Thoughts about partnerships in missions and some basic principles to apply

1. Missions Partnerships
Dr. Robert Patton
Missionary to Suriname,
South America

2. Disclaimers
 Much of the material is summarized
from:
 Elder, Duane: Cross-Cultural
Connections
 Butler, Phill: Well-Connected

3. Disclaimers
 Much of the material is summarized
from:
 Ricketts, Daniel: Making Your
Partnership Work
 Lederleitner, Mary T: Cross-Cultural
Partnerships

4. Partnerships are becoming
more necessary
 About 75% of all Christians live in
Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania
 There is some Christian presence in
over 94% of the world’s population,
although in some areas they are
persecuted and underground

5. Christian mission movement
 The number of missionaries are
growing at 5x the rate of the west
 We need to be willing to partner with the
persecuted church

6. Partnership types
 Association
 Service alliance
 Multilateral alliance
 Joint venture
 Complementary partnership
 Merger

7. Partnership types
 Association
 Common interest
 Independent
 Mutual encouragement
 Limited exchange of resources

8. Partnership types
 Service alliance
 Association of independent organizations
 One organization supplies resources or
services for the other
 Multilateral alliance –
 several groups with separate actions but a
common purpose

9. Partnership types
 Joint venture
 Short term alliance of independent
ministries
 Usually limited or specific purpose
 Example – small-scale development
project

10. Partnership types
 Complementary partnership
 Long term alliance who share
complementary resources, gifts and
abilities to achieve a common purpose
 Merger – incorporation of one ministry
into another

11. Three imperatives of
partnership
 Vision
 Relationships
 Results

12. Vision
 A shared and compelling vision for the
future
 Compatibility with partners
 Ground rules to solve problems arising
in the partnership

13. Relationships
 Alliance champions – who is
responsible to make the partnership
work?
 Intercultural understanding – what are
the traps and cultural differences which
may hinder our working together?
 Mutual trust – what gives us confidence
in each other?

14. Results
 How does this partnership make a
difference in the work of the gospel?
 Documentation – how do we follow
agreements, contributions, and
outcomes?
 Learning and change – how do we
handle changes, opportunities and
disappointments?

15. Shared vision is key
 It is a guidance system to keep the
partnership on track
 It is a compelling picture of what is
possible to achieve

16. With vision – why partner?
 Why do the organizations need each
other?
 What can be gained through
partnership?

17. Time from vision to plan goals
 Goals must bring real value to the
ministry of the gospel
 They must align the strategic interests
of the partnership
 They must take full advantage of the
skills, resources, and talents of each
partner

18. Goals answer questions
 What difference does the alliance make
in promoting the gospel?
 What does each partner gain?
 What skills, resources, and talents does
each partner bring to the alliance?

19. Benefits must go both
directions
 Otherwise you may develop:
 Paternalism
 Dependency

20. Allow time to adjust
 As goals clarify, you will probably need
to adjust, to learn, and to shift some
things around…

21. Compatibility
 Define the areas of compatibility and
also of differences
 Study both resources and the way the
organizations work

22. Compatibility
 Organizational – what abut fundraising,
accounting, advertising, management
 Ministry priorities should be at the top =
church planting, etc.

23. Ground rules: roles and
responsibilities
 Outline what roles are needed
 Define the responsibilities which come
from the roles
 Each partner should do apart and then
compare

24. Ground rules – sharing
information
 What key information is needed?
 How do we get this information
 What form should the data have for
access and use
 Have written plans defining the goals
and action steps of the partnership

25. Ground rules – sharing
information
 Consistently share information clearly
 Have at least one representative from
each organization to coordinate
everything
 Meet regularly to see how things are
going; provide periodic reports
 Project proposals or changes must be
signed by both partners

26. Finances in partnership
 Don’t fear asking questions
 What financial information is needed?
 How do we keep track of finances for
joint projects?
 How do we show financial integrity?

27. Fundraising
 How do we approach donors?
 Who is the contact person for donors?
 How do we promote the financial
needs?

28. Sound financial practices
 Funds go to the organization, not to the
individual
 Transfer funds carefully according to
agreements
 Do not obligate the partner without
getting a WRITTEN OK first

29. Sound financial practices
 Have audited financial reports each
year, with both partners getting the
report
 Allow each partner to publicize and give
information
 Promote approved projects only
 Explain the relationship in publicity

30. Conflict resolution
 MOST CULTURES VALUE
RELATIONSHIPS ABOVE TASKS
 Most cultures consider critical
words and actions as a direct
attack on the individual – they do
not separate the task and
individual!

31. Conflict resolution
 Ask questions first, be a learner
 Suspend judgment at first
 Be very careful about evaluating
statements and placing blame
 Indirect approach best – with deference,
courtesy, and patience
 Mediator from the same culture helps

32. Conflict resolution: Ground
rules
 Handle with prayer
 Constructive manner, courtesy
 Listen carefully and understand the
concern of others
 Describe what you KNOW – not
surmise or suspect

33. Conflict resolution ground
rules
 Aim to meet the needs of both
partners
 Let your partner know your needs
clearly
 Concentrate on fixing the future
 When you make a mistake,
acknowledge it, make it right
quickly, graciously, and generously

34. Exit procedures
 How long is this relationship?
 Does it last indefinitely or have
an end point?
 When will we know if we have
achieved our purpose

35. Exit procedures
 When will we review the quality and
results of this relationship?
 What signs show that we should end
the relationship?
 What are the steps we should take to
change or stop the relationship?

36. Exit procedures
 What behaviors could break the
relationship?
 Set dates to evaluate the meaning and
impact of the relationship
 Outline steps to close the relationship

37. End on a high note with
thanksgiving!
 Evaluate the relationship at set intervals
 Consider dissolution only after
investigating a breach of the agreement
and necessary corrective action
 Document in writing the reasons to end
a relationship
 Give advance warning and set date for
termination

38. The key to partnership – the
coordinator
 Build rapport – know and appreciate
each other – if possible, face to face
 Provide leadership
 Approval of senior leadership
 Securing resources
 Cast vision
 Personal passion
 Keep commitments

39. Coordinator tasks
 Clarify expectations – and focus
 Simplify – flexible but keep on target
 Keep communications
 Go the distance – don’t quit – even in
trials or suffering
 Keep God in the center

40. Qualities of a good
coordinator
 Realistic – always challenges
 Political sense – look for win-win
 Poise under fire
 Sense of honor
 Creative thinking

41. Intercultural understanding
 Learn the culture – what to expect
 Know their norms and values
 Go from general to specific
 Learn by doing
 Learn by comparison

42. Trust
 With greater cultural distance and
interdependency, more understanding
is needed
 When you share as partners, you share
both the power and the risks

43. Areas of trust – all are needed
 Intentions – you have my interest at
heart
 Competency – you can get the job done
 Perspective together

44. Consistent integrity
 Share what we know – be careful,
remember that most cultures speak
indirectly, and you may be
misinterpreted as promising
 Consistency with all people, not
changing our story
 Consistent over time – and if we fail,
admit honestly

45. Meaningful results
 Let you see the benefits
 Give feedback
 Give motivation
 Give renewal
 Give cause for celebration

46. Results should be
 Strategic – confirming the vision of
partnership – you are on the right track
 Balanced so that both partners benefit
 Be careful if you are the financial donor
that you think that you make the bigger
contribution

47. Synergistic results – greater
than either partner alone
 First, you must know the task
requirements
 Second, you must know each partner’s
strength and weaknesses
 Third – leverage from strengths

48. Document results
 Gives a history
 Sharpens your memory as to what
actually occurred
 Current data – keeps you up to date

49. Learn and change
 Both partners learn together and adjust
together
 Learn from structure and processes
 Build in time for planning and feedback
and reflection

50. Help learning to occur
 Establish an environment to enhance
learning
 Tell people what they need to succeed
in their jobs
 Help people set achievable goals
 Provide feedback on work performance
 Give necessary information

51. Help learning to occur
 Involve workers in evaluation and
decision-making
 Match talents and job requirements
 Let them solve problems themselves
 Give a chance to see best practices
 Celebrate success

52. Cultural attitudes are
important for success
 Cross-cultural partnerships need proper
attitudes on our part to have success
 We need to discern the difference
between right and wrong and what is
cultural difference
 We tend to make instant decisions
without understanding that different =
wrong

53. Take time
 Take time to understand the culture
 Take time to build relationships with
others
 In many partnerships, other countries
will take days to get to know the other
group to see if they can work together-
focusing on relationship, and not just on
task

54. Identify expectations
 This is a good way to start.
 Then we can anticipate problems
 Otherwise you may react
inappropriately with anger, bitterness,
irritation and criticism
 Suspend initial judgment and get
information

55. Remember Americans attitudes
are not always the best
 Americans are seen as assertive,
arrogant, outspoken, task oriented
 Instead, be open and accepting

56. Openness
 Be careful with eye contact with older
persons and those of opposite sex –
may be misinterpreted in other cultures
 Reach out
 Ask questions
 When people come, be slow to say
goodbye and invite them back

57. Acceptance
 Communicate value, respect and worth
to others
 No personal rejection
 Accept differences which do not violate
the word of God

58. Trust
 Building trust takes time
 Ask what it takes to build trust in that
culture
 Nothing really significant will occur until
there is solid trust

59. Important cultural differences
 There are several key differences in the
USA culture and the culture of your
partners
 It is very important to understand and
work through these differences

60. Time and event
 USA criteria – chronos time
 Time is linear
 Time= money
 This tends to make people into
machines
 This is typical of a task-oriented culture
 Time tied to economics

61. Time and event
 Agrarian economy – event time (kairos)
 There is a time to do this, and a time to
do that
 The event is more important than time
 More focus on relationships than tasks
 Jesus was relational – love God and
love people

62. Individualism & Collectivism
 USA – individualistic and independent
 2/3 world – usually collectivistic with
interdependence. The technologically
savvy young man may still ask advice
of the elderly when making important
decisions – what is the impact on the
entire family?

63. Possessions
 USA = this is mine. I will keep it if I want
 Others = this is ours. I will share it with you
 Ideal in USA – independence and self-
sufficiency. But this is often seen as greed in
other cultures – you are not willing to share
what you have

64. Categorical & holistic thinking
 USA – categorical thinking
 Things seen in black/white
 Analytical longitudinal logic (think
algebra, geometry)
 Others look at the entire situation as a
whole. The whole is greater than the
individual parts

65. Logical thinking
 USA – direct, categorical, put people in
their niche
 2/3 world – Indirect logic, let people
save face
 African logic may have one central point
and illustrate many different ways

66. Achieved and acquired status
 It is important to recognize status. You can
make a big mistake if you don’t handle
people equal to their status. For example,
don’t send lower status people to deal with
top status people in a partnership.
Otherwise there is an incompatibility.
 You can easily make someone lose face,
and that is a serious problem

67. Achieved or acquired status
 USA – acquired – what you earn.
“anyone can become president”.
 Many other countries – you are born
into status
 Family
 Caste
 Age & gender
 Birth order

68. Guilt versus shame
 There is some overlap, but significant
differences
 Shame – external pressures from
significant others. You have let down
the group
 Guilt – internal pressure from your
conscience because you have violated
external laws

69. Warnings about shame
 Giving blame – will be taken personally
 Pointing out shortcomings – only with
great care, privately mixed with a lot of
praise
 Errors – sometimes best to let them go
 Comparisons – be careful not to
negatively compare your partner, etc

70. Warnings about shame
 Requests – best to ask indirectly so that
one will not lose face when he must
refuse
 Refusals – not directly, but indirectly.
(Right now, I cannot, but when I will be
able….)

71. Summary and Conclusions
 It is virtually inevitable that partnerships
will develop between donor and
recipient nations. There is great power
when the strengths of both can be
syncronized
 However, there are a number of cultural
traps which must be avoided

72. Summary and Conclusions
 Christian maturity and cultural
awareness can bridge the gaps and
allow work for the Lord to progress so
that He will be glorified
 We need to remind ourselves that we
are in one body – the body of Christ.
The body must work together.