Key Factors

From SPARK

Throughout the SPARK site, “key factors” are the cultural issues within an ethnic group context that existed before a media type or production was chosen. They were probably a factor in determining what would be appropriate media for that ethnic group. Each set of key factors relates to one specific ethnic or people group. Just one key factor may be listed in the case history, however.

Amplified examples of key factors

Key factors can be very short but provide enough detail to make them useful in giving insights to readers.

The following are key factors taken from the case history Visuals can clarify. The key factors in the case history are short. The examples here have taken them and amplified and organized them by the following categories:

History:

The gospel message had been proclaimed and responded to for quite a few years in the language group. Many hundreds of believers attended some 20 churches in each of two areas where the film was shown. This provided a good basis of understanding prior to the film’s screening. There had been good relations between the local churches in the area, and between the mission agencies, and between these parties and the regional church organizations of the area.

In one key showing area there was a history of warfare and animosity between neighboring languages going back decades, but there was a more recent history of cooperative effort due to effects of the gospel in people’s lives. However, this one area had a history of syncretism, no vernacular Scriptures, and poor understanding of the gospel. The church was well developed, and the basic gospel message was well understood. Scriptures were available and used. There was a good history of relations between existing religious agencies, and improving relations between historic enemies. One area had a poor understanding of the gospel.

Geography:

The target communities were in very isolated regions. They would also need to have airstrips nearby so that critical equipment like generators, projection equipment, and so on, could be delivered within a reasonable distance from the location where they were to be used. These airstrips in turn needed to be in areas with as many surrounding villages as possible in order to attract and reach the most people possible for the effort expended. People would come over quite rugged terrain. To allow time for people to travel to the site, the film would need to be shown in the late afternoon or early evening, and very likely on more than one evening.

A factor somewhat related to geography was that the region received a high amount of rainfall. There were no indoor facilities big enough to accommodate the crowds expected to arrive. Thus the film needed to be shown outdoors, using appropriate projection equipment. The critical equipment at least would need protection from the rain. Geographic isolation, difficult terrain, needed airstrip access, high rainfall area, and no adequate indoor facilities were all factors to consider.

Economics:

We needed to find partner organizations to help since the constraints under which we could carry out the film showing (see below) and the logistics involved expensive air transport of people and equipment. At the time, the local people had very limited means of generating any “community” income towards such an effort.

Language:

While the sound track of the available film was in the national language, this was not the language of communication for the great majority of the target communities, most of whom were monolingual in the local vernacular language. There was no opportunity nor technology available to produce another vernacular language sound track, so this needed to be supplied by narration using a conventional amplified sound system. The speaker-narrator needed to be fluent in both the national language (to hear and understand the film’s sound track) and in the vernacular language (in order to provide a running translation of the text of the film).

Note that the Gospel of Luke was already translated in the vernacular language of the host villages, and the persons who did the “running translation” were part of that translation team, so they were very familiar with the story and the terms needed to express it clearly. Discussion, questions, and any follow-up communications needed to be carried out by fluent speakers of the vernacular language. A bilingual narrator and a bilingual person to introduce and “close out” the film were needed and provided. There were explanations made in the vernacular of the related language before and after the film, but not during the running of the film itself.

Education:

The educational level and exposure to technologies of the local people did not provide the ability for them to operate the video/film equipment, so this needed to be done by an “outsider.” There was little understanding of NT culture and artifacts, but a high interest in gaining a better understanding. Factors to consider were low technological ability, need for outsider partners, and high interest in educational value of the film.

Religion & politics related to religion:

A large number of Christians already lived in the target area. Almost all of the New Testament had been translated into the vernacular, and portions were being widely used.

In one region in particular, while the predominant religion was protestant Christianity, a sizable Catholic population within easy distance also wanted to attend. Members of this group spoke a related language but had good social and political ties to the host villages. There was high interest among them to see such a presentation as this. Special permission was needed for them to attend and was obtained through the intervention of individual key local leaders with close contacts in the target region. Knowing the key religious and political/social leadership of the area proved very important in this effort.

To have disallowed the attendance of the more “sensitive” population would have created far more problems and animosities between these communities than were encountered in finding a way to make it work. Under organizational contractual agreements at the time, and in the environment of predominantly Muslim faith government leadership, the translation team could not be a direct sponsor or producer of the film event. This is why it was necessary to partner with other organizations to carry out the project. These other organizations had greater latitude for putting on these kinds of events. A high degree of local ownership among local church leaders also helped to keep the translation project team at a lower and more acceptable profile. Mixed population as to religious orientation, special permissions needed, Islamic power structure, mixed bag of religious leadership, some specific constraints on “religious activities” of sponsoring agency, and high degree of local initiative and “ownership” of the project event were all factors.

Culture:

It was necessary to provide a location where as many people as possible could see the film all at once, rather than to have a series of consecutive and smaller showings. This would have resulted in very negative feelings for those who had to wait their turn. The politics of deciding who would go first would have been very complicated and given rise to considerable tensions.

The factor of a large crowd meant that the projection equipment needed to produce as large an image as possible. The target audience had no history of having seen films before. Some key explanation was necessary to avoid a variety of misconceptions about what was being seen, its historicity, reality, accuracy, etc. (e.g. This was not a picture of the actual historical Jesus and of these events: but then how could it be that what, by use of good acting and special effects, certainly looked real enough were said not to be pictures of the real events; though they were based on historical truth). There was need to deal with important conceptual problems, such as equality of opportunity as an important cultural value, the large crowds expected, and no previous history with films.

Relationships with other agencies:

This has been referred to above. Relationships with other mission agencies, with all active local and regional church organizations, and with the key leadership, both local and regional, meant the difference between being able to provide this event and having to forego it altogether. A couple of key individuals were very critical: one a “competing” church leader who had cultural and familial ties to the target community, but also held a position of influence in the official religious hierarchy of the region.

Formal agreements were not necessary, but without discussions and agreeable compromises, there could not have been a film showing and the potential for unrest would have been great. As it turned out this was considered by all to be a very positive event. Adequate shared information, understanding, prior agreements, and compromises among a variety of interested parties were necessary for success of the project.