Collectivism and the Church

Thai culture moves in many ways on the other end of the spectrum from Western culture, and I discovered many ways to articulate this in my recent class on Intercultural Communication with Dr. Scott Moreau at Wheaton College this summer.

I will intermittently share some of the insights I am gaining upon reflection.

Red: Collectivist/ Yellow: Individualistic

I am struck by the difference between my culture and Thai culture in the area of collectivism. I come from a society built on individualism. We have sayings like “follow your heart” and “where there is a will, there is a way.”

Thailand on the other hand sticks together in a more collectivist way. Community and family are held as strong values. When I say family, I don’t just mean the nuclear family, but a collection of extended family that may or may not live in the same home. Within collectivism, there is a sense of an in group and out-group. Those on the inside fight for one another and work to protect each other from shame. Those outside the in-group get little preferential treatment. Those on the inside get offered jobs, promotions and opportunities in contrast to the Western considerations of merit and ability.

As I reflected on the concept of a collectivist culture, I pondered some implications for the church as we plant a church in Bangkok.

First, I want to touch on a point of the relation between the church and a collectivist society. In a collectivist culture, one will see themselves as a lifelong member of a church. Once they join a church, they remain a part of that family. The more collectivist a society, the stronger and longer the bonds of membership within the church will be.

I wonder how this may play a role in the slow conversion of people from Thailand, but also stands out to me as enlightening why it is important to journey with someone as they come to know Jesus.

As I pondered this idea, I remembered one student who is interested in God. She lives almost two hours from where we live in Bangkok, but we have a great relationship with her.

As we communicated about God with her and found her open to Christianity, our Thai teacher gave us some sage advice as she tends to do. I am still wrestling with how this works out in our situation. Our Thai teacher wanted us to not recommend her a church until after we lead her to know Jesus. As she journeys with us toward a relationship with God, we can be the one who leads her to Jesus rather than sending her to a church to meet new Thai Christians. She won’t know them or have a connection with them enough to desire the effort necessary to invest in relationship with the new church. She went on to say that the student would remain with whichever community led her to know Jesus. I understood that to be normative for Thai culture, but now I see why.