Comments on: It’s Your Fault

By: stepchild

stepchild — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:14:31 +0000

Tim,
Sorry, for some reason, your post got caught in moderation.

You said what I was trying to say to Strider just now. Thanks.

I’d add that I believe that all of the “offices” and roles have their place in the local church, not just in the universal Church.

By: stepchild

stepchild — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:12:16 +0000

Strider,
Thanks for your comment. I think you’re right about the lack of mutual submission and respect between missionaries and churches.

I’m not sure I agree with you that “Churches don’t plant churches, apostles plant churches.” I understand the role of the apostle (gifting), but I think churches plant churches. I think we’ve come to see the apostle as some kind of Lone Ranger, and I think it’s detrimental to both the church and the mission.

The “sent out ones” are always meant to come back- their role necessarily includes involving the sending church directly in the work. Apostles lead the church on mission, they’re not to do it for her.

Thoughts?

By: Strider

Strider — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:18:28 +0000

This problem has been identified by the IMB for some time. They have told us to be much more active in educating and including the Churches but this problem wont go away in a hurry. The problem really does center in Romans 12. We do not ‘outdo one another in showing honor’. M’s are failing to honor the Churches and Churches for all their talk of us being heroes do not listen to the M’s. Churches don’t plant churches, apostles plant churches. But the apostles are discipled and sent out by the churches! I know things, and am empowered to do things that no one else knows or can do here in Middle Earth but I can do nothing alone. This is how the Lord has made us- we must depend on each other. Until we act like the Body of Christ and recognize our different parts we will continue to be dysfunctional.

By: Tim Patterson

Tim Patterson — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:57:28 +0000

Good post. We often forget that missionaries (sent ones), along with pastors/teachers, are given to the church to “equip God’s people for works of service (including mission)” (Eph. 4:11-12).

By: stepchild

stepchild — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:11:37 +0000

Thanks for sharing from your experience, Alan. I recently had an exchange with a church planter/missionary-type who was very much against involving local churches in missions because, according to him, it gave churches the impression that they were capable of doing missions on their own.

I’m hoping that sort of attitude will change when churches take responsibility and the missionaries realize that they don’t have a monopoly on the Great Commission.

By: Alan Cross

Alan Cross — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:31:15 +0000

Absolutely. This post is right on. I do think that churches can do a better job, but that will only come with relationships. As a stateside pastor, I have encountered missionaries who just assumed that I had no idea what to do in a cross-cultral setting. I don’t take the time to refute them. I just immediately know that they are not someone that I would want to work with. Their previous bad experiences has caused them to treat everyone with disdain and from that, I know that they are not being led by the Spirit, but instead, are being led by their own past experiences.

Show me a missionary that is hopeful and excited about what God is doing, and that is someone that I would love to work with. We are not all perfect and we will all make mistakes. But, if missionaries do not need any partnership with the local church back in the States, then I wonder what they are birthing overseas? Of course, this requires humility on our part as well. Basically, all pride needs to go out the window here and we need to learn how to serve one another in the greater task of seeing God’s Kingdom come.

By: Grady Bauer

Grady Bauer — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:29:15 +0000

I love that we live with a double standard. We complain that the church forgets us and doesn’t have a heart for missions but then we fail to communicate (other than in time for the annual Christmas offering), and we don’t stay relevant to them. We seem to want relationships with them…but we want our organization to “date” them on our behalf.

Those of us that live overseas study our host culture, learning their language, seeking to build relationships with them….but we fail to do so with our host culture….but somehow we expect them to be excited for us and commited to us…it’s all about relationships.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:57:35 +0000

Now, tell us what you really think!

By: Kari

Kari — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:16:11 +0000

I agree. The description you gave of the missionary too self-absorbed to see the gift in front of them is just a little too accurate for comfort.

One of the wisest things our supervisor did was to remind us that we are replaceable – a good reminder still.