hadn’t done any research. The opposite was true. I had spent hours searching the internet, journals and databases for information. However, the research is lacking.
So, I told them, “We are the research. We will be the people that others read about in years to come.” It’s quite a scary burden.
The Importance of Research
I’m a huge fan of doing research. I’ve just done a master’s degree and I enjoyed the process of reading about a variety of cultures and beliefs.
This way, we can avoid making assumptions and we can be culturally sensitive to those around us.
I also believe that we should do our jobs well. Just because we’re Christians with good intentions does not mean we can get away with lower standards.
Both my wife and I are qualified and experienced teachers. I also got a master’s degree to ensure I could work to a high standard.
Research is a part of this. We should be constantly looking to promote best practices in the work that we are doing.
A Unique Context
One of the main reasons is that the context we’re in is pretty unique. Here are a few of the factors:
- It’s two Muslim minority groups within a region of an otherwise homogenous culture.
- Both of the Muslim minority groups are frontier people groups. This means that they have had very little — if any—access to the Gospel.
- Most missionary efforts in the region have seemed to focus on either the larger group or on animist tribal groups.
- There’s little research that distinguishes between the two Muslim minority groups. Statistically, they’re often grouped together.
- There has been relatively little research on these groups. Most research is their history or linguistic studies of their language.
- We’re working in an urban centre. Anthropology has often focused on smaller social settings such as villages.
- The differences between urban and rural seem quite pronounced. Most of my neighbours are educated and are polyglots, speaking a variety of Asian languages as well as English. In the rural settings, this is less likely.
- The area we live and work in is quite mixed. Although it has a high population of the two Muslim minority groups, there are other groups, including some other ethnic minorities, in the area.
- A lot of advice on Muslim ministry is based on larger groups, Muslim-dominated contexts or Muslim immigrants to Western countries.
- Statistics rarely reflect reality. The statistics say that the particular neighbourhood I live and work in is just one of the minority groups. In fact, it is a mix of the two. Reality and the research are often at odds, making it frustrating.
- The two Muslim minority groups live together in this area of the city. It makes it hard to understand the differences between the two groups.
- There are differences in the identities across the generations of the two minority groups. The younger generation is far less likely to speak the minority language of the group. They will usually just speak the majority language of the country. However, the younger generation is also more likely to receive an orthodox Muslim education and to be able to use Arabic well.
There are quite of lot of complexities to our context. Of course, this is true of any context. But, they are a unique blend that you wouldn’t get if you were working among a majority culture, for example.
Unanswered Questions
As a result of this, there are few answers to the decisions that we are currently having to make. These questions include
- Do the women wear headscarves? In this area of the city, most women do. But elsewhere they don’t. Would wearing a headscarf here but not elsewhere seem disingenuous? Will it exclude us from serving others in our community?
- Should we change our diet to suit our Muslim neighbours? Should we avoid pork and alcohol so we can be better accepted?
- Do they actually care about these issues? They live among people that don’t wear headscarves, that do eat pork and do drink alcohol. So, is it a barrier or are we just being paranoid?
- Do the two Muslim minority groups within the community hold different beliefs? Are they actually distinct? How can we serve each minority group in a way that is appropriate to them?
- Which language should we use to serve the minority groups? One speaks a minority language, the other doesn’t. In an area that has both groups, how do we serve both effectively?
- Which religious terms do we use and which Bible translation is best? There is one set of religious terms for the ethnic majority of the country. These terms are used in nearly all the churches in the country. However, there’s also a set of religious terms that come from the Arabic words used among the minority groups. Which one should we use to avoid confusion?
- Do we seek to plant churches that are just for the Muslim minority group(s) or ones that are mixed and represent the diversity of the area?
- How do we focus on the Muslim groups without excluding the others who live in the area?
That’s a lot of questions! And that’s just a few we have.
The complexity of our work seems daunting even on the best of days.
Mistakes and Grace
With all these questions and with very few answers, we will make mistakes. People in our team will have a difference of opinion. Sometimes, there will be no right answer.
Whilst we strive for high standards, we also need to acknowledge our limitations.
Fortunately, we must remember that the message of grace that we carry is as much for us as it is for those we work with.
So, when we feel overwhelmed, or we feel disappointed when we’ve done the wrong thing, we don’t need to despair. Instead, we can remember the grace we’ve received. Jesus loves us. This does not change.
Furthermore, by being willing and expectant recipients of grace, we can be better equipped to carry and proclaim it as we go. We become living embodiments of the daily grace we so deeply require.
The Gift of Not Knowing
It’s easy to think you know the answers. You’ve read the latest book. This particular method seems to be the one. You’re sure of yourself.
But, soon you will realise this is a mistake.
No matter how good your method is or how many books you’ve read, it won’t be enough. It’s not you doing the work anyway. It’s God’s Holy Spirit that convicts hearts and reveals sin. Not you.
So, realising how limited your knowledge is can prevent you from falling into self-confidence. It can stop methodolatry (the idolatry of a particular way of doing things rather than relying solely on Christ).
It can also prevent you from thinking that you did it because of your talents, intelligence or competence. Anything that happens in my ministry is because of God. Because I don’t know what I’m doing.
Realising that you are dependent on the wisdom and guidance of God is not a bad thing. I’m going to embrace not having all the answers. I’m going to let go of the reigns and enjoy watching God at work.
Justin Marsh is a missionary who has served in Asia for over six years. He is the country leader of a team of missionaries and has just completed an MA that looks at missional practice. Whilst his team works within a range of contexts across the country, Justin’s focus is the Muslim minority groups. He is the owner of the publication THE CO-MISSION.
