Mission Organisations: A Call to Repent.

They will gather around them a great number of teachers

to say what their itching ears want to hear

2 Timothy 4:4

I write this as a card-carrying member of a mission organisation. I love the specific vision of my organisation to bring God's Great Commission to fulfilment. Its practical support has been invaluable to our family in Madagascar. It holds me to account and I have leaned on its expertise on more than one occasion. But in my few years in this country, I have seen a pernicious sin which is continuing to do damage through these agencies. Some caveats before I dive in:

1. I am writing purely within the Malagasy context, and I do not have any direct knowledge of the activities of these agencies in other contexts. However, I would be happy making the assumption that the sin of these agencies extends beyond Madagascar

2. This is certainly not just a trap for mission organisations to fall in, but all parachurch organisations must seek to avoid this sin.

   
   

Parachurch organisations, including mission agencies, are commonly accused of

the sin of replacing the church in their ethos and activities.

I am not the first person to write about this danger (see here, here, here, here and many more besides!) but I believe that this pitfall is well attended in Madagascar.

What's the big deal?

A key defence of some parachurch ministries is to downplay this sin, especially when they elevate the fruit of their labours - the ends justify the means. Their logic is that the Gospel must go forth one way or another, and they have merely been more effective at mobilising and ministering compared to the local churches. They boast about their specific expertise and training, which the churches cannot compete with. Often this argument will then be accompanied by a denigrating comment about the inactivity of these churches, so the organisations have only tried to be faithful in the context of disobedient churches.

So what's the big deal?

Whilst it may be true that these organisations are bearing gospel fruit by their actions, and it may also be true that the local churches in their area may not be as effective, there are many hidden, unintended consequences to parachurch organisations taking the place of the church.

Firstly, the resources of the Church are drained. Zealous Christians flood to the parachurch organisations at the expense of the local church. Often the organisations can offer specific demographics (e.g. youth, students) that offer a greater sense of belonging than the local church.

Secondly, there is a higher increase of "lone-ranger" Christians. Mission becomes personal rather than through God's intended instrument for witness - his Church. That often leads to a decrease in accountability and mentoring for these itinerant missionaries, that the body of Christ in a local, geographical expression would be in the best place to provide.

Thirdly, there are fair accusations levelled at parachurch organisations by church leaders of "sheep-stealing". A rift of distrust, envy and division is created between the two, and the assumptions that they have for each other will be exacerbated. This leads to more people abandoning the local church and falling into the arms of the organisations.

Finally, a warped perception of God's Church is created. Let's imagine a budding church planter is taken under the wing of a local mission agency, as opposed to his local church. As he begins to plant churches, in whose image are these churches planted? If the church planter has a poor relationship with his local church, to the point that he feels more belonging with the organisation, how can he hope to plant a healthy church if he's never had an experience of belonging to one?

The impact on missions

Overall, this sin has a damaging effect on global missions. When I first arrived to Madagascar, I was talking to a missionary aviation pilot at my church and he was asking me what I did. When I told him that I was here to help churches to mobilise Malagasy nationals for mission, he replied: "Oh, well I fly Malagasy all the time to do ministry and evangelism!"

I can't be sure, but his tone seemed to question whether there was any value in my coming. I said to him: "Praise God, I'm glad that Malagasy are faithfully proclaiming the gospel. But tell me, how many of them have been sent by their local church?"

He paused for a moment. "I don't think any".

A call to repent

The story above, I believe, grieves the Lord's heart. The Church is the mission force that God has chosen to preach the gospel, make disciples and baptise converts in his three-fold name among all nations. I would encourage mission organisations to take the time for deep introspection about their relationship with local churches. I see the need for these organisations to repent for holding three sinful perspectives:

A distorted view of God's Church

Many mission organisations continue to feed the line that they are an expression of "church", therefore the acts that they perform, they do as members of God's Church. But this is a conflating of the universal church with her local, geographical expressions. The New Testament identifies clear marks of local churches as assemblies for members of the Church universal which parachurch organisations do not fulfil. We must repent.

A disparaging view of God's Church

"Slow", "traditional", "lifeless", "nominal" - these are all descriptions I have heard from members of parachurch organisations towards the local churches of Madagascar. But these agencies have a responsibility to be the handmaiden to the queen, the midwives to the mothers, the bridesmaids to the Bride of Christ. The churches need investment rather than abandonment. We must repent.

A displanting view of God's Church

A parachurch organisation, in the very definition of the phrase, is to go alongside (para) the church. But they often act like parasites rather than para-church, attracting passionate members away from the church and assuming her role in their area of expertise, be it youth or evangelism or global mission. Perhaps it is because of our own targets and expectations within the organisation that mission agencies would rather see the churches as competitors, instead of beneficiaries. But to usurp the Church is not the answer, it repays with evil. We must repent.

How now shall we live?

The glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ provides full forgiveness for all who repent. The mission organisations in Madagascar can turn it around in the light of his forgiveness and with the fuel of his Holy Spirit within us. We have an important place in the service of the Church for the mission of declaring the good news for the glory of Christ's Kingdom. But we must recognise anew the beauty of the Body that the Lord Jesus shed his blood for on the cross. Certainly, there is lethargy, inaction and sin within the Church, but Jesus did not abandon her, or cast her aside, so too parachurch organisations must continue to support and serve the Church. These organisations are merely an auxiliary division within a huge army empowered by God himself. We must remember our place.

Thankfully, as long as our priorities are right, the mission organisations don't have to choose between themselves or the Church. If we humble ourselves and place the Church above our own ambitions and desires, God will bless our own undertakings in service to the Body, and the fruit that we bear will not be for the temporal success of a parachurch organisation, but the eternal, resounding triumph of the Bride of Christ.