Episcopal Press and News

Builds Bridges or Wider Gaps?

Diocesan Press Service. August 12, 1963 [XII-1]

The American missionary overseas in a world of rapid social change can either build bridges or wider gaps between cultures, especially where nationalism prevails.

This point repeatedly was stressed throughout the 10 - day conference for outgoing Episcopal missionaries, held June 12-21 at Seabury House in Greenwich, Conn. The conference was sponsored by the Overseas Department.

Attending the conference were 36 missionaries and four Volunteers for Mission who soon will leave the U. S. for expansion of the Church's work in 14 overseas locales.

Three key speakers--Dr. Margaret Mead, churchwoman, anthropologist and author, the Rev. Dr. Daisuke Kitagawa, a Japanese-born Episcopal priest, and the Rev. Donald E. Bitsberger, a former missionary to Japan--emphasized the importance of missionaries crossing over social, economic, political, racial and religious barriers if they hope to spread Christianity throughout nationalist countries.

They also agreed that the missionary cannot create a sense of community unless he can relate the Gospel to all phases of a troubled and confused emerging world community.

In coping with these five factors, Dr. Kitagawa, Dr. Mead and Mr. Bitsberger suggested that missionaries:

# Make it "crystal-clear" with whom you ultimately are going to identify yourselves-- whether fellow-Westerners, or nationals; the elite or the common people; those who are working at the expense of Western favor for independence and progress or those working for security and peace at the expense of independence.

# Be a co-worker of the indigenous Christians in the genuine sense of the term.

# Promote Christian unity because "we are not primarily interested in the expansion of the Episcopal Church throughout the world" but the expansion of Christianity.

# Be a faithful interpreter of the country in which you work to the U. S. A. and vice versa.

The Rt. Rev. Ronald O. Hall, Bishop of Hong Kong, led a series of meditations during the conference.