What Is the Cutting Edge in Missions?

Recently a mission “expert” was giving advice to a pastor. “Your mission program is good,” he said, “but it is rather traditional. You are no longer at the cutting edge.” He went on to say that traditional churches support long-term missionaries while cutting-edge churches support short-term missionaries, nationals or form church-to-church partnerships.

The internationalization of modern missions is indeed one of the most exciting movements of our day. This movement, however, has a long history and it didn’t just happen in a vacuum. It is the fulfillment of the goals and prayers of long-term missionaries who have consciously fostered the formation of national church leadership and missionary societies in the non-western world. Since the earliest days of cross-cultural ministry, missionaries who have given their whole lives to planting churches that are equipped to fulfill Christ’s commission.

God has used the efforts of “traditional” missions in such an outstanding way that today the numbers (and perhaps the spiritual vitality) of the non-western church outstrip that of the West. Because of God’s blessings, “traditional” missionaries have been effective beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Possibly the main reason they have been so effective is because they have taken the time to learn the culture, cultivate trust with nationals and learn the language well. The patient endurance of long-term missionaries is a critical factor in their success. I would like to suggest that the cutting edge of missionary strategy is still long-term missionaries working together with national churches to win the rest of the world. As we work in joyful partnership, we model the unity that God intended for His church and we become more effective in the task of world-wide evangelism.

God’s call to “go” must continue to be answered in every culture and era. If we ever dilute that call to simply “send money,” or merely travel during our vacation time, we will lose our sense of God’s heart for the world. Our missionary vision will be reduced to fund raising and mission tours. Of course we must help national churches to fund their ministries. But we need to help responsibly without creating an unhealthy dependence that robs churches of initiative and ownership in their missionary outreach.

Sent ones from every culture working together in loving fellowship worldwide form the most powerful strategy in missions. The cutting edge of world evangelism hasn’t changed in the last 2000 years!