Effective Cross-Cultural Communication Of The Gospel: A Case Study In Niger

Diói Cruz

Abstract

This study explores the cognitive, affective and evaluative communication skills of cross-cultural missionaries in their effort to spread the Gospel and encourage a genuine conversion. An assessment was conducted with 45 Brazilian interdenominational missionaries, 14 males and 31 females, who lived in Niger, West Africa, between 2003 and 2013. All participants answered a structured questionnaire with 75 questions aiming at evaluating cross-cultural communication effectiveness. After verifying the results of the assessment and reviewing literature and the Bible on cross-cultural communication, the conclusive data analysis indicates that cross-cultural communicators are more efficient in decreasing and even preventing conflicts if they understand the concept of high and low cultural contexts, especially, if they know the differences between the two. Findings reveal four factors contributing for effectiveness in cross-cultural communication of the Gospel: (i) the focus on the person and their basic needs, (ii) the liquid leadership, which is an adaptation of the message without changing its essence, (iii) the critical contextualization of the message, which seeks a coherent understanding of new information, and (iv) the chronological teaching method, which is the most appropriate process to teach new concepts.