les Davey de France: The robe - an emblem of working cross-culturally

re: "...Here in France évangélique (evangelical) is a very scary word. That's those weird Americans who jump around and fall over, no? Baptiste? Scary! That's what George Bush is isn't he? No? Well I am sure one of them was. Réformée? That's not scary. That's French, OK, but aren't they basically about Kierkegaard and hospitals and youth clubs and stuff? Protestante? Oh yes - those are the people who stood up for what they believed even if it cost their lives. And after all many of the reformers who had most influence on us were Frenchmen. Chrétien? Well I suspect that most French ears will hear that word as Roman Catholic, but Christian is what we are after all, and the Christian message is what we are about. / OK - that's a caricature, but in a predominantly RC country the denominational variety of Britain and the USA looks really weird! Five churches in one street? What's that all about? And we can talk till we are blue in the face about gospel unity and dividing over secondary issues, but the French ear will hear sectes. / In Britain a new church, well it wouldn't be scary and you may even go and check it out. And cults and sects? Our instinctive reaction is "nutters". Not scary. Here in France there is a genuine fear of psychological manipulation and of new groups because they are sectes, aren't they. Obviously.So you have to remember that you are not in Britain. And adapt..."...