Cultural Awareness, Flexibility and Mission Engagement among Field Missionaries in Abia and Anambra States, Nigeria

Abstract

Cross-cultural missionaries face numerous challenges in their place of
assignment, leading to high rates of attrition, ineffectiveness, and shortened
tenure. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and it involved
twenty (20) cross-cultural field missionaries of New Life Gospel for All
Nations Ministries working in Abia and Anambra states, Nigeria; who were
purposive sampled as workers with mission certification training experience
and, due to the peculiarity of attrition within the location of their mission
fields. The instrument for data collection was an interview guide with
predetermined sets of closed-ended questions. Data collected was analyzed
using descriptive statistics with frequencies and percentages. Findings on
cultural awareness revealed high prevalence rating as; Understanding and
appreciation of the culture of the host community (100%), respect for
cultural differences (100%), recognizing your own biases and stereotypes
(100%), challenge your own biases and stereotypes (90%), navigated cultural
misunderstanding (90%), and educate yourself in different cultural practices
(90%). Again, finding further revealed the extent of flexibility; adapt to
different situations (85%); adapt to different environments (90%), open to
new ideas (75%), seek out opportunities to learn (90%), seek out
opportunities to grow (80%), compromise and find common ground (75%)
and adjust to communication style (90%). Findings suggested that cultural
awareness and flexibility plays a crucial role in determining cross-cultural
missionary retention, effectiveness and longevity. Findings underscore the
importance of cultural awareness and flexibility in the success and longevity of missionaries working in diverse cultural contexts. It was recommended
that cross-cultural missionaries must engage in cultural immersion
experiences to understand and appreciate the customs, traditions, and
values of the local community. They must also be adaptable to changing
circumstances and be willing to modify approaches based on local feedback.
They must adjust their expectations and be prepared for unexpected
challenges that may arise in a cross-cultural setting.