Missions: Growing in Latin America

In the early years of working in other countries, sometimes North American missionaries made the mistake of not emphasizing the Great Commission in every church.  It is, after all, not easy for a pastor who is not supported financially by the church to encourage the church to reach out further than the immediate area.  Local church planting continued to happen as young men and women were trained for the ministry and sent out, but it was unusual to hear of missionaries being sent by their local churches to other countries.  When it did happen, they often went to the United States to raise their support.

That is now changing.

Every Sunday morning in Arequipa, Peru, the people of Alto Selva Alegre rise to their feet to say their mission statement together:

The Baptist church of ASA exists to worship God and to prepare workers who will carry the gospel from Arequipa to all nations and thereby glorify God.

A ladies' meeting focusing on serving God.

There is an excitement in the air.  This church realizes that they are responsible for their part of fulfilling the Great Commission.  Young men and women are considering the call to missions.  One young man has been raising his support to go to India.  The Peruvian churches who are supporting him are praying that his visa, which was denied once, will be granted so that he can go.

Not only is this church aware of their need for missions, but other churches in Arequipa are sending out workers as well.  A leadership conference, held in Arequipa while I was there, highlighted two missionaries every night - one with ministry within the country and one with ministry outside of it.  A missionary to Turkey asked for prayer in language learning.  He needs to learn Turkish in order to effectively reach out to neighbors and friends, but he and his children also need to learn English in order for them to go to school there.  Another missionary talked of the great things God is doing in Venezuela in the midst of the economic difficulties in that land.

In Bolivia, we met a missionary who is part of a group that is praying that God will raise up 100 Bolivians and send them around the globe.  We also spoke with a pastor whose desire is to see his church plant many other churches throughout Bolivia and go on to send out many missionaries.

In other countries, missionary fervor is growing as well.  In Uruguay, we talked with a man who is considering becoming a missionary to Israel.  In Guatemala, the church where we were has several missionaries they are already supporting and want to increase their missionary budget.   We spoke with one man who realizes that the U.S. is in spiritual trouble, and they are considering the possibility of sending missionaries here.

I love how we all have a part.  I go there, and they come here.  God is sending His people around the world.  Their paths cross each other along the way so that one thing may happen - more people from every tribe, language, and nation will one day gather at the throne of God and worship Him as one mighty throng.

Multiplying Jerusalems

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Ac 1:8 AV)

I had the privilege and pleasure to participate in a missions conference recently where a preacher said he explained missions as "multiplying Jerusalems." We often focus on missions as a way of fulfilling the Great Commission. We look at the way the Apostles fulfilled the Great Commission and see them planting churches. We connect the dots and see church planting as a way of fulfilling the Great Commission, and that is correct. We often fail to add the next dot in the line which is when the church plant matures and starts planting churches!

As a church seeks to fulfill the Great Commission and plants a church, in a nearby community or half-way around the world, the new church becomes the "Jerusalem" for that new congregation. When that church plant grows and the Lord lays a "Judea, Samaria, or uttermost part of the earth" on their hearts they undertake a church plant in obedience to the Great Commission. A new "Jerusalem" is created.

Whether the churches are planted by a team from a single local church or as a result of a number of churches working together through a missionary the goal is the same; bring an independent local church into being. The ultimate goal is to see churches multiplied "unto the uttermost part of the earth."