As an American preparing to move to Africa as a missionary, one of the first “cultural differences” we were prepared for was the vast difference between our highly individualistic American culture and the communal culture that is such a strength and gift of Africa. Mahafaly culture is no exception. Decisions are made among the Mahafaly as groups of men sit in a circle, often under a large, spreading tree. They speak, question, confront, correct—and in the end, they achieve true consensus.

How would this group decision dynamic affect the Mahafaly people’s conversion to the Gospel?

Another difference we noticed early on, when we met Malagasy Christians and heard their testimonies, was that they tended to describe conversion along a continuum. The typical American testimony can usually be clearly defined: “My life before I was a Christian . . .,” “How I became a Christian . . .,” and “My life after I became a Christian.” The conversion experience is a one-time, distinctive event, around which we base our story of change.

 

This did not seem to be the case, however, for many Malagasy believers. They described journeys of faith—a series of experiences that ended in a current relationship with God. Sometimes, hearing these testimonies, we found ourselves thinking, “This must not be saving faith—this sounds like it’s based on works, or church attendance.” Maybe, in some cases, but may we not be so arrogant as to second guess or correct the testimony of nearly every Malagasy believer we’ve met. We knew we must be missing something.

The Malagasy aren’t alone in a more circular description of conversion. In Cultural Intelligence, David Livermore describes many non-Western cultures that understand and articulate conversion as more of a process (177).

 

The first time I shared the full story of Creation to Jesus with the two Mahafaly villages, I was caught off guard by their response. I asked who would like to turn from the worship of ancestors and accept Christ. The leaders stood and said that they, as a village, had met the night before, and decided that the story was true, and that they were ready to accept. I was torn--culturally, this made sense, and how exciting! But I still believe that each person must stand and give an account to God--even those in communal cultures. I pushed back a bit. I explained that the decision to follow Christ is a personal one. Then, praise to God, about 100 people between the two villages stood, one at a time, and declared that they were ready to follow Christ. Through short-term discipleship and the first step of baptism, we’ve watched some of this original number remain faithful and grow, while others have fallen away. The groups of believers continue to operate communaly, usually looking to their village leaders as, now, Christian community leaders. But at the same time, the believing communities are made up of individual believers who have professed Christ and are now following Him.