Preaching in the International Church
2 Timothy 4:2 NIV[1]
In his classic book on preaching, Between Two Worlds, John Stott uses the metaphor of a preacher as a bridge-builder. “Now a bridge is a means of communication between two places which would otherwise be cut off from one another by a river or ravine. It makes possible a flow of traffic which without it would be impossible. What then, does the gorge or chasm represent? And what is the bridge which spans it? The chasm is the deep rift between the biblical world and the modern world.”[2] The preacher is bridging the gap between two worlds. One foot of the preacher must be firmly planted in the Bible while the other foot is planted in the contemporary world.
To further build on this idea, one needs to be reminded of the great challenge that comes with cross-cultural communication. Dr. David Hesselgrave speaks of cross-cultural communication in terms of a three-culture model.[3] In a summary of this concept Hesselgrave writes, “As a communicator, the missionary must look to two cultures other than his own. In the first place, he looks to the scriptures. The message is not really his. He did not originate it . . . in the second place, the missionary looks to the people to whom he or she has been sent. If only they could understand, be persuaded to repent, be instructed in the truths of God’s Word, and put their faith in the one Savior and Lord.”[4] Hesselgrave goes on to say that it is the role of the missionary or communicator to play an intermediary role between the culture of the Bible and the target culture he is trying to reach.
What happens when the contemporary world where the preacher finds himself communicating to is incredibly diverse? What happens when the target audience is made up of various ethnic, cultural, racial, and denominational backgrounds? Trying to have one’s foot firmly planted in the Bible and another foot planted in such a diverse contemporary setting is the challenge of preaching in an international church. Playing the role of an intermediary between the cultures makes the proclamation of scripture to an international audience all the more daunting. But it can be done and done well. When preaching is Bible-based, Spirit-filled, and applicable to the hearer (regardless of their cultural background) there is great potential for life transformation.
Before I venture any further, it is important that I define what I mean when I use the word “preaching.” There are numerous definitions of this word. The definition I will be using for preaching comes from a workshop on preaching entitled, “Life Application Preaching” by Dr. Bruce Wesley. “Preaching is sharing God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit through human personality for the purpose of life change.”[5] The message begins with one world, the world of the Bible, and it travels to the contemporary world through the conduit of the preacher. As previously stated, the task of being a conduit of this message increases when the audience is so diverse.
Is there a model for someone preaching cross-culturally in the Bible? Yes, there is! Paul’s discourse in Athens as recorded in Acts 17:16-34 serves as a wonderful model when considering the topic of preaching to an international audience. Paul is preaching to 3 different audiences: “(1) He ministered in the synagogue to those with a biblical background. (2) He ministered in the marketplace, in what we might call street evangelism. (3) He witnessed to what might be called the academy – the leaders of a highly intellectual town.”[6] The culmination of Paul’s cross-cultural communication skills are highlighted in the message he gave to the Athenian intellectuals at the Areopagus. Though some scholars question how successful Paul was in reaching “the Athenians for the gospel because he tried to be too rational and philosophical.”[7] A careful reading of the text shows otherwise. Paul spoke to an audience entirely different from his own culture because he had taken the time to understand the various cultures present and then to proclaim the gospel message in a way that was relevant to the diverse crowd that gathered at “the hill of Mars.”[8]
What made Paul’s message so effective was his ability to take the gospel, which was tied to the Jewish culture, and communicate it to a Greek culture in such a way that not only did they understand what Paul was saying, they also were given the opportunity to respond to this message. This section closes by indicating that some did accept the life-changing message Paul presented which included a man named “Dionysius, a member of the Aeropagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.”[9] This should be the goal of all who have the opportunity to preach to a diverse audience.
As stated earlier, there are some unique challenges when it comes to preaching to an international audience.
The Cultural Diversity Challenge
Because there are so many different nationalities, races, and cultures, everyone comes with a different set of filters from which they will decipher the message. An example of this would be with illustrations used while preaching. As an American who has spent most of his life in the U.S., I realized how many of my illustrations revolve around U.S. culture. Whether it has to do with geography, history, or sports, so much of what I used required a decent understanding of American culture. When referring to a location like Flint, Michigan you are assuming everyone in the audience knows that the U.S. has towns and states. This may not necessarily be true. Simply clarifying that Flint, Michigan is a town in one of the northern states in the U.S. is helpful. However, this obviously would not need to be done with a location as internationally known as Los Angeles or New York.
Another example would be when using a football illustration it’s critical you identify what kind of football. Is it American football? Or the type the rest of the world plays that only Americans call soccer. You cannot assume that those not from the U.S. will know Vince Lombardi or Joe Montana. Again, just giving a little more detail can help clarify your illustration.
If you speak about driving you certainly need to be aware that there are some in the audience who have never driven and that actually owning a car is almost beyond their imagination. It doesn’t require the preacher to completely change his illustrations. It simply means that a few words of description or clarification will help the majority of the audience to understand better.
The Language Barrier Challenge
Though English is the main language that is being used in the service, you cannot assume that it is everyone’s first language. Many who attend English-speaking churches may be fluent in English but have another language as their dominant idiom. Add to this the various accents that are used, including your own, and there is great potential for people not to understand the messenger and thus miss the message. And add another factor like simultaneous translation which some international churches offer and you have a real challenge before you.
So how does one overcome the potential language barrier? Here are a few suggestions.
- Speak slowly and distinctly. The majority of preachers, when they get going, can speak very quickly. But just remember the quicker the pace of your speaking, the greater the chances of some not being able to understand you.
- Be aware of your accent. Most people cannot change their accent nor do they need to. This would be unnatural. However, most people can diminish certain strong traits of their accent in public speaking with some conscious effort.
- Decide thoughtfully on how much you want to use a play on words or colloquial language. Effective speakers usually like to incorporate a joke, story, or phrase that is a play on words. It’s very easy when preaching extemporaneously to use colloquial phrases that you grew up with. Both of these can still be used when preaching to an international audience, just be aware that it may take a certain percentage of your hearers a little longer to process and understand what you’ve just said. I have noticed that when I use a joke or phrase that is a play on words, there is a kind of ripple effect in the audience. Strong English speakers get it almost immediately but those who aren’t as strong will have a delayed reaction. I sometimes observe people laughing 30 seconds after what I said and I realize that they are just now getting the word play.
Now that I have identified some of the challenges faced in preaching in an international church, I would like to offer some additional suggestions that have been helpful in this context.
- Broaden your illustrations, stories and jokes. Because people do come from so many different places, try to use illustrations and humor that represent various cultures.
- Learn all you can about the country you reside in and interweave this information into your sermons. Both the nationals and the internationals will appreciate it.
- As you learn the language of the country, don’t be afraid to interject a few phrases and words on occasion. Those native in that language enjoy hearing their language used and most of the others will still understand what you are saying.
- In preparing your message, think through how it will be received and understood by all of those who attend. Will they understand the words you use in your key points? Are the illustrations understandable and varied?
- Provide an outline and media presentation. Rick Warren in his book, The Purpose Driven Church says this about preaching to the unchurched. “Since God’s word is “the Word of Life” we must do everything we can to bring the unchurched into contact with it and help them feel comfortable using it.”[10] He goes on to list several things we can do to relieve anxiety in an unchurched audience and one of these is using an outline. Using an outline not only works for those who are unfamiliar with church, it works tremendously well for those in an international setting. Here are two reasons why. If they are hearing the message in their second language or the speaker has a different accent then their own, seeing the major points on a screen or in a bulletin allows them to process what they are hearing. And secondly, writing down the major points increases their recollection significantly.
By incorporating these basic suggestions, a communicator in cross-cultural settings will greatly enhance their preaching and this will then allow the Holy Spirit greater freedom in transforming lives through the proclamation of the Word.
Perhaps no one has preached more cross-culturally than evangelist Billy Graham. “The number and size of Graham’s crusades, the multiplicity of countries and cultures he has preached in, and the reach of his elongated ministry simply stagger the imagination.”[11] Billy Graham’s gift of preaching had to do with his ability to bridge the biblical world with the contemporary audience in such a way that even an international group of hearers could understand. “In a debate at Cambridge University Dr. Graham declared, “The proclamation of the gospel lies at the very heart of our mission to the world.”[12] All of us who have the task of preaching to a diverse audience should heed this advice. To reach the world means to effectively preach God’s Word regardless of the diversity of the audience.
Preaching is indispensable to Christianity. Preaching is sharing God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit through human personality for the purpose of life change. This is true in any church in any culture. For those who weekly stand in the pulpit of an international church there are some unique challenges that come from the diverse audience that sits in the pew. But when we recognize the unique challenges and then we make the needed adjustments, life change can happen. We can be used by God as a bridge builder between the biblical world and our diverse contemporary world.
Bibliography
Fernando, Ajith, The NIV Application Commentary: Acts. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1998.
Foster, Richard J. Streams of Living Water: Essential Practices from the Six Great Traditions of Faith. New York, New York: Harper-Collins Publishers, 1998.
Google. “Privacy Policy.” Google Policies & Principles, accessed October 27, 2015, www.biblehub.com/topical/a/
Hesselgrave, David J. Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1978.
Maddox, Robert L. LayMan’s Bible Book Commentary, Volume 19: Acts. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1979.
NIV Thinline Reference Bible Large Print. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2011.
Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne. Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. Pasadena, California: William Carey Library (2009): 427.
Stott, John R. W. Between Two Worlds. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1982.
Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1995.
Wesley, Bruce. Life Application Preaching Workshop, March 28, 2000.
