Stretched

My role as a lecturer at Pilgrim Wesleyan Bible College is stretching me in many ways.  I am training people who are becoming pastors when I myself have never been a pastor.  I have also never prepared lesson plans or taught classes in a school setting.  All of this would be plenty enough to be challenging and stretching my abilities, but the hardest thing I come up against has to do with cultural differences.

Besides the obvious concerns of understanding how Zambian students learn best, what the expected role of a lecturer and student is in the classroom, and how a classroom functions, there are many theological difference I encounter that are a result of different cultural experiences.

My life experience and world view are based on a wealthy upbringing that included a solid western education which allowed me to think for myself and encouraged and supported me to meet my full potential.  My student’s life experience is often the exact opposite. 

My theological upbringing and especially my education at Houghton allowed me to make theological decisions for myself.  Often what is taught in schools here is very dogmatic, meaning there is always a right or wrong answer to a question.  This dogmatic education has been transferred into the churches ways of educating, meaning that there is always a right or wrong theological answer.  I’ve been doing my best to challenge and allow my students to think for themselves and realize there are some questions we just don’t have a good answer to.

All across Africa, as well as in many parts of America, the Prosperity Gospel is taking advantage of people’s desperation for wealth, health, and happiness. This misuse of scripture is influencing preachers of every denomination, and many of my student’s words are laced with a misunderstanding of what God’s blessings will provide. 

African tribal religions are a very present reality.  Talk of witches and wizards, demons and demon possessed, and many other forms of spiritual warfare are challenging my worldview and understanding of demonic forces. 

The role of women in this culture has traditionally been of lesser importance than men.  I’m not saying they were oppressed as is seen in some cultures, simply not given the same voice or opportunities as men.  Although this mindset is slowly being remedied by new opportunities for women and there is a new openness to their equality, the influence of this history is still very apparent.  Wesleyan’s believe, as do I, that women have an equal role in church leadership.  I also believe women have an equal standing with their husbands.  Using scripture to shift this mindset, for both men and women, is a common discussion in our classes.

Besides these cultural challenges, I find that I’m dealing with exceptionally bright students who oftentimes have a greater knowledge of the Bible than I do.  When there are names and stories that I’m not fully certain of, they practically have it memorized.  Coming from a culture that is used to memorizing stories, they can quickly memorize scripture and are often very quick on the draw for finding a specific verse. 

There are many times in the classroom where I have to wonder, who is the real student here?  My eyes are being opened to how much I don’t know, and my mind is soaking up new information every day.  It’s an experience that I know will form the way I think for the rest of my life, and one I will never regret!