A Pilgrimage Of Faith, J.B. Toews, 1993

another culture and also the first time they leave their narrow social circle. Few are the missionaries who come with a humble attitude and are ready to learn the behavior and values of the culture that is adopting them. Is there a formula to use so that mis- sionaries will stop showing arrogance and self-sufficiency when they present the gospel to persons In another cul- ture?"56 FINANCIAL PATERNALISM Closely related to the issue of partnership with national churches is financial paternalism. Prolonged financial sup- port, no matter how well-intentioned, can breed dependency and stifle initiative. William J. Kornfield, a veteran missionary from Ecuador, has raised serious concerns that ongoing finan- cial subsidies from wealthy North American churches to less affluent churches in other lands can affect their programmatic independence and initiative. He believes this is one of the most important issues facing the church all over the world 277 A PILGRIMAGE OF FATTH and, if not checked, will ultimately stagnate church growth,37 Komfield quotes Charles Troutman, former director of In- ter-Varsity Christian Fellowship in North America and a mission- ary with Latin American Mission for ten years, who calls finan- cial paternalism the "worst curse" we could put upon the na- tional church,5* Continued economic support implies that the church of Jesus Christ cannot grow on its own native soU-or in some cases even exist-apart from Western funding. Prolonged economic subsidies to individuals and churches in underdeveloped countries can become a tool of oppression rather than one that develops self-respect and initiative. More helpful is for missions to assist national churches in depressed economic areas to develop their own resources and gain self- reliance. Eventual economic independence for national churches is basic to a relationship of equality and mutual in- terdependence. WHERE IS THE ANSWER? The testing of our strategy from the perspective of our churches abroad calls for a reassessment of how we best do missions at the end of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. Voices from within the North American Menno- nite Brethren Church corroborate what the national leaders from other countries are saying. Writings by Hans Kasdorf, Henry Schmidt, Paul Hiebert and Jacob A, Loewen all call for changes in how we are currently doing missions.39 The tension between the rhetoric of "Partnership in Obe- dience" and reality as expressed both by some national lead- ers and by various missiologists at home is not unique to the Mennonite Brethren. With f