Recently, I wrote about church and worship, arguing that the
church’s primary purpose is worship. True worship, however, can only happen
when we are truly redeemed. For that reason, mission is crucial. Today,
churches tend to swing between two extremes when it comes to mission: one side
believes we should focus mainly on the local church and its ministries, while
the other strongly emphasizes mission beyond the local church, often using the
phrase “reaching the unreached.” Indeed, just as the Father sent the Son, Jesus
sends us today on His mission. Mission is not optional—it is a mandate we must
obey. With this in mind, many churches send out missionaries to carry out
mission work.
A common issue that arises is conflict between missionaries
and sponsoring churches or associations. Surprisingly, these conflicts often
happen when missionaries from different groups both claim the same mission
field as their own. For example, one group may begin mission work in a certain
place. Later, another group might arrive, unaware of the first group’s
presence. The first group then gets upset, claiming the area as their mission
field and insisting that the newcomers should not work there. But why does such
conflict arise? Whose mission is it, really?
It is an undeniable truth that mission belongs to God. If
that is so, we all share the same purpose—to preach the Gospel to those who
don’t know Christ. Logically, this means missionaries are not competitors. If
our goal is the same, shouldn’t we be glad when others join the work nearby,
knowing that more laborers will help expand the mission? Even if only a few
missionaries are needed in a place, why not have open discussions and spread
out with mutual understanding, instead of insisting, “This is my mission
field”? Mission is not a competition—we are co-workers in God’s field.
When we pray, we often say, “for the expansion of God’s
Kingdom,” but do we truly mean it? If we care about expanding God’s Kingdom,
why do we get upset when other missionaries work near us? Many problems exist
because we do not genuinely seek God’s glory. Even if others or other agencies are
more effective than us, we should be happy and thank God for using them as His
instruments for His Kingdom.
The inability to rejoice in others’ success is a major
stumbling block in ministry. There is also ongoing debate about independent
churches. Many educated and open-minded people become frustrated with
traditional churches that resist change, often due to overly legalistic
beliefs, regulations, and practices. As a result, they support the formation of
independent churches. Indeed, rigid legalism in many traditional churches turns
away many truth-seekers who are spiritually hungry.
At a Christian Apologetics Conference, someone asked why
many in the West have left the church. The answer, based on research, was that
people left because churches failed to address their questions and struggles.
This could be our problem today as well.
Some object to independent churches, arguing that without
proper structure and beliefs, there’s no accountability, and pastors lacking
sound doctrine might mislead their members. There is truth in this concern.
When many independent churches appear, there is risk. We must be careful. But
here’s a question to consider: Should we accept only churches under
associations or councils? Can’t churches exist outside of them while fully
depending on God and His Word? If a church is biblical, it should not
necessarily be called an independent church, because it depends on the Bible
and on God. Even if a church is doctrinally sound and positively impacts its
members, should we reject it just because it does not function under a proper
churches’ council or association? I leave the answer in your hands.
The resistance isn’t only toward independent churches. Many
traditional churches also oppose other ministries doing God’s work. Some leaders
react negatively when people are drawn to these ministries, insisting the
church alone should handle God’s work. As a result, they try to stop or ban
such ministries. Again, we must ask: whose ministry is it? People have
different preferences in preaching and teaching. Some may be more inspired by
others than by us. But should we be jealous or angry because people don’t
respond to us the same way? If someone comes to know the Lord and experiences
His love through another ministry, shouldn’t we be glad and praise God?
Paul, while in prison, heard that some were preaching Christ
out of jealousy or rivalry. But instead of being upset, he rejoiced, because
Christ was being preached. Paul cared more about Jesus being known than about
his own reputation. That’s why he could rejoice. Like Paul, we too should be
more concerned with the Gospel being shared and Christ being glorified, rather
than promoting the names of our own churches, tribes, missions, or ministries.
I wish to reiterate, we are not competitors. Let’s work together for the
expansion of His Kingdom and glory. Never forget that the mission belongs to
God; serve Him faithfully as one who belongs to Him.
