Brian Schrag has degrees in Cognitive Science (ScB), Intercultural Studies (MA), and Ethnomusicology (PhD). He worked as a linguist, translator, and ethnomusicologist in DR Congo and Cameroon in the 1990s and 2000s, was SIL International's Ethnomusicology & Arts Coordinator from 2006-2019, and founded the Center for Excellence in World Arts at Dallas International University in 2012. Brian's core life project is promoting arts-energized, communication-focused appreciative inquiry for futures more like Heaven. His current spheres of engagement are expressive arts therapies, Christian mission, and transformational development in communities. He and his wife, Barb, live in Dallas, TX.
Creating Local Arts Together is the perfect companion to field
workers wishing to encourage a community in reaching their kingdom
goals through the exploration and power of local arts. The
painstaking efforts of the authors combined with their years of
field experience provide one with practical tools to apply in
research, analysis, and "sparking" of indigenous art for the glory
of God and the blessing of his people. This manual is number one on
our resource list as it contains in one thorough, yet convenient
place so much of the practical wisdom we've received from various
books, lectures, and presentations. Justin and Bethany Randolph,
arts specialists, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Eastern Europe
I have known Dr. Schrag for years. His love for people in general
and Africa in particular has always touched me. This love is so
intense that it pushes him to share all that he receives from the
Lord. In this season--characterized by a growing awareness of
African identity in African churches and in Cameroon in
particular--this book is like a bulldozer, paving the way for the
enrichment of our arts. I strongly recommend Creating Local Arts
Together to worship leaders, theology professors, musicians, and
all who crave to see peoples of all cultures give the best of
themselves to the Lord. Pastor Roch Ntankeh, worship leader,
Yaound�, Cameroon
In the past, Mono traditional instruments were used only for
ceremonial rituals honoring ancestral deities. But in 1992 Brian
Schrag moved to my village and started learning to play traditional
Mono songs on the kundi--a local harp. Eventually a small group
joined him and began composing Scripture-based songs. Today, we see
a radical change in how Christians live, because God's message
communicated through kundi songs directly touches their hearts.
Rev. Gaspard Yalemoto, director of the Mono Bible Translation
Program, Democratic Republic of the Congo
In 2012 I found my wife and myself up in the mountains of northern
Philippines conversing with the believers of a tribal group,
introducing them to the possibility of using their indigenous
musical forms and instruments in their worship. When they said yes
to the idea, I began wondering, "How do I start the process?"
Creating Local Arts Together is God's answer to that prayer. I am a
musician with no training in ethnoarts, but this material empowers
me to do the work of the Lord in ways that will be meaningful and
productive. Roy Fabella, Philippine Ethnoarts Community of Practice
ministry director and missionary, Windsong Christian Music
Ministries, Inc.
The book you hold in your hands is the result of great effort by
many people who have worked in the area that most deeply touches
the heart of a people--the arts. Its seven steps allow anyone,
beginner or not, working in a cross-cultural context to integrate
arts into his or her ministry. The gospel message is too important
to be misunderstood; local arts allow everyone to hear God speaking
directly to them. Studying and applying the manual will help you
tap into this powerful component of the spread of the kingdom of
God. H�ber Negr�o Miss�o, Evang�lica aos Indios do Brasil,
Evangelical Mission to Brazilian Indians
The sheer breadth of the project speaks of the multitudes of
peoples around the world longing to offer worship and witness
drawing from their cultural wealth in ways that that bring glory to
God. Especially significant is how the dual volumes, a textbook and
this companion, "make-it-happen" practical guide, offer
opportunities for continued growth in the ministry of the church
worldwide. Roberta R. King, PhD, Global Christian Worship program,
Fuller Theological Seminary
This manual combines intellectual rigor with a loving sensitivity
toward local communities, and it's all informed by a great wealth
of experience. In this age of the endangerment of so many of the
world's distinctive artistic traditions--and with the expansion of
Christianity often blamed for it--I'm excited by the potential
effects of this thoughtful guide. Neil R. Coulter, PhD, senior
editor of the journal Global Forum on Arts and Christian Faith
Those of us who teach Music in Missions, Multicultural and Global
Worship, or Arts in Worship courses in theological training
institutions welcome the publication of the manual, Creating Local
Arts Together. This volume contains specific and clear steps to
lead the reader to explore local art forms and to encourage local
artists to use them to advance kingdom goals. It also contains many
resources for students doing internships in arts in cross-cultural
settings. The manual provides a long-needed "how-to" guide built on
a fundamental truth, that God is the Supreme Creator, and that
since we are created in his image we can inspire and motivate
others to use their creativity for his glory throughout his world.
Edgar Cajas, PhD, associate professor of Church Music, Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary director-founder of Alfredo Colom, a
Christian school for Guatemalan music teachers
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