Rethink the Native Missionary
When the largest and most prominent native missionary organization became embroiled in a financial scandal, church leaders began asking me, “What happened? What went wrong? Should we still support this ministry?”
My concern is that many will simply chalk up this recent debacle to sin in the camp, and although that may be true, I believe that one of the most significant factors that led us here is faulty missiology. Doesn’t what we believe about missions inform and shape our missions decisions and actions? I contend that much of what was sold to churches pertaining to the native missionary model, which was so eagerly gobbled up, would not have been, if more churches had a sound, Christ-centered, Biblical Missiology. Too many Western Christians’ desires were manipulated to buy missions on sale and to write checks rather than send their own children. Simply put, poor missions thinking led us to poor missions practice.
On July 12, The Mission Table will examine the Native Missionary model and encourage churches to evaluate if their missions actions are being shaped by Biblical missions convictions or by assumptions, half-truths, and even myths.
Join us for this special installment of The Mission Table as we Rethink the Native Missionary. Premiering July 12, 2016.
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Sixteen:Fifteen, a Missio Nexus member, provided this article. Member organizations can provide content to the Missio Nexus website. See how by clicking here.
