Cross-Cultural Partnerships
Navigating the Complexities of Money and Mission
- Evangelism & Missions
- Publisher: InterVarsity Press
- Published: 2010
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Publisher's Description
One of the biggest challenges in global mission work is money?not merely the need for it, but working through cross-cultural differences surrounding how funds are used and accounted for. Cross-cultural missteps regarding financial issues can derail partnerships between supporting churches and agencies and national leaders on the ground. North Americans don?t understand how cultural expectations of patronage shape how financial support is perceived and understood, and Western money often comeswith subtle strings attached. So local mission work is hampered by perceived paternalism, and donors are frustrated with lack of results or accountability. How do we build financial partnerships for effective mission without fostering neo-colonialism? Cross-cultural specialist Mary Lederleitner brings missiological and financial expertise to explain how global mission efforts can be funded with integrity, mutuality and transparency. Bringing together social science research, biblical principlesand on-the-ground examples, she presents best practices for handling funding and finance. Cross-cultural partnerships can foster dignity, build capacity and work toward long-term sustainability. Lederleitner also addresses particular problems like misallocation of funds, embezzlement and fraud. This book is an essential guide for all who partner in global mission, whether pastors of supporting churches or missionaries and funding agencies.
Endorsements (8)
“Mary Lederleitner's conversational style combined with her fair-minded approach creates a book that is friendly as well as informative about a tough subject. She wastes no time pointing out the gorilla in the room when it comes to money in cross-cultural partnerships--cultural differences. Important as it is, culture is no excuse for bad behavior, and she tackles that as well with helpful material on how to prevent and detect embezzlement and fraud. If you read only one of the few books on money in mission partnerships, read this one.”
“In our globalized world the North American missions community needs Cross-Cultural Partnerships! I found it filled with practical, down-to-earth advice built on extensive experience and solid research. Mary is much more than just an accountant with a decade of living experience working through issues of partnering with others; she truly knows how to compassionately listen, apply what she learns to test it out and then pass it on to the rest of us in ways that will benefit the wholebody of Christ.”
“Cross-Cultural Partnerships brings the rare combination of mind, heart and experience of a seasoned yet compassionate accountability expert who is also a missionary with extensive field experience. Its realistic portrayal of the issues and practical suggestions for policy and action make this an invaluable read for anyone wanting to address one of the critical, central issues in partnerships within the growing global church.”
“Mary has done an incredible job in storying, through numerous case studies, the wedding as well as the marriage of good accountability and good cultural relationship. This book has showcased the deeply rooted but often glossed over relational challenge over money, men and materials that has bugged the kingdom from time immemorial. Here is a book that celebrates the vulnerability of both sides, examines the age-long mutual suspicion, and raises the bar to promote the dignity and integrity ofboth the giver and the receiver. I sense this book practically promotes nonthreatening, God-honoring accountability and sustainability of church family values in our quest to make Christ known across the globe. "I commend the grace and boldness given to her to put this together. It is a worthy work, because money matters a lot in mission. I enjoyed reading it, perhaps because there are so many true-life stories in virtually every chapter. I extol this work joyfully to the body of Christ worldwide as an unbiased, well-set-out and constructively presented view on money and global Christianity. I will particularly love to have numerous copies to give to missions leaders in Africa while recommending it for use in field preparatory trainings.”
“In matters of money, American evangelical mission has certainly made a mark in many positive ways, but our methodology in applying the funds has not always made such a positive mark. In this volume, Mary Lederleitner pulls some of those skeletons out of our dusty closets for a fresh examination of what we did right and what we could have done better. She offers many practical ways to avoid pitfalls as we move toward a more globalized mission partnership in the twenty-first century.”
“Mary takes us straight to the intersection of mission, money, culture and partnerships. She walks us through key issues regarding money that can complicate, derail and even destroy cross-cultural partnerships. Using biblical perspectives, categories from anthropology and practical experience, she provides valuable guidance. This is a must-read for anyone struggling with the role of money in such contexts.”
“Money is the defining and dividing issue in cross-cultural partnerships, and Mary Lederleitner has given us the essential cultural insights and very practical tools and applications to navigate these treacherous waters. Writing from years of experience, Mary shines light on our harmful assumptions and then guides us to better and biblical ways to achieve accountability, build capacity and create sustainable partnerships with lasting impact for the kingdom of God. This very compact book is a must for everyone who aspires to partner with Majority World leaders and churches. Its fresh insights and applications make it invaluable as a training tool, one that I will use in seminars for Western and Majority World church and mission leaders.”
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