22 thoughts on “Planting Foreign Churches (That Look Just Like Ones in the U.S.A.)”

  1. My pastor has the exact same habit of standing with one hand in his pocket while the other arm is extendend doing something else. (Observe the gentleman on the way right.)

    It’s not the way they dress and they way they’ve decorated their church that creep me out, it’s all the little mannerisms that are exactly the same.

  2. Unfortunately, this one isn’t just relegated to the Fundies…I think this has been rampant in Japan too and by many Christian groups. Translate the hymns into Japanese and run with it! So frustrating!

  3. No matter what else. The singing was good. It just reminded me of the old evangelical c hurch I used to attend.

  5. The first one was pretty good but I couldn’t make it through the quartet. It reminded me too much of Bojo.

    This concept fundies have of converting different cultures into replicas of early 1900 America baffles me. it’s no wonder most fundy churches have very few young people.

    1. I can’t imagine BJU ever using that quartet song. It’s too Southern Gospel for them, I think. My old church used to use songs like this until it got too heavily infested with BJU people, at which point the music became stilted and lifeless…completely lacking in the spirit found in this song.

  6. But, didn’t you know, we’re all supposed to look like replicas of the Cleaver family ;). . .

  9. I just feel sad when I see these videos. A missed chance to make Christianity relevant in that culture, instead of a mirror of American fundie churches.

  10. But, but, but …. isn’t that really what they’re being saved from — not being Americans? The only reason Jesus wasn’t from Texas was because they hadn’t invented it yet. Right?

  11. Somehow Christian songs sung by foreign nationals give the feeling of freshness as from a unique perspective. Or maybe that’s just in my head. It’s probably just my American side being in awe at life outside of the U.S.

  12. Shoulda seen the churches the good ol’ Fundevangelist Missionary had on his video today! (Yes, I’m still stuck in an IFB church…) About 5 of the 7 churches had names like you’d see in the States. Such as “Cornerstone Baptist Church” and “Grace Baptist Church.” Talk about uniqueness in the country of Zambia…

  13. I’m just offended that the quartet is not wearing suit coats!!! Don’t all fundys know that a song cannot, should not, be sung on stage without wearing the proper attire? The Spirit will not move if the clothing is not right.

  16. This kind of American missions is completely foreign to the Scriptures. I get so tired of seeing American missionaries going overseas and demanding things look just like they did in America with NO consideration for local culture and customs. Things like: requiring the pastors of tribal churches to wear suits and ties, certain dress standards for members, translation of Arminian songs into local vernacular, etc, etc, etc.

    The worst part is that the locals often see through the duplicity but refuse to do or say anything because they know the American missionary may just pull his money and go somewhere else and help others. And sadly, it does happen! Then the missionary sends a letter back to the States telling his supporters how persecuted he is for the cause of Christ! Colonialism is alive and well in the modern American fundamentalist missionary movement which would prove revolting to their hero – Adoniram Judson and William Carey!

    1. Arminian songs like Blessed Assurance, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, And Can it Be, All Other Ground, Higher Ground, Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah

      Methodists wrote most of those – Wesleyan Methodists 🙂

      Charles Wesley and Fanny Crosby, probably the two most well known and prolific hymn writers, were Arminian Wesleyan Methodists.

  17. the only thing is – based on the Philippinos I once knew (when they were here in the states for extra training for their jobs back home) – I think there’s been such a culture of this for so long there, that this is now what they think church is – as in that when they plant their own churches there – they will look suspiciously like this.

  18. I’m actually from an Asian country (not Philippines). My ex-church was planted by an American IFB missionary.

    And yes, we have our quirks – rock music = evil; alcohol = evil; dispensational, KJV = good and so on.

    Even in my country when the mainline churches would be considered evangelical by US standards, these guys are waaaay too far. A lot of folks in my new church (conservative Reformed) one thought my ex-church was a cult when I told them about our doctrines.

    My IFB pastor was ultra-right-wing in his political beliefs – Israel is always right, global warming is a scam, UN is evil (he rambled about Christian parents losing control of their children when the US signed the Convention of the Rights of the Child) and so on.

    Lols really.

  19. I agree, there are way too many Christians who equate westernism with godliness.

    I actually don’t mind the idea of translating hymns from one language to another, or of one culture singing songs from another. Interestingly, while many American Christians are ready to send their hymns/songs to every other culture, they themselves would never dream of enjoying a Christian song from another culture (especially if that culture has its own unique style of music). 🙄

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