Apostolic Imagination: Re-Thinking Contemporary Missions 9

Great advancements in evangelical mission activity have taken place over the past sixty years. Moving from the mission-station model, we entered into a new paradigm–a paradigm in which we presently reside. However, paradigms have lifespans. As I have written before, the thinking and practices of today will not sustain healthy Kingdom practices later today.

We are in a liminal state, moving from our present paradigm into a future one that remains unclear. Consider a few published resources over the past few years. David Hesselgrave’s Paradigms in Conflict (which was expanded and updated as a second edition in 2018), my Pressure Points, and Pocock, Van Rheenen, and McConnell’s The Changing Face of World Missions address some of the pressing issues missionaries are facing. Paul Borthwick’s Western Christians in Global Mission attempts to answer the question about the role of the West in Kingdom advancement. Denny Spitters and Matthew Ellison recently reminded us of the dangers of missions-as-everything in their work When Everything is Missions. In a book that should have received much more attention than it has, Alan R. Johnson calls for a paradigm shift in Apostolic Function, I do the same in Apostolic Church Planting, and Alan Hirsch does so in several of his books. Michael W. Stroope calls for a change in our mission language in Transcending Mission: The Eclipse of a Modern Tradition. And with 40 years of progress going to the unreached peoples, R. W. Lewis reminds us of the remaining task in her article, “Clarifying the Remaining Frontier Mission Task.”

Change is needed.

This post begins a series regarding my thinking on a way forward as we wait our Lord’s return. As Kingdom stewards, we must apply aggressive evaluation to our methods and strategies in light of God’s Word and His world. The Mercury Project will not land us on the moon but is necessary to get us there. By God’s grace, I am very thankful for the progress that has been made among the nations, but it is time for transition. Paradigms lead to progress, but are not eternal.

Here are some of the topics I plan to address when it comes to missions today:

Re-Thinking Language

Re-Thinking Purpose

Re-Thinking Function

Re-Thinking Identity

Re-Thinking Location

Re-Thinking Strategy

Re-Thinking Partnerships

Re-Thinking the West

Re-Thinking Sending/Support Structures

I have intentionally chosen the concept of “re-thinking” for it clearly communicates my starting point. I realize such language will cause some of you to remember William Hocking’s (1932) work Re-Thinking Missions: A Layman’s Inquiry after One Hundred Years that called for the reduced role of Western workers and the neglect of evangelism and disciple making. However, I assure you that such a thesis is far from my perspective. In fact, I will strongly emphasize a greater involvement of the West and increased evangelism and church multiplication activities.

Share with others and stay tuned.