Best and worst in missions today

[Pergamum]

What are the best trends in missions today? What is happening that is good and fills you with hope?

What are the worst things in missions today, and what fills you with dread?

What do churches need to learn/rediscover about missions from the Bible to operate successfully?

What is your church doing in light of these trends? How do we best encourage the good and discourage the bad?

 

[A.J.]

What are the best trends in missions today? What is happening that is good and fills you with hope?

What are the worst things in missions today, and what fills you with dread?

The best trends in missions today would include the rediscovery of Reformation and Puritan literature not only in English-speaking countries but also in many other parts of the world, and the planting of confessionally faithful Presbyterian and Reformed churches in these areas either by local or foreign missionaries. In many cases, the reading of this kind of literature has been instrumental in the genuine conversion of people (who are from purportedly Christian backgrounds) to Christ. Another trend that fills me with hope is the multi-ethnic or multi-racial composition of many of the historic Presbyterian and Reformed churches in North America. It is good to know that you will find African-Americans, Asians, and Hispanics with their White brethren filling the pews and pulpits of these churches and praising the God of their salvation as one people.

The worst things in missions today would include the popularity of false doctrines like easy-believism, the carnal Christian heresy, and the so-called prosperity gospel. These heresies among others are notorious in producing false converts and destroying the testimony of churches. They bring shame upon Christianity. Another thing is the contempt for the Biblical view of church offices, and church membership. Ordination is no longer practiced in many circles, and female "pastors" have usurped the offices that are only for qualified and lawfully called Christian men. A loose form of church membership is found all across the board which results in the abandoning of the Biblical mandate to exercise discipline. The sacraments also have minimal role in the life of most evangelical churches today.

What do churches need to learn/rediscover about missions from the Bible to operate successfully?

What is your church doing in light of these trends? How do we best encourage the good and discourage the bad?

Churches first and foremost need to learn and rediscover the evangel. Evangelicals talk much about evangelism and missions. But a lot of them can hardly define that from which their name as a religious group was taken. It is futile to speak of evangelism without actually knowing the good news first. So professing Christian men and women ought to understand first what it is that they are trying to witness to the world. One of the best ways to know and understand the gospel (and the beliefs and practices of the Christian Faith) is to read the Bible alongside the Ancient Creeds, and the Reformed Confessions and Catechisms.

Churches also need to learn and rediscover the role of the church in missions. In many cases, para-church organizations are usurping the role the church has to play. Para-church organizations may be helpful, but they are not the church.

As with faithful Reformed churches everywhere, our church here in Manila as well as the other churches of our denomination are in the regular practice of catechising both adults and children. Doctrinal ignorance permeates evangelical circles, and this no doubt has contributed to the rise and popularity of false teachers and false teachings. Churches should learn and rediscover the value of Biblical instruction through the catechism. The use of the catechism is one of the practices churches need to start doing and faithfully implement in order to counter the anti-intellectualism that characterizes many churches today. By this, we come to see the good and distinguish it from the bad in the light of the Word. Doing missions presupposes a conveying of essential doctrinal truths. And this cannot be efficiently done where regular catechising is absent.

In my opinion, therefore, a good way of evaluating trends in the missions and evangelistic activities of churches is to look at the three marks of a true church: gospel, sacraments, and discipline. Trends in missions are at their worst when one or more of these are neglected or altogether removed.

In addition to these, Reformed people should strive all the more to reach out to their relatives, friends and neighbors trapped in false religions, and not to be simply content with having former evangelicals populating their churches.