Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility

by Duane Elmer

Duane Elmer asked people around the world how they felt about Western missionaries. The response? "Missionaries could be more effective if they did not think they were better than us." The last thing we want to do in cross-cultural ministry is to offend people in other cultures. Unfortunately, all too often and even though we don't mean it, our actions communicate superiority, paternalism, imperialism and arrogance. Our best intentions become unintentional insults. How can we minister in ways that are received as true Christlike service? Cross-cultural specialist Duane Elmer gives Christians practical advice for serving other cultures with sensitivity and humility. With careful biblical exposition and keen cross-cultural awareness, he shows how our actions and attitudes often contradict and offend the local culture. He offers principles and guidance for avoiding misunderstandings and building relationships in ways that honor others. Here is culturally-savvy insight into how we can follow Jesus' steps to become global servants. Whether you're going on your first short-term mission trip or ministering overseas for extended periods, this useful guide is essential reading for anyone who wants to serve effectively in international settings with grace and sensitivity.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Theology, Faith, Christianity, Cultural, Christian Living

213 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 16, 2006

About the author

Duane H. Elmer (Ph.D., Michigan State U.) is director of the Ph.D. program in educational studies and is the G. W. Aldeen Chair of International Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. In addition to traveling and teaching in over 75 countries, he has provided cross-cultural training to Fortune 500 companies, relief and development agencies, mission organizations, churches and educational institutions.

He has also conducted peace and reconciliation efforts in several countries. Recently, he led faculty development workshops at over 25 European and Middle Eastern schools on the theme of Teaching for Transformation. He has taught at Durban Bible College (Durban, South Africa), Michigan State University and Wheaton College and Graduate School.

His articles have been published in journals such as Moody Monthly, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, Christian Education Journal, Discernment, and Christianity Today. His books include An Analysis of Hebrews: A Programmed Instruction, Building Relationships, With an Eye on the Future: Church and Development in the Twenty-First Century, Cross-Cultural Conflict and Cross-Cultural Connections.

Reviews

[Hannah Mozingo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invaluable book on the topic of servanthood in cross-cultural settings. Almost anyone would benefit from reading this - missionaries (short and long term), anyone in church leadership, in fact anyone who interacts with people from different cultures!

[Rebecca Adelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

#LTO
This book is excellent. Go read it.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for cross-cultural workers!

[Melvin Kauffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend! Basic but important principles I wish I had understood before living overseas when I was younger!

[Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely my favorite book I’ve read for global work. Even just so good for me as a human and especially as a Christian. Lots of realizing where I have a superiority complex with others who are different than me - Really nice to have practical ways to work on that. I feel good about having a place to start in building relationships with nationals 🥳

[Bill Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've ever read on the topic of how to biblically navigate cultural relationships. Highly commended.

[Trish Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING! Duane did an awesome job in unpacking the different layers of how do you cross cultures with the right attitude and intention. This book really helped me to know what ‘suspend all judgement’ actually looks like.

Also doing a character study on Joseph as a way to summarise the book in the end was very clever!

[Seth Westhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find out why the monkey couldn't "save" the fish ! Great read !

[Trisha Huddleston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be required reading for anyone serving cross-culturally, and there is much to be learned even for those who aren't in a cross-cultural context.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book for school that I really enjoyed! Elmer gives practical steps to begin serving in a cross-cultural setting. If we try to serve without first being open and humble, and ready to learn from locals, we can cause more harm than good.


“But many said with hesitation, “ Missionaries could more effectively minister the gospel of Christ if they did not think they were so superior to us”.

“Superiority cloaked in the desire to serve is still super superiority .”

“Good intentions are insufficient when entering another culture. “

“Successful people in overseas ministry value people first.”

[Nathan Schrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would highly recommend this book for all missionaries. Elmer addresses a massive problem with modern missions: missionaries who call themselves servants, but act like masters. Most of us don't even realize how arrogant we act and look to people of other cultures, and it's a serious impediment to our usefulness in "service" to God.

Good quote:
"For those of us who live in or intend to enter another culture, I suggest we postpone naming ourselves 'servants' until the local people begin to use words about us that suggest they see servant attitudes and behaviors in us."

[David Pulliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this because a trainer of missionaries recommended it. I found it profoundly relevant to me as a teacher in a diverse environment and teaching the lost in America for the gospel.

His emphasis on servanthood, listening, looking at the word through others perspectives to be really helpful. Learning about the distinction between mystery and truths was encouraging what we’re going through right now.

[Newt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this book 2-3times this year and am starting it again. There’s so much wisdom here that anyone who’s hoping to serve anyone in any capacity can learn a ~lot~ from. I would recommend this book to anyone and have recommended it to so many of my friends.

[Ainsley Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the first counseling book I’ve read for school that I enjoyed and agreed with the whole way through.

[A N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly suggest anyone who wants to use their life to reach your neighbor with the gospel to read - helpful for any ministry context, not just cross cultural!

[John Howard Hassmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

First half of the book is average. 2-3 stars. Last half is phenomenal.

[Beth Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone doing cross-cultural work should read this book.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[Jacob Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend of mine lended me this book to read while serving on a short-term mission trip/internship in West Africa for about two months. Duane Elmer has written a convicting, Biblically faithful, and incredibly practical book on how to practice "the way of the towel" as he would call it. Elmer challenges us to look at cross-cultural servanthood, and servanthood in general, as a series of progressions, though later acknowledges the fluidity of them.

To serve someone is to first be open to them. Once we have lowered our walls, we can begin to accept people. Once acceptance is acknowledged, trust can be finally built. Trust leads us to learning about, but most importantly from and with, others. Once discipline of learning creates empathy in us, then we can truly understand our neighbor, ultimately in their own context. Once these are all met, then can we truly begin to serve others in our lives and begin to follow Christ in His servant role, which is the way of the towel and washing feet, not in His Lord and Christ role, which is only befitting to Him alone.

[Kessia Reyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenges a core underlying mentality affecting many cross-cultural workers and missionaries: superiority. Good book, simply written, easy to get through, but would probably take a lifetime to apply.

[Jonathan Wylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone going to a different culture and wanting to serve should read this book. I will definitely be reading this book once a year to remind me of how to serve. I must remember the world does not revolve around me. This book is a great reminder of this.

[Colletta · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most practical and helpful books i have read.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

structured in three parts:
(1) perspectives on servanthood
- challenge
- need
- attitudes

(2) principles of servanthood:
- practice openness
- accept others
- build trust
- learn from (not just about) others
- seek understanding
- serve others

(3) challenges to servanthood
- leadership
- power
- mystery

good:
- helpful balance to a previous notion of missions that distances the missionary from those they’re aiming to evangelize; we need more missionaries who are willing to do the long, hard work of serving the people to whom they are sent
- great discussion on the value/benefit of learning to suspend judgement; our initial reactions to or perceptions of things should not dictate our final view of reality; the first one to come along always seems right until another brings forth his perspective
- loved the emphasis on hospitality as a way to serve and love the stranger
- useful paradigm to think through the differences between learning about a people group and actually taking the time and humbling yourself to learn directly from them; we need to become better listeners
- helpful discussion on the previously overlooked (now seems to be discussed more) topic of missionary teams and interpersonal aspects being a major factor in longevity on the field
- interesting way to end focusing on Joseph and the emblematic character who embodies cross-cultural servanthood; perhaps would draw different conclusions, but left me thinking more about the ways Joseph lived among a foreign nation while honoring his Father
- several good cross-cultural specific examples and insights

not so good:
- perhaps an over-correction and therefore overemphasis on servanthood to the detriment of other biblical characteristics or responsibilities of a believer? in general, doesn’t interact much with scriptures dealing with man’s dominion over creation, believer’s eschatological role as rulers who rule as Christ rules, christs kingship and and and. some quotes that were concerning: “christ wears the robe. disciples were only to follow in service by wearing the towel” (ch 2), “the bible teaches way more on being a servant than being a leader” (ch 11)
- need to ponder/study this a bit more, but there’s a few comments on the character of God that seemed off (mainly, again, overemphasizing certain aspects resulting in an unbalanced view). “to serve is fundamental to God’s nature” (ch 2) true Christ humbled himself, but maybe it’s just the word “fundamental” that seems to fail to grasp the kingship of the King of Kings who now sits at the right hand of the Father enthroned on high. the discussion in ch 6 which claims that God demonstrates his trust in mankind by trusting them to carry out his mission/etc; if by trust the author means God is not afraid to employ ordinary men and ordinary means for accomplishing his work then yes, but the way the author uses trust seems to mean that God has a kind of faith in mankind themselves to do things… we can do nothing apart from God, but through the power of the spirit we will endure to the end to the glory of this grace.
- nitpicky but don’t quote paul or NT authors on mystery and then proceed to apply that to the unknown aspects of day to day life in missions or team building; there’s plenty of scripture around trusting the God who knows what tomorrow brings to not need to co-opt “mystery” in a way that doesn’t do justice to the NT use of the word (i.e., the mystery of not knowing how someone will respond to the gospel is not the same thing as the “mystery of the gospel” or the “mystery of christ”)

read this book bc of the recommendation in MissionSmart by David Frazier

[Will O'kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

First the good: we constantly need to be reminded to humble ourselves and to listen more closely to others. The book is an excellent reminder to practice these virtues more frequently, and for that alone, it is worth the read. This book does a good job of addressing one side of the cultural hubris that American missionaries are prone to have. The book is not just for Americans, nor is it just for missionaries, but it seeks to address cross-cultural "servants;" however, American missionaries definitely fit the primary audience of the book.

Now for the bad: If this book had been written a generation ago, or even three generations ago, I would have applauded it as extremely necessary and timely. However, in this day and age, a book that emphasizes the subjective subtleties of culture seems a bit like it is preaching to the choir. I have lived overseas for over 8 years of my life and have spent time among a large number of different cultures. This doesn't make me an expert by any means, but I can say emphatically that I have yet to find a culture that is more worried about being offensive than American evangelicals are. I can't ever remember hearing Nigerians or Ethiopians or any number of people from other cultures talk about things like "sensitivity training" or "ethnocentricism." I find it slightly ironic that we Americans are so terrified of ethnocentrism, but we've failed to realize that this fear is itself a bit ethnocentric. We are so steeped in a culture where trigger warnings have to be announced that we have a hard time fathoming the emotional resilience of people like those in Niger--a place where almost every mother has lost a child. Perhaps Americans have a greater responsibility to be sensitive to the needs of others since they come from the most powerful nation (at the moment) in the world. But, as even the author alludes to, I think there is currently far more danger that Americans will float along with the current of relativism and dilute the truths of Scripture in sycretistic fashion as they try to elevate the practices of local cultures than that they will rigidly require local cultures to adopt American culture in order to be "Christian." I agree with one respected theologian who said: "The most important things are those things that are common to all men in all cultures." Amen. And honestly...what words have become more anathematized in today's American culture than "imperialism" and "colonialism"? If we err, we will certainly tend towards emphasizing the subjective in an attempt to right past wrongs.

Additionally, there were times when I just disagreed with the author. I think he creates a false dichotomy between power/glory and service. He also seems to create one between thinking you know the truth and humility. In the author's view, you either think you know the truth and therefore act like an obnoxious know-it-all, or you are humble and lowly, and therefore remind yourself constantly that you don't have the right answers and therefore need to learn. But what about the excluded middle? Is it impossible for someone to be knowledgeable but also humble? Self-assured but also eager to learn? These things are not intrinsically opposites, but the author seems to want to make them so.

[Eleasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was recommended to read this book in preparation for a short-term trip to support a long-term organisation in South Asia, then was *highly* commended the book by a cross-cultural ministry worker from my church who lent me the book. Now I think that anyone wanting to grow in relational wisdom should read this book.

A key idea that this book explores is humility. I found this quote a good starting point: "Humility is a mandated attitude for all believers everywhere; however, the way humility is expressed takes on a cultural face. [...] Foot washing in biblical times was one way to show humility. (It is noteworthy that the foot washing was done not just by a servant but by the lowest servant.) My point here, though, is that foot washing was appropriate for its time and may not be appropriate in many of the cultures today. To try to contain humility in a single act is to warp the very idea that humility is an attitude that saturates our entire life."

I enjoyed the flexibility that Elmer gives us for looking at the steps involved in growing in servanthood -- Westerners tend to think linearly whereas people from other cultures think in a more integrative circular way.

I want to include each step here because I think they're beautiful & important.
- Openness: by suspending judgement, offering hospitality (a beautiful evolving definition of this word starting with "loving the stranger", then "house for strangers", then connecting with strangers in such a way that healing took place)
- Acceptance: of others comes through seeing every human being as being made in the image of God, looking to restore that dignity, and by assuming that God's wisdom can effectively come through others
- Trust: building confidence in relationships so that we can think the best about each other
- Learning: not just learning about the other person, but learning *from* each other as those who are priests, and learning *with*
- Understanding: pursue understanding because God doesn't do His work only through one generation, one ethnicity, one gender or one nationality
&
finally
- Serving: "the ability to relate to people in such a way that their dignity as human beings is affirmed and they are more empowered to live God-glorifying lives"; therefore, serving always includes relationships even if brief; the servant respects those served because of their God-given dignity; the persons served feel empowered because they have encountered Jesus, whether they consciously recognise him or not (they may feel respected, challenged or even confronted)

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be a servant is not always what we first imagine it to be like. While we may be well-intentioned in our actions, sometimes that is not what is actually helpful. “Service,” especially for a Westerner in a different culture, might be seen as the imposing of an outsider’s culture, values, and ways on a different culture, with different values and ways. Is one culture’s values or ways better than the other? Is one right and the other wrong? Not necessarily. They are just different. And if we want to be God’s servants, we may need to rethink our understanding of service.

Elmer did an excellent job of digging deep into what it looks like to serve well in a way that is actually helpful and God-honoring. How did Jesus serve? How did God become a servant to humanity? Looking to Jesus, we can see that to be a good servant is a process that begins with an openness to a culture that is different from our own. By accepting what is important to those of another culture, it communicates respect for their culture and way of life. Our acceptance builds trust and relationship with the people, which is a key factor in learning not just about the people, but from them and even with them. Learning leads to understanding, the ability to see the world through their eyes. And finally, when we can see the world through their eyes, our eyes are opened to what the real needs are and how we might be able to serve so that those needs might be met in culturally acceptable and effective ways. These are invaluable principles to know when engaging cross-culturally, but many of them can also be applied to any relationship.

[Cal Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elemer’s book expertly explores the bible’s teaching on what it means to be servant while giving special focus to servanthood in a cross-cultural context. The book is full of insights and examples of good and bad cross-cultural servanthood practices obviously gained over a life-time of experience of imitating Christ’s taking up a towel to wash his disciple’s feet. I found his advice on the process of becoming a servant especially helpful as one seemingly tries to become a student of another’s life and culture by practicing openness, showing respect, building trust, and ultimately being able to learn from another’s culture. One quote from here that stands out is “Openness is the ability to welcome people into your presence and make them feel safe”. This definition sums up the openness that Jesus showed others around him quite well. I also found his teaching on biblical leadership insightful. He convinced me that, today, we often tack on the word “servant” to servant-leadership in a way that is usually just for show. He walks you through the life of Jesus and biblical requirements of leadership in the Bible that convince you that, in the Bible, a leader is truly just a servant. This paradigm shift helped me change the way that I think a leader should be. He says that leaders who make unilateral decisions without listening to those under him undermine the image of God (paraphrase). Here, he makes the point that leaders, at their core, exist to serve those whom they are over to the best of their ability. I hope to re-read this book at least every two years, especially as long as I serve in cross-cultural ministry.

[Heather Racey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe I’ve not reviewed this ministry-must. I read it near the beginning of international student ministry years ago, and it remains a stalwart beacon of excellent evangelism with anyone— not just those from a different culture.

The opening analogy sets the scene: a monkey in a forest sees a fish floundering in the water. Terrified for the fish, the monkey goes down to the water and scoops up the fish, setting it on the ground beside the river. The fish flops about a bit, then slowly rests. The monkey is satisfied. He has saved the fish!

There have been many ministry disasters simply because people don’t understand the cultural contexts they are entering. Author Duane Elmer is striving to break down the barriers to effective ministry beginning in the heart of the reader. He starts:

“You can’t serve someone you do not understand… You can’t understand others until you have learned about, from and with them… You can’t learn important information from someone until there is trust in the relationship… To build trust others must know that you accept and value them as people… Before you can communicate acceptance, people must experience your openness— your ability to welcome them into your presence… Openness with people different from yourself requires that you are willing to step out of your comfort zone to initiate and sustain relationships in a world of cultural differences.” (Pg. 38)

He very practically discusses these steps in the context of multiculturalism. It is a rich resource that encourages true humility in the reader while maintaining a fervor for truth.

A ministry-must.

[Jeffrey Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for anyone planning to live and work effectively in another culture, specifically missionaries. Excellent advice! Below are some great thoughts from the book:


Good intentions are not enough if you do not understand the culture.

We must not have an attitude of superiority. We think we know more, what’s best, the right way of doing things, what is needed, etc.

We are never more like Jesus than when we serve others.

May we desire the towel of servanthood instead of the robe of authority. The disciples seemed to want the robe, not the towel. Both are in Scripture but only one is appropriate for the followers of Jesus.

Greatness is not the goal, servanthood is. And, according Jesus, the greatest is the one that serves.

If impatience is a problem you struggle with in your home culture, it will be a big test in your new culture.

Servanthood is attempting to make others look more like Christ, not like yourself.

Deep trust drives us to act in the best interest of the other.

He who dares to teach, must never cease to learn.

Learning the language is important, but if you don’t learn the culture, you will not get your message across.

Everyone is proud of their culture, but when we don’t accept their culture, there’s a big breach created.

[Shanan Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was rather painful to read, and yet I did get some good takeaways from it. I think the messages and concepts were good, but the writing style and layout of the book made it a challenging read (a book that might have taken me a year to finish if it wasn't required for class). Probably my favorite takeaways are how we need to be intentional to serve others in a way they'll be able to receive, and that looks quite different in each culture. I also appreciated the reminder that often serving in another culture looks like laying down your preferences; it might not be wrong to practice giving and receiving forgiveness in a different way than you are accustomed to, if that's what is practiced in a certain culture. I also liked how the author talked about how receiving hospitality from another can actually be a better way to honor others, in place of giving them a tangible gift. The doctrine of common grace and withholding judgment when in other cultures (being aware of our own ethnocentrism) were other things I appreciated learning about.

If you are seriously wanting to learn about cross-cultural ministry, I could recommend this book on the basis of education, but it's definitely not something to read just for fun!