I recently heard a pastor in the West give a report about his missions trip to a poorer nation. He had good intentions and I don’t think he showed any bias while he was there. But when he came back and was sharing his experience with his church, the way he described things made me wince.
He talked about how glad he was that he wasn’t born there. He listed how they didn’t have proper A/C, how the food stank and there were no eggs, how the traffic was crazy. He went on and on painting the picture of hardship.
As I listened, I kept thinking: “What if someone from that nation was sitting here?” In fact, there were immigrants from that very country in the room. They were visibly uncomfortable, embarrassed even. I’m from a country like that myself, and I know how it feels to hear your home described that way.
It’s not that the pastor was trying to demean anyone; he probably thought he was giving a vivid, honest report. But the way it landed made it sound like, “We are superior, and thank God we’re not like them.”
And that raises an important question for all of us involved in missions: are we going there to love people and walk with them, or are we unintentionally reinforcing the idea that their lives are inferior to ours? Sometimes what people in the West think we need, we don’t need. We’re often quite happy the way things are, even if it looks different from Western life.
The Problem of “Kingdom Culture” Becoming “Our Culture”
We often talk about “Kingdom culture” as if it’s the opposite of multiculturalism—“not their culture, not my culture, but God’s culture.” In theory, that’s right. The Kingdom’s values—love, justice, humility, holiness, generosity—transcend every tribe and nation. Revelation 7:9 gives us a picture of every people, language, and nation worshipping the Lamb together.
But in practice, wherever you go, the dominant culture tends to define what “Kingdom culture” looks like. In the West, “Kingdom culture” often looks very Western. In Africa, Asia, or Latin America, it can just as easily look like the local majority style. That’s not necessarily malicious; it’s human nature. We all assume our way is the neutral way.
How Mission Reports Reinforce That Pattern
So a pastor goes overseas and experiences life without the comforts he’s used to. Instead of framing it as his struggle to adapt, he frames it as their inferiority. Instead of seeing the richness and resilience of people living a different normal, he narrates the lack.
That does several things:
- It alienates. Locals and immigrants feel judged rather than loved.
- It reinforces stereotypes. “They’re backward, we’re advanced.”
- It undermines dignity. People aren’t waiting to be “fixed” to Western standards; they have their own joys, community, and ways of thriving.
“We Don’t Need What the West Thinks We Need”
Coming from a country like that myself, I can say: a lot of what Western visitors assume we’re desperate for, we’re not. Air-conditioning, certain foods, traffic patterns—those aren’t the yardsticks of a good life. People may have less money but stronger community, deeper spirituality, richer hospitality, and genuine contentment.
So when someone says “I’m glad I wasn’t born there,” they’re not just critiquing infrastructure—they’re dismissing the value of entire lives.
A Healthier Mission Posture
Mission should never be about going somewhere to “fix” people. It’s about entering their world, learning, honouring, and walking alongside them and introducing them to Jesus, and he will walk with them and guide them. We are not preachers of western culture but rather of the gospel.
Practical ways to guard your heart and tongue:
- Be a learner as much as a teacher. Listen before you speak.
- Describe your own adjustment, not their deficit. Say “I struggled with the heat,” rather than “They don’t even have proper A/C.”
- Name your culture honestly. Admit, “We do church in a Western style here, but it’s not the only way.”
- Celebrate local dignity and joy. Point out what you learned, not just what you missed.
- Stay humble. None of us perfectly embodies “Kingdom culture.” We’re all a mix of God’s values and our cultural baggage.
Closing Thought
There’s nothing wrong with a Western pastor being honest about discomfort or culture shock. What matters is how it’s framed and whether it honours the dignity of the people visited. Many in those countries are “pretty happy the way things are.” They don’t measure life by Western standards. They have their own joys, strengths, and resilience.
By telling mission stories with humility, you model Kingdom values and honour both the people you served and the immigrants in your own congregation. The Kingdom of God doesn’t erase culture; it redeems and transforms it. And multicultural Christianity isn’t a threat to “Kingdom culture” — it’s one of the clearest pictures of it.
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