Date of Award

2-19-2016

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Department

Seminary

First Advisor

Patrick Murunga

Second Advisor

Debby Thomas

Third Advisor

Jason Clark

Abstract

Living Waters for the World is an organization that trains hundreds of mission teams to install clean water systems in Haiti and beyond; however, many of these projects lay in disrepair: unused, despite the best of intentions of the American volunteers. Section One examines current problems of many existing partnerships in Haiti. Americans tend to have a skewed interpretation of what the word “partnership” means or what partnership connotes in a cross-cultural context. This results in an American organization providing a service or product for a community, which at first glance, seems positive, but, in fact, results in a lack of empowerment and dependency. Section Two highlights published works on the impact of misinterpreting the concept of transformative partnership in building mission relationships. A comparison is made between these views with this author’s proposed solutions. Section Three outlines the project’s thesis generated by the question, “How can American mission teams learn the foundational characteristics of a mutually beneficial cross-cultural mission relationship with Haitian communities and leaders?” The proposed solution is three-fold: 1. teach biblical koinonia; 2. gain understanding of the development, or stages, of relationships; and 3. recognize friendship as an alternative to the word “partnership.” If Americans want to participate in transformative partnerships, we must reform unhealthy one-sided transnational exchanges by investing in relationship building that seeks to place the person above the project. Sections Four through Six contain specifications of the Artifact, a video series and website promoting a new approach to cross-cultural relationships through faithful friendship and interdependent partnership.

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