Reaching Thai Buddhists and Those with a Background in Thai Buddhist Beliefs

Abstract

"One of the greatest challenges for those working across cultures is to understand the unique features of the host culture and the dominant religious beliefs and practices found in the society represented. If this is to be done acceptably, the written and spoken language must be mastered and personal friendships formed with community members. Much damage has been done by Western missionaries arriving with preconceived ideas on evangelism taken from their home country and with an attitude of being holders of superior knowledge in many areas of thought beyond that held by the host culture. Catholic missionary activity has been on-going in Thailand since 1665, Protestants since 1828, and by Adventists since 1906 (Insom 2006:43; Carmody 2017:54). The early pioneers showed great energy and persistence and one cannot help but have great admiration for them. The experiences and successes recorded have been many and varied. The techniques adopted have included literature evangelism, evangelistic outreach efforts, healing ministries, health promotion, education (primary to tertiary), radio ministry, relief work, and other activities. The overall impact of the total mission effort by all denominations has been minimal with Christians representing an estimated 0.74-1.2 percent of the population (Carmody 2017:49; Christian Presence Map 2018)."