Episode 7: Biblical Lutheran Missiology and Cross-Cultural Ministry | Dr. E Allen Sorum

by | Apr 23, 2025 | God Loves Nobodies! | 0 comments

In this episode, Professor Al Sorum, from the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary’s Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI), shares insights from his extensive experience in cross-cultural ministry and missiology. He discusses the importance of cultural adaptation, the challenges of majority vs. minority mindsets, and the unique contributions of biblical Lutheran missiology to global ministry.

Guest Bio:

Professor Al Sorum has been a member of the Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI) team since 2004. He teaches missiology, leadership, and New Testament isagogics at the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. His ministry experience includes 21 years serving in the inner city of Milwaukee, with a focus on evangelism, male leadership development, and intercultural competence.

Key Topics:

  • Key Lessons from Ministry

    • The importance of listening to and valuing cultural perspectives.

    • The need for humility and recognizing one’s own cultural biases.

    • The power of relationships and building trust in cross-cultural ministry.

    • Empowering local leaders to use their cultural ways to express biblical truth.

  • Majority vs. Minority Mindset

    • The majority mindset can hinder effective cross-cultural ministry.

    • Missionaries need to be aware of their own cultural filters and biases.

    • The minority mindset can provide valuable insights and perspectives.

    • Building a community of trust is essential for effective cross-cultural leadership.

  • The Importance of Cultural Adaptation

    • Cultural adaptation is about effectively communicating biblical truth in different cultural contexts, not compromising it.

    • Missionaries should be students of the culture they serve, learning how people communicate and express truth.

    • The goal is to empower local leaders to use their own cultural ways to share the Gospel.

  • The Unique Gift of the WELS

    • The WELS has a unique theological gift to offer the world: the understanding of complete dependence on God’s grace.

    • This understanding leads to humble confidence and allows for genuine partnership in mission work.

    • The WELS can offer a profoundly human and universal message of dependence on God’s grace.

  • Key Takeaways

    • Cross-cultural ministry requires humility, intentionality, and a willingness to learn.

    • Building trust and empowering local leaders are essential for effective mission work.

Quotes:

  • “My core belief and perspective didn’t come from a book, but from the awesome black brothers I evangelized and teamed with at GE house. What they taught me has served well in 33 countries under the PSI banner”.

  • “We experience life from our majority culture, and it’s not malicious, it’s not mean on our part, it’s not evil. But because we’re part of the majority culture, we’re just so used to people accommodating to us. We just presume that”.

  • “Leading cross culturally is inspiring people who come from two or more cultural traditions to participate with you, the leader or leadership team, in building a community of trust, and then to follow you and be empowered by you to achieve a compelling vision of faith”.

  • “That is the unique theological gift of the WELS to the world, is that we are all these humbled, needy, dependent, little children in God’s world, we are totally dependent on him”.

  • “We have something to offer that is profoundly human and profoundly universal, that that is our special gift to the work of the church on planet Earth”.

Resources:

Common Terms and Links on Jesus and Jetlag

All commentary, statements, and discussion on this podcast reflect the knowledge, insight, and experience solely of the individuals presenting and featured on the podcast.

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