This week, I’ll be gone for several days on a mission to Brazil. Along with a friend from west Georgia, I’ll be traveling to the city of Campo Grande to participate in a leadership conference for pastors in the area. The exact topic of my sessions has not been determined (or, at least, passed on to me) but I’m sure I’ll scare them all to death whatever my assignment. Another reason for my attending is that the host church has a very evangelistic cell group ministry and I hope to learn from them and be reminded, yet again, that the West doesn’t have all the answers.
God has been very gracious to have allowed me to go around the globe on various trips. With this trip, I will have been on every inhabited continent at least once; most people start in South America, but it will be my last one on the list. I’ve learned from the Brockley Baptist Church in a London suburb, the Wynnum Baptist Church in Brisbane, OZ (with pastor Peter van Donge), a bunch of Maasi evangelists in Kenya, M’s in a closed Asian country, the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta, and more. It was easy to figure out that not everyone saw things the way that I did and that there were many, many believers who did things differently than me. I was challenged at each step of the way and I am more well rounded as a result of their input.
Next month, a vision team from our church will be exploring options about the engagement of an unreached people group (UPG) in Asia, something about which I am extremely excited. As far as we have been able to learn there is no church that is reflective of that people’s culture and since they are an oral culture translating scripture into their language might not be the best first step. In conjunction with other groups we hope to find some opps as to how to get the gospel to this people.
Our partnership in Europe has expanded in great ways–God has used us to involve about five other churches in that ministry effort. (More on this at a later date.) I’m beginning to wonder if God isn’t using New Bethany to go through some doors to instigate ministry, involve others and then move through another door and do the same. I realize that every person and church does not have the same giftedness, that’s why it takes all of us to be fulfilling the Great Commission.
Marty,
Have a great trip to Brazil. I’m going to be just a little to the north of you this week, engaged in a similar leadership training project in Guatemala. This is the 2nd in a series of 6 projected leadership training opportunities that the BGCM is conducting in the western part of Guatemala over a 3-year period. We had about 55 at the first session back in January and are anticipating about 70 this time. Three other pastors and 2 laymen are going with me this time. We’ve let them choose the topics for the training seminars according to their perceived areas of need.
I certainly agree that we can learn an awful lot from our Christian brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. It’s far past time to realize that the U.S. doesn’t have the market cornered on how to reach the lost and disciple new believers. Third-world Christians far excel us in many instances in these practices.
Comment by Gary Snowden — July 15, 2007 @ 11:43 pm
Marty,
The last part of your post really spoke to me. Our church is stepping into some of the same things, although on a smaller level, and primarily in Northern India right now. But, we have also established relationships elsewhere. I think that we all need to just step out and start doing the work. It is amazing what is out there available to us when we just step into it instead of believing the lie that we need to let others take the initiative. Thanks for the work you are doing.
Comment by Alan Cross — July 16, 2007 @ 2:14 am
I’ll be praying for a safe trip.
Comment by Kevin Bussey — July 16, 2007 @ 8:58 am
Marty,
You worked with the Maasai!! A few years ago, I travelled with a team from SBTS to research a church planting movement among the Maasai. A day rarely goes by that I don’t think about my time with them and the missionaries there. If you worked with the IMB team there, I’m sure I probably worked with the same Maasai evangelists you mentioned for two months. They were incredible. Have a great trip to Brazil…
Blessings,
Patrick
Comment by pbarrett — July 16, 2007 @ 11:27 am
Hey Marty,
Whenever you get back, can you say a word on how you got your church to the point where they are now? What did you do/teach to get them where they wanted to start a “vision team” to pick a upg to invest themselves in?
Thanks,
Tim
Comment by Tim Dahl — July 16, 2007 @ 11:42 am
Marty – I think that the mobilization of Southern Baptist churches into direct leadership roles in international mission fields is a very positive thing. I will be interested to see how your church engages with their UPG. If this is the future, and I believe it is, what will it mean for the “mission board” approach to international missions? What will it mean for the practice of appointing and cooperatively funding career missionaries? How can Southern Baptists fit our international missions approach for the future rather than for a past paradigm?
I would enjoy hearing what you and others think concerning these questions.
The Lord’s blessings upon your Brazil trip and upon your church.
Robby
Comment by Robby Partain — July 16, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
Tim-
I’ll be happy to. Thanks for asking.
Patrick-
I was there in ’95–you?
Kevin-
Thanks.
Robby-
Those are good questions and, I think, ones that leadership better start working through in a hurry.
IMB has structures in place to help churches get in touch with any UPG in the world and information can be gotten from their existing research. The IMB even goes so far that if a church says, “We are making a commitment to adopt and evangelize the XYZ people,” then the Board considers that group as evangelized for tracking purposes. I think that is good as it demonstrates a thinking removed from “The professionals have to do it.” I’m not sure how NAMB functions there, but I’m thinking that the Focus City effort is similar.
IMO, three things are driving, and will continue to drive, this–1st, unrestricted information through the Internet; 2nd, ease of worldwide travel and 3rd, worldwide usage of English as the language of business (add here the fact that people all over the world desire to learn it). Christians in America have as ready an access to these three as any country in the world currently and we will give an account for how we use these resources. Unwillingness to delegate this responsibility to mission boards and agencies is a good thing and as we learn to work together to accomplish the goal, the more empowered by God we will be.
Comment by Marty Duren — July 16, 2007 @ 5:33 pm
Gary-
Have a great trip, my brother.
Alan-
I’m excited as well for your work in India. Are you guys anywhere near the orphanage that Emmanuel, Enid supports?
Comment by Marty Duren — July 16, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
Hey Marty,
We were there during the summer of ’02 while I was in college. We spent most of our time with Bob Calvert, but also worked with the Tidenbergs down in Tanzania. At the time, there were two other families working with the Maasai, and we were also in their areas, but I can’t remember their names off the top of my head.
If you were there in ’95, it’s still possible we worked with the same Maasai evangelists, but maybe not as likely.
Still brings back some good memories either way!
Comment by pbarrett — July 16, 2007 @ 6:12 pm
Marty – I agree with your assessment. It seems to me that missions agencies will need to shift their thinking to become primarily agencies that equip churches to engage the world missionally. Missions organizations that help the local church carry out her mission will be the ones that churches support. IMB appears to be discovering this.
I do not think the day of the career missionary is over. I do think that career missionaries more and more will become faciltators of churches doing missions.
The Lord bless you in Brazil.
Robby
Comment by Robby Partain — July 16, 2007 @ 7:05 pm
Robbie-
Sorry about not addressing the career missionary issue; I agree with you and believe that both the missionaries and the local churches will be able to do more from the partnerships that develop.
Comment by Marty Duren — July 16, 2007 @ 9:31 pm
Not that I know of. I talked with Wade about what they are doing, and it is of a similar nature. I’ll be posting about it soon on my blog. We’re planning on doing some clean water stuff in the Himalayas as well as a conference where we try and help multiple ministries there network together.
Comment by Alan Cross — July 17, 2007 @ 12:38 am
Marty…I wish I was going with you!
I didn’t know that Brazil was not in the West…next thing I’ll learn is that they are not Americans…lol
Comment by irreverend fox — July 17, 2007 @ 12:51 pm
Can I recommend the following website for resources and support reaching out to “unengaged unreached people groups,” uupg’s, http://www.finishingthetask.com/. This effort “Finishing the Task” is a joint missional emphasis between the IMB, Campus Crusade, YWAM and Wycliffe, primarily. It is truly amazing to see the tools being brought to the table by this effort, along with the support personnel dedicated to educating both pastoral leadership and the church body. FTT is dedicated to seeing all 639 uupg’s being “adopted” by by a church body.
Comment by Bill Burnett — July 17, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
I hope you will keep us posted on how these partnerships develop — especially the nuts and bolts of what you are specifically doing to reach these UPGs. This is a subject near and dear to my heart but one that is still (for the most part) in the development stage. I look forward to any ideas you can share.
Comment by Todd Benkert — July 19, 2007 @ 10:50 am