A STUDY OF CULTURAL ELEMENTS IN THE SHELTER MINISTRY AMONG NEPALI MIGRANT WORKERS IN KOREA
Introduction
Though Korea is known as a mono-cultural country with one language and one people group, various cultures are being introduced to Korea Korea
Nepalis are one of those people groups who are benefited by the shelter provided by the Korean Churches. It is assumed that around five to eight thousand Nepalis are currently living in Korea
Seemingly, the shelter ministry is need based and effective because it is both the social work and a ministry among these Nepali. However, by the study of Nepali culture, the ministry among the Nepalis in Shelter can be made more effective and fruitful. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the some cultural elements in the Nepalis people group which can be helpful in understanding them eventually opening a new and effective way to introduce the gospel to them.
To reach the goal of this paper, the researcher firstly identifies the nature of the shelter ministry and Nepali culture among these Nepalis, by visiting these various Nepalis people in the shelter and the ministers who are serving these Nepalis. Afterwards, the researcher evaluates the culture and the ministry provided to them in the shelters in light of the biblical and missiological perspective. The following section provides the theoretical background for the research giving biblical and missiological foundation for the social work base ministry.
The Theoretical Foundation for
the Shelter Ministry
Through the shelter ministry ooo church is in the position of providing two types of ministries to Nepalis. Firstly, meeting their physical and social needs and at the same time secondly, they are to preach the gospel cross-culturally. This section provides the theoretical basis for both ministries, which is utilized to discuss and evaluate the shelter ministry among the Nepali Migrant workers in Korea
Certainly the church has the mission of evangelizing the world. However the process of evangelization and the methods to do it might disagree. This point one has a need of having a proper understanding of the role of social actions in the mission of evangelization. The understanding of the church and its place in the world cast light to the understanding of the role of social actions in the evangelization. Church is the body of Christ which deals with the world through Word, sacrament and the sending forth of Christians. The church has the mandate to proclaim the Gospel in content as well as the effect.[2]According to Matthew 25:31-46, the church’s mandates also incorporate the social actions for the people in need. Jesus himself, as the suffering servant, met people need while preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God Wheaton
Christ’ followers, therefore are called in one way or another, not to conform to the values of the society but to transform them (Rom.
God’s work to the humanity has a particular focus on the church though not confined only to it. Therefore the church exists in the world for the Lord. Since, the Kingdom of God
However, to fulfill the mission of meeting need and leading people to the transformation, there should be people with personal characteristics, training and Christian maturity to work across cultures in the name of Christ. Following sub-section introduces the basic elements for the cross-cultural ministry.
Cross Cultural Ministry of the Church
In the cross cultural ministry two different cultures meet. The minister come with his/her own world view, set of belief and order, while the person or group to be minister is with their own world view, set of belief and order. It shows the urgency toward the minster that he needs to know about the reality and prepare according to it. In anthropological term, the minister or missionary should be able to “build credibility in other society.”[6]Heibert and Cynthia and David Strong give four tips about building
credibility in other society. They are as following
First, we need to understand both the people we serve and ourselves. . . . Second, we must build credibility in terms of what the people think, not in terms of what we think. . . . Third, we need to focus on building people, rather than programs. . . . Lastly, we from the west must critique our own modern worldview and learn from our non-western churches the central place of relationships in Scripture.[7]
Ministers should give priority of relationship than to the order in order to win them and bring them to the ultimate relationship with God. Basically the cross cultural ministries should be intended to transforms the world views of other societies toward the worldview of the Bible. Paul G. Hiebert says that without aiming the cross cultural ministries to the transformation of the world view it only brings a superficial conversion resulting “Christo-paganism.”[8]However, the cross-cultural ministers also act with their own worldview without realizing that they are imposing their worldview to others. The fact is that the Biblical worldview surpasses the all worldviews because it is based on God’s unique revelation.[9] The cross-cultural ministers and missionaries are supposed to be aware of the fact, as a result increase in their understanding of other worldviews to make an effective transformation to the society. If there is a gap in two parties, Heibert proposes a bicultural solution to fill the gap which would create an appropriate environment to share. According to Heibert ‘bicultural community’ reflects the incarnation of God.[10]
Besides learning human worldview to understand them and build credibility among other people group, the missionaries should not neglect the studies of systematic and biblical theologies which provide them “the cognitive, affective and moral nature of the gospel.”[11]
A Descriptive Analysis of the Nepalis
in the Shelter
As for the part of the research, the researcher visits the shelter provided by ooo Church of Korea
Description of the Shelter
The shelter is located on ooo Dong, where several small factories are also located. However, some residential apartment complexes are also situated near by. Several shops are in the neighborhood. By seeing many foreigners walking around the street, one can know that the place is quite popular among the foreign workers. The researcher also knows that there are some foreign food marts where foreigner can buy their own food and telephone cards to call their home.
The shelter is basically just a room approximately of eight pyeong, with one kitchen. The rest room is not attached but out side which is commonly used by other resident of the building. As one enters the room, one encounters with a distinct aroma which is from the kitchen where different spices are located. The kitchen is very narrow and is also used to take shower by the shelter dwellers. As one goes further inside there is a medium size room, with a clothe hanger one side, and a television and music set on the other. Below the television set, there are many Nepali music tapes, CDs and VCDs. Floor is covered with many mattress and several pillows are arranged accordingly. There is a small store section inner side of the room which is packed with several baggages.
Activities in the Shelter
The main activity in the shelter is to take refuge in it in the time of trouble and necessity. Nepali people, not only from ooo area, but every where in Korea, are welcomed to the shelter if they need a place to stay especially when they do not have job or they are sick and so on. At the time when researchers visited the Nepali shelter, there were five peoples staying in the shelter. One among those five came first time to the shelter, a week earlier when he lost job from a company. Other four of them they frequently visited the shelter in the time of need. One of whom is living in the shelter for more than three months continuously. Though presently they attend church, all of them were the followers of Hinduism when they were in Nepal
Another important thing they do in the shelter is eating. They make their own food, mainly rice, dal[12]and curry. The researcher found out that the rice is provided by the church and other foods are arranged by the shelter dwellers themselves. The shelter dwellers take in turn to cook food, clean the room and wash the dishes. In the eating matter, they do not miss their home much, because basically they eat in the shelter same thing what they eat in their home.
Since there are no permanent dwellers in the shelter there is no permanent ministry going, instead the shelter dwellers are scheduled to attend the Bible study meeting at every Saturday evening held in the Church. All the people who live in the shelter and other brother and sisters in Christ who can easily commute to church after their work in the company gather at a mission room in the church. In the Bible study all of these people, new and continuous members are taught from the Book of Romans, by their own native pastor. The Bible study is less like an academic study of the Bible and more like the evangelism for the new comers.
In the same meeting people sing the gospel songs in Nepali accompanied by a Madal[13]and guitar. Though some songs were translated from English, most of them were the Christians songs composed by Nepali Christians in Nepali tune. People are happy and excited to learn the songs and sing them. Before the Bible study meeting at the same place, people surf the internet on the computers provided by the church. Nepalis read their own local news papers on the web and be acquainted with the things happening in their country. People seem to calling their friend on phone, meeting friends at the church. Therefore, there was more than one reason for people to participate in the Bible study. However at the time of the sharing the Word of God people are very attentive and eager to listen. Some even raise their questions to the pastor, and sought to solve their puzzle. After the singing, chatting, and the Bible study a few leaders are selected for next day worship service, they chose the hymns, Psalms and choruses. They give the list to the pastor for preparation of the program bulletin.
After the Bible study, all of them go to a restaurant to have dinner. They initiate the meal with the prayer and every one seems to enjoy the meal at the restaurant. They talk and share their lives while eating together.
The major spiritual activity for the shelter dwellers is the Sunday worship service. The researcher found out that the first week of every month, they join the Korean worship service and one of the Nepali brothers provided the simultaneous translation of the sermon delivery and main speeches. Other three week they were to do their own worship service in the small hall provided by the church in the church building. Here not only the people live in the shelter, but people working in the nearby companies also join. Three Korean volunteer Deacons also join the worship service. From beginning to end everything is conducted by the Nepali brothers and sisters in Nepali language. However, Deacon ooo is called to pray for the offering, and another woman Khonsanim[14]gives announcements, coming programs and church news in Korean and one of the Nepali brother who is good at Korean translates it into Nepali. The program bulletin is also made in Nepali and English. From the observation it is noticed that Korean volunteers brings the programs and events according to the Korean main service and Nepalis follow according to that.
Among other activities for the shelter dwellers and the Nepalis are the medical check up, monthly hair cut service and legal suggestion and help. If any of them are not paid accordingly by their employer, a help is provided. Nepalis also reported that the shelter is used to prepare some Nepali foods for the especial occasions such as food festivals and picnic held in the church. When several people live in the shelter for long time, they also do Wednesday prayer service, inviting Korean Deacons and other friends nearby to pray and worship God.
Response from the Nepali People
While inquiring the responses from the Nepali people regarding Church’s providence of the shelter and the various activities related to the shelter, Nepalis are thankful to the church for the provision. They take it as the evidence of love of Korean Christians and church toward the Nepalis. They respect the Korean leaders and volunteers who join and help them in their ministries and personal life.
However, Some Nepalis are not happy to join the Christian worship service and the Bible studies just because they live in the shelter provided by the church. They feel like it their duty to follow the shelter schedule and regulations. They try to avoid the service and the Bible study meeting as much as possible making excuses such as going to look for job, meeting friends, sickness and so on. Some are very enthusiastically participate in all kinds of meetings. They also take initiatives to invite friends to the church, and the Bible study meetings, make phone calls to the friends who do not live in the shelter, keep in touch with them, and let them know the church upcoming events.
Some Nepalis in the shelter acknowledge that the shelter became the first place for them to hear the gospel and read the Bible. They come to know Christ in a different way than that they used to think of Him. They used to think that Christ is one of god based on Hindu belief. People learn to pray, read Bible and praise and worship in the shelter. People are happy to come to shelter and join it because they can learn, know and study the Bible in their own language, with their own people. Because most of the things are conducted in their own language by themselves they do not feel linguistic cultural difficulties.
Some Nepali brothers also complained to their own Nepalis saying that not all of them who attend the worship service are converted genuinely in his experience because their behavior outside of the church premises do not witness a genuine conversion. They also said that more Nepalis attend when they have their own separate worship than they are combined with the Korean service. Nepali people seem to like to hear the sermon preached by the Nepali pastor, because of his expression of the truth in Nepali language using Nepali illustrations and expressions.
Response from the Korean Ministers
Korean Ministers who are in charge of the shelter ministry are happy to provide the shelter for the Nepalis because it can be good means to invite Nepalis to the Church where they can preach the gospel. Shelter ministry is a way to give the bread and the Word together to the Nepalis.
They hired a Nepali speaking minister to share the Gospel and minister the Word for the Nepalis, because Koreans ministers believe that Nepali people can reach the Nepalis in a better way. The Shelter ministry is to create an environment where the seed of the Gospel can be sowed. Most of the ministries are conducted in the Nepali, and Koreans do not like to involve directly but like to give advices and directions for the ministry from outside. However, the Nepali shelter programs are not independent of themselves. Since the shelter ministry is part of the Korean church, the shelter ministry should follow the Korean church calendar accordingly.
There was some sadness reflected from the Korean side that some Nepalis come to the shelter when they need but do not return to the church or attend the worship service other times. There is no regular attendance of the church. Some time they come once or twice a month. Korean leaders also expressed their concern that Nepalis always aspect more from the church and than to contribute to it. Korean leaders also expressed their feeling of observing Nepalis giving more importance to their work, business and money than to God.
Cultural Exegesis of Nepalis in Shelter
By the study of Nepalis in the shelter, the researcher has come to following conclusion regarding their culture, which is made the subject of the critical contextualization in the following section.
First of all, Nepalis are not hesitant to go the church, sing hymns and attend prayer meetings. As long as they are free and available generally they do not really mind attending the worship service. Researcher finds such Nepalis acceptance attitude as being the inherited Hindu phenomenon of worshiping millions of gods. Attending church, prayer meeting, listening sermons do not hinder their Hindu belief. They are open to the Gospel and many might have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior but the life pattern does not reveal any change towards Christian value. It means that when they accepted Jesus as their God, they are still holding their belief on their Hindu gods too.
Second observation is that though they easily accept Jesus as their savior, they are not serious to attending worship service. They are not regular, only when they are in the shelter they come to the church because they are scheduled to go there. The researcher observes this behavior being similar to that of Nepali nominal Hindus who believe in god but do not see a necessary to visit temple, worship and pray. It is not that their belief in God affects in their life rather their work makes a difference for them. It is associated to their understanding of religion as a matter of spiritual things and it has very little to do with the physical matter. People have to do their own part for their life.
Thirdly, Nepalis seem to enjoy the worship service in Nepali but not in Korean. They enjoy the fellowship within their own group. The researcher also found out that they are not only interested to attend the worship service in Nepali, but they try to avoid the combine worship service with Korean. The researcher sees it as their categorization of insiders and outsiders. They love their own language, sing their own songs in their own tune and with their own instruments. Though Korean service is of much higher quality in many things such as bigger choir, professional musicians, well-organized service than that of Nepali, they reject it because it is not theirs.
Lastly, the researcher observes inferiority in Nepalis who live in the shelter. They live in Korea Korea
Discussion and Evaluation of the Ministry
for the Nepalis in the Shelter
As it is mentioned in the previous section, the shelter ministry can clearly be divided into two parts first meeting peoples need and witnessing to the Nepalis living or coming to the shelter. Through the observation it is found that the humanitarian/social needs of Nepali people are partially met by the church in many ways. In the name of the Lord, the church provided the space, food, medicines and other services to the Nepalis. While meeting their social need, how the church is fulfilling their ultimate goal to witness the kingdom of God
In the perspective of cross-cultural ministry, the Korean ministers are more concerned for the giving the programs to Nepalis than of building relationship with them which is a means to bring transformation to their society. Korean leaders are not present in their shelter to be with them, neither they are with them when they are having the Saturday Bible study. They are with Nepalis only at the time of worship service on Sunday, therefore lacking a genuine communication and fellowship with them. Korean leaders serving Nepalis are not trying to learn the language. They seem not trying to understand Nepali people rather they aspect Nepalis to understand them.
By providing a native Nepali speaking pastor, Korean seems to think enough for meeting the spiritual need of Nepalis in the shelter. The positive point of this is that Nepalis hear the Gospel from a Nepali person in their own language and concept. The Negative point of this provision is that by just letting the events done by Nepalis it increases the gap between the Koreans leaders and the Nepalis. Therefore to the Nepalis, Korean leaders are just the provider of the social need, not the witness of the Gospel. Moreover, the Nepali minister is just the preacher of the gospel; everything is done by the Korean leaders. Therefore there is no corporate coordination between the social services provided and the witnessing the Gospel.
The Korean Church
Critical Contextualization
On the basis of the description and the cultural exegesis of the shelter ministry the concept of God, value and nature of the worship service, believers’ status before God, and the sovereignty of God on all aspect of human life should be taught critically and contextually to the Nepalis.
Firstly, the biblical case for One God and trinity should be taught to the Nepalis carefully. The teachings of the Bible should not be just rejection of pantheism and polytheism, rather the teachings should be preached in an incarnational model building a bridge between the golf between the monotheism and the polytheism. This does not provoke their defensive position rather make them to think their own belief as well as the Christian teaching of Trinity and the biblical monotheism.
The subject of worship service should be taught properly. In Korean context, the senior pastor performs the Lord’s Supper and baptizes. The question should be asked whether it is the same case with Nepalis. Do Nepalis understand the Korean pastors as their leader as Koreans do? However, Biblically, there is no case for only the senior pastor should give Lord’s Supper and Baptism. Therefore, the Church should not imply the case with Nepalis, if it does so; it only forces Nepalis to follow their rule which may be a Korean custom rather than the pure teaching of the Bible.
Lastly, God is sovereign over all aspect of human life, it should be taught correctly to Nepali people. Without commanding them just to believe in God, Nepalis people should be taught to trust for the outcome of their work and effort. By this they are not just asked to believe but they are to trust God for their work. Therefore they pray for the result of God and they will have both spiritual and physical needs as reasons to attend church. Relationship between God and people is not a God and people but it is like father-son intimate relationship.
Suggestions for the Shelter Ministry
The first suggestion for the shelter ministry and leaders who work among Nepalis is that about the developing a coordination between the witness and the social works. Presently they are going to a same direction but in a parallel way without any inner connection between them. While providing the social services Nepalis should notice it as the token of love which are they being preached in the Bible study and the worship service.
The second suggestion is for the Korean leaders about building a deeper relationship with Nepalis. At present, Korean leaders are presenting themselves to Nepalis with various programs only in the time of worship service. If they spend more time with Nepalis understanding them, the social services which they are providing to Nepalis would be more meaningful and effective.
The third suggestion is regarding making a bicultural bridge in the shelter community which would reflect the incarnation of Jesus among the human being. If Korean leaders share the life with Nepalis to preach the gospel to them it would certainly bring a good impact upon people resulting in the transformation of their own culture.
If above suggestion implied to the shelter ministry for Nepalis in Korea
Works Cited
Bhattacharya, Natun, and Tom Eckblad. “Towards a Biblical Worldview.” International Journal of Frontier Mission
Heibert, Paul G., Cynthia Strong, and David Strong, “Order Creativity and the Mission Task.” In Anthropological reflections on the Missiological Issues, Paul G. Heibert. Grand Rapid, Michigan
Hiebert, Paul G. “Conversion and World view Transformation.” International Journal of Frontier Mission
Hiebert, Paul G. “Missional Theology.” Missiology: An International Review 34 (April 2006): 231.
Richardson, William J. Social Action vs. Evangelism: An essay on the Contemporary Crisis.Pasadena , California
The Wheaton Grand Rapids , Michigan
[1]Shelter is a place where especially migrant workers live when they do not have job and other problems. Through out this paper the term shelter will be used for the purpose.
[2]William J. Richardson, Social Action vs. Evangelism: An essay on the Contemporary Crisis (Pasadena, California: William Carey Library, 1977), 36.
[3]Ibid.
[4]The Wheaton
[5]Ibid., 264.
[6]Paul Heibert, Cynthia Strong, and David Strong, “Order Creativity and the Mission Task,” in Anthropological reflections on the Missiological Issues, Paul Heibert (Grand Rapid, Michigan: Baker Books, 1994), 145.
[7]Ibid., 145-46.
[8]Paul G. Hiebert, “Conversion and World view Transformation,” International Journal of Frontier Mission 14 (April-June 1997): 84.
[9]Natun Bhattacharya and Tom Eckblad, “Towards a Biblical Worldview” International Journal of Frontier Mission
[10]Hiebert, Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1994), 158.
[11]Paul G. Hiebert, “Missional Theology,” Missiology: An International Review 34 (April 2006): 231.
[12]Dal is a kind of bean soup, a typical Nepali-Indian dish.
[13]Madalis a tradition Nepali drum made by wood and leather, and played by hand.
[14]She is in charge of Nepalis in the Church.
[15]They are illegal in Korea because they stay in Korea
