A Cross Cultural Experience

[Ernie]

I would like to see churches that are open to cross-cultural experiences between plain Mennonites, people who were born and grew up in Akron, and the various immigrants who have found their way there, including Nepalese people. It is sad that this congregation isn't one of them.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure the timing of your interactions with the folks in Akron.

I can say that the above is a misrepresentation of the church. The church is open to people who were born and grew up in Akron. It doesn't have anything to do with race.

They do expect Christians (who want to be part of the church) to be teachable, workable, builders, under spiritual authority, and to share the vision and perspectives of the church.

[barnhart]

My experience is they can be quite tribal, relationship is everything.

Similar to traditional Anabaptists?

Yes, but along slightly different axis.

[JohnH]

I would like to see churches that are open to cross-cultural experiences between plain Mennonites, people who were born and grew up in Akron, and the various immigrants who have found their way there, including Nepalese people. It is sad that this congregation isn't one of them.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure the timing of your interactions with the folks in Akron.

I can say that the above is a misrepresentation of the church. The church is open to people who were born and grew up in Akron. It doesn't have anything to do with race.

As of a few months ago, it was most certainly not open to people from Akron. It was reserved either for selected migrant populations, or else ethnic plain background people who would come and visit but who belonged to a different church.

They do expect Christians (who want to be part of the church) to be teachable, workable, builders, under spiritual authority, and to share the vision and perspectives of the church.

It may be that things have changed. To add to the disturbing nature of this, I heard from someone else that they received a significant amount of government funding for providing "refugee services", and hence the avoidance of serving the local Akron population. (As I understand it, this government funding is no longer active and this may explain their change of heart.)

I hope none of this is true, but at the same time I very much doubt that members in good standing at a nearby Mennonite church have all conspired to be liars about this, and I also doubt that the other people in Akron who were turned away were being dishonest and deceptive either. I also am taking the original leadership of the church I spoke with a few years ago at their word when they told me it was not open to the local Akron population. I assume they weren't lying, either.

[JohnH]

This was one of the best cross-cultural experiences I have had in the last 7 years.

An obvious question to ask here:

1. Besides Nepali people, were there any non-ethnic-Plain people there?

2. Besides Nepali people, were there any people from Akron and environs there?

These are very reasonable questions to ask. Of course, establishing a genuine Nepali ethnic church is entirely acceptable. But... that would be a Nepali church, not a church started by and run by ethnic Plain people.

I assume we all have the same Bible and the same Holy Spirit, and Nepali people don't need ethnic Plain people to tell them what to do to somehow live out Christianity properly.

If nobody actually from Akron was there, then it wasn't a genuine cross cultural experience at all. It was, rather, a curated experience designed to please ethnic plain people, and worse still, basically at the expense of this Nepali population. This would be par for the course, though, with the typical plain Anabaptist mission mindset: basically a set of ministries we run to serve ourselves.

[Ernie]

I would like to see churches that are open to cross-cultural experiences between plain Mennonites, people who were born and grew up in Akron, and the various immigrants who have found their way there, including Nepalese people. It is sad that this congregation isn't one of them.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure the timing of your interactions with the folks in Akron.

I can say that the above is a misrepresentation of the church. The church is open to people who were born and grew up in Akron. It doesn't have anything to do with race.

As of a few months ago, it was most certainly not open to people from Akron. It was reserved either for selected migrant populations, or else ethnic plain background people who would come and visit but who belonged to a different church.

They do expect Christians (who want to be part of the church) to be teachable, workable, builders, under spiritual authority, and to share the vision and perspectives of the church.

It may be that things have changed. To add to the disturbing nature of this, I heard from someone else that they received a significant amount of government funding for providing "refugee services", and hence the avoidance of serving the local Akron population. (As I understand it, this government funding is no longer active and this may explain their change of heart.)

I hope none of this is true, but at the same time I very much doubt that members in good standing at a nearby Mennonite church have all conspired to be liars about this, and I also doubt that the other people in Akron who were turned away were being dishonest and deceptive either. I also am taking the original leadership of the church I spoke with a few years ago at their word when they told me it was not open to the local Akron population. I assume they weren't lying, either.

I think there are misunderstandings here.

[Ernie]

This was one of the best cross-cultural experiences I have had in the last 7 years.

An obvious question to ask here:

1. Besides Nepali people, were there any non-ethnic-Plain people there?

2. Besides Nepali people, were there any people from Akron and environs there?

These are very reasonable questions to ask. Of course, establishing a genuine Nepali ethnic church is entirely acceptable. But... that would be a Nepali church, not a church started by and run by ethnic Plain people.

I assume we all have the same Bible and the same Holy Spirit, and Nepali people don't need ethnic Plain people to tell them what to do to somehow live out Christianity properly.

If nobody actually from Akron was there, then it wasn't a genuine cross cultural experience at all. It was, rather, a curated experience designed to please ethnic plain people, and worse still, basically at the expense of this Nepali population. This would be par for the course, though, with the typical plain Anabaptist mission mindset: basically a set of ministries we run to serve ourselves.

There are lots of different cross-cultural things going on in Akron. "Cross-cultural" can look different depending on the senario.
The above sort of critiquing, stereotyping, and overgeneralizing, without understanding, is what is NOT needed in Akron.

[Ernie]

Yesterday I attended a Nepali-speaking Bhutanese Assembly of the Brethren (Plymouth Brethren) communion service. (This is the "denomination" of George Mueller and John Darby.) Brethren missionaries had established churches in the refugee camps in Nepal and these Nepali Brethren moved their churches to the US when they resettled.

The service was quite different from the Nepali Pentecostal (not to be confused with American Pentecostals) service I attended a couple days earlier.
Everyone exited their cars and headed straight for the meeting room in a state of somberness. (much like some Anabaptist churches) There was little greeting of each other and the goal as I understand it was to be focused on the suffering and death of Christ rather than on social life.
These people dress modestly and the women cover during public worship.
Some women arrived at the parking lot with their veils on already. Others had them draped around their neck or in their purse. Once seated in the assembly they proceeded to cover themselves well. Some young girls were also covered, some with a scarf tied at the chin. One mother proceeded to put a little white bonnet on her infant.
The singing was in unison, and very slow. Men shared a song or stood and lead a prayer.
The service reminded me of the most traditional and stoic Anabaptist services that I have attended. This among other things seems to have resulted in many of the young people leaving the church. A few young people are marrying and returning to the church.
When it came time for communion, a round loaf of bread was broken in half and the halves passed around for each member to help themselves to a piece.
There was one Egyptian couple in attendance who had joined the church.
It was another great cultural experience.

[JohnH]

That sounds identical to the Plymouth Brethren service I attended in Akron (of all places).

[JohnH]

There are lots of different cross-cultural things going on in Akron. "Cross-cultural" can look different depending on the senario.
The above sort of critiquing, stereotyping, and overgeneralizing, without understanding, is what is NOT needed in Akron.

That's why I tried to make it a bit simpler. Were any people from Akron there who weren't ethnic Anabaptists and also not migrants?

[JoyE]

When my father pastored a church, there were Japanese, Filipinos, and Mexicans, as well as lots of black children and some adults. The wealthy Japanese family was very enthusiastic in attending and singing, and we visited each other's houses. But another member from the same culture--who is still in touch with us though she lives hours away--dealt with her in her own language, and reported back that Mrs. O. had simply added Jesus to the idol shelf, so to speak.

Our friend next door, a black pastor, said to us that the local pastors of his ethnicity would get up in the pulpit Sunday morning and stomp and shout, and in the week would be "seeing" (not even the sanitized word he used) the deacons' wives.

I guess cultural or sub-cultural issues like those might be indications for ethnic churches. Maybe.