A recent Christian Post article entitled Should Churches Tithe Membership to Reach the Lost? piqued my curiosity as it touched on some thoughts I had recently been turning over in my mind. From the article:
The IMB is urging Southern Baptists for 3,000 more active missionaries around the world for a total deployment of 8,000. There are currently 5,000 missionaries and 200 new missionaries are scheduled for dispatch to overseas mission fields in 2007-2008.”Adding 3,000 new missionaries might be a difficult task if we were starting out with no resources, but the truth is that those 3,000 new missionaries are already sitting in our churches, and the finances to support them are already in our pockets. Itâ??s not a hard task,” Fort said at a Southern Baptist missionaries gathering last week, according to the IMB.
Questions: Are Americans best suited to serve as M’s in closed countries?
With the greatest transfer of wealth taking place in the current passing of generations, what does the influx of that money have to do with world mission?
What is the best use of that money?
What is a workable strategy when many willing people are in countries that have less affluence and less financial support?
Is the role of churches to provide M’s through agencies or to connect more directly?
Thoughts? Anybody know where all of this is heading?
I’m biased, but I personally know hundreds of Americans serving in closed countries and they seem to be doing a fine job. I was called to this field and it was a very clear calling, so I don’t know if I can say that I am “best suited” as you say, but I can assure you that I’m one of the ones God chose to reach this country.
I think the role of the American church is to equip those within their congregations who are called so that they can share among the peoples they are called to serve, BUT as those missionaries reach their fields and realize that there are plenty of “called” overseas as well that are not able to fund their calling, then we are to help with that when possible. To a great extent this happens daily with IMB activities. We are all about empowering locals to achieve the task.
As of right now, agencies are the best possible way for churches that are incapable of funding missionaries on their own to work together in cooperation. There are literally thousands of small SBC congregations who cannot afford to fund a missionary on their own, but love partnering with other churches to do so. I think in our world of megachurches we often forget about these smaller churches who would be the most hurt by ending our current form of doing missions.
The role of the American church is both to fund and pray, but also to engage whenever possible. Short term trips can be an absolute blessing, but can also be a problem at times. We need people who are dedicated to living in these cultures. Furthermore, there are some areas where it takes years for missionaries to get into the country and short term trips are not possible. In these situations, the role of the church must be restricted to funding and prayer. The missionaries job must be to wholeheartedly and passionately equip and train as many as quickly as possible because these types of situations usually do not afford a prolonged stay in country.
Hope this helps your thoughts,
A Missionary in A Closed Country
Comment by Anonymous — September 19, 2007 @ 9:46 am
We are in the process of re-thinking “missions” at our church. We are intrigued by the idea of our church “adopting” an unreached people group and are exploring this strategy. At the same time, we are trying to guide the congregation into seeing Tulsa as a mission field.
The one thing our Missions Team has agreed on so far is that writing a check – though it is important – is not ministry and it’s not missions.
Comment by Bowden McElroy — September 19, 2007 @ 11:06 am
I think all who are called by God are the best equipped. What is sad is that the IMB doesn’t let many who are called serve.
Comment by Bryan Riley — September 19, 2007 @ 5:02 pm
Bowden, I don’t think you should say writing a check isn’t missions. It may be exactly the gift that God has given one person: the gift of giving. Now, having said that, I don’t think the current balance of about 999 givers to every 1 missionary is God’s calling for those 1000 people, but I wouldn’t put out a rule that says writing a check isn’t missions. It is. But so are a lot of things that people can and should be doing that they don’t realize are ways to participate in the GC.
Comment by Bryan Riley — September 19, 2007 @ 5:04 pm
I only pop into this blog now and then, and therefore am often on the “outs” with statements like “pecan manor,” so please bear with me if I’m missing some underlying message here.
It was with great appreaciation that I read the 9/7 illustration on running. Yet since I read from the top down, it was this thread that I read first. In therefore struck me that as I read “running,” I saw it in light of this particular thread. I see the “winner” as having won ONLY with the help of his two pacers. Their job was to give what they had (silver and gold I do not have….) for the benefit of of the one most capable of achieving the end. It was a selfless act on their part. They would see no personal glory. The achievement of the goal was their primary concern.
The IMB is not a holy/scriptural mandate. But it IS a method of giving that little piece which I do have for the achievement of a common goal: the spreading of the Gospel throughout the world. Can other agencies do that also? Sure. That’s why I also provide funds to missionaries within organizations that don’t direct fund them (Campus Crusade, etc.). But lets be honest, they spend a great deal of their time trying to maintain their funding. Does the IMB, being run by fallen men, do things poorly or incorrectly at times? Absolutely. Just like the other agencies, though with much more publicity put on them.
We won’t see perfection this side of Heaven, but I believe the IMB is still a good solution. Can it be tweaked, I pray it be so! In my mind, it is the only reason to “associate.” Silver and gold I do not have in abundance, but this “pacer” will give everything I DO have to see the race won.
Comment by Bill Burnett — September 22, 2007 @ 1:01 pm