This was the question I most wanted to ask, and the one I was most nervous about.
“Is what theChurch.digital teaches shaped too much by American assumptions?” Our language, our examples, our coaching, our methods. 50 of you answered:
- Sometimes: 52%
- Not really: 44%
- Absolutely: 4%
So 56% said sometimes or absolutely. And here’s what makes it land: most people who took this survey live in North America. Some of the people telling us we’re too American live here too.
Split by region, it’s starker. About three in four of you outside North America said sometimes or absolutely. In North America it was fewer than half, and still, many said sometimes.
I don’t hear that as an attack
Someone told me afterwards that it’s a pretty big criticism. I don’t take it that way. I’ve been the guy saying for years that we need more multicultural voices, more national leaders, more women. Look at the people up front at TCD and you’ll see a lot of bald white guys with beards. I’m one of them.
Why it matters so much
If someone in Pakistan, Iran, Nigeria, South Africa or Brazil does exactly what I do, it’s the wrong thing. It won’t work, because they’re not in America. (And some of what I do in America, I’d rather not be doing either. Another day.)
In one of our volunteer meetings, two people, one in South Asia and one in South Africa, disagreed about how to handle relationships in digital spaces. Neither was wrong. Each was right for their own context. That’s the conversation we need more of, not less.
Where you are
Here’s where those of you who dropped a pin on the map are from: North America 38, Europe 6, Asia 6, Africa 6, Oceania 4, South America 1. And to whoever that one dot in South America is: I live in Miami. Please say hi.
What we’re doing about it
- More voices up front, from where the work actually happens.
- Asking before we build. That’s what this survey was, and we’ll keep asking.
- You. If you’re doing digital ministry outside the US, we want to learn from you, not just teach you. Book a One-to-One and tell us what works where you are: https://listen.thechurch.digital/
It is the heart of empowerment on the digital edge: equipping people where they are, not where we are.
What you asked for, in your own words
When we asked what you wish theChurch.digital would do, some of you were direct: start “building and investing in leadership in South Asia and contextualise it accordingly,” and offer cross-cultural training for global outreach. Those aren’t small asks. They’re the right ones.
Three questions before you borrow any method (including ours)
- Who is this for, here? What does trust, privacy and community look like in my context?
- What does it cost here? Is it safe? Is it affordable? Does it need a platform people here actually use?
- Who here has already tried it? Local practitioners will see the problems before an outside expert does.
If a method fails those questions, adapt it or drop it, even if it came from us.
What changes for us
We’ll keep asking before we build. We’ll look for teachers and leaders from where the work is actually happening, and give them the microphone. And when we get it wrong, which we will, we want you to tell us.
What “not really” tells us
44% of you said we’re not really too American. I’m grateful for that, and I don’t want to throw out what’s working. Some principles travel well: start small, make one disciple at a time, build community before content.
The problem is usually the examples, the assumptions and the tools, not the gospel. That’s where we’ll start.
To our friends outside North America
You’re not an add-on to this network. You’re why it exists. If you serve in Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania or Latin America, we want your stories, your methods and your corrections. Book a One-to-One, join us in the Fam on Discord (https://thechurch.digital/fam/), or just reply when we ask. We’re listening.
If you’re American, like me
This isn’t about guilt. It’s about listening. The next time you share a method, ask yourself who it might not work for, and go find someone who can tell you. You’ll be a better missionary for it, wherever you serve.
All the results: https://thechurch.digital/townhall/results/
