The Advantage of the Indigenous

It was early Sunday morning but already unbearably hot as I stepped into the building where about 20 families worshipped in a suburbs of a small city in Tamil Nadu, India.* I could feel the Holy Spirit move in the room as we opened the worship service with singing and dancing.

Here is a riddle: as the preacher delivered a sermon, I could only understand 25% of the sentences. But I was able to completely understand the contents of his message. How was this possible?

The answer is that the preacher would say a few sentences in Tamil. Then, someone next to him translated the sentences into Hindi. Another person would translate that into Kannada, the language of neighboring Karnataka State. Finally, the preacher, who knew English, translated what he had said into English, ostensibly for me, the only foreigner in the room.

This bewildering array of languages underscored for me the singular advantage of indigenous workers on the mission field. These ministers knew their flock and could navigate the winding roads of their homeland better than I ever could. And as much as my home church in the US was able to support these workers in prayer and finances, we were equally if not more blessed to hear testimonies of their bold and sacrificial ministry along the front lines of the unreached.

Partnering with indigenous, same or near culture workers isn’t always possible, but in areas where it is, it is becoming increasingly popular as a missions strategy. The Tide currently supports 30 literacy workers in the state of Odisha in India. They humbly minister in small villages, teaching classes whose sizes range from 20 to 40 students. They also help with village cleaning, plantation, kitchen gardens, health teaching, and other social activities. In trying times of persecution that has dramatically picked up in recent years, their partnership of these workers with The Tide and other organizations continues to be a lifeline enabling their ministry to continue.

*Some details have been modified for anonymity.