From The Mission Handbook:
(1) in the past four years, the number of North Americans in full-time missionary service declined by 3.8%,
while
(2) the number of non-US/non-Canadian workers supported from North America increased by 32.3%.
Also:
(3) in the past four years, “Increasing financial and human resources shifted away from agencies reporting primary activities in the evangelism/discipleship category and toward agencies reporting primary activities in the relief and development category” (p. 47);
and:
(4) “The explosion of short-term missions has yet to have any type of proportional impact on long-term missions” (p. 27). The number of short-term missionaries going out from North America keeps on growing, while the number of long-term missionaries keeps on declining.
I agree with Brad’s austere assessment and would add much to it, because it’s not just about a wealthy nation Vs. poor nations. Beating up on U.S. Christians because they simply live in a wealthy nation, by providence mind you, is PURE theology of glory (fallen religion). For our so called outward wealth hides our REAL need (the same Good News) and such delirious guilt mongering (especially from the pulpit – shameful sermons if you want to call them such) only sets such persons onto “working their way to heaven” (but really hell).
If I had to pin it down it is really quiet simple. These data are a result from American churches, and this is going to hurt because NOBODY wants to hear of it (especially so called protestant churches), that have by in large stopped preaching the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. It is either not preached point blank, covered up, over thrown or assumed, pick your poison. The Gospel begets itself (more on that below), when it’s largely not there, well then this is what you get or some variation of it.
The increase in helping the local physical need with the correlated or rather driving phenomena of the decrease in Gospel ministry shows this very thing. The emphasis of church preaching and teaching by-in-large on “good works”, per se, with the simultaneous decrease of the Good News (or even a shift of emphasis such as to assume the later) produces this very thing (of which churches like Saddleback are merely the archetypical examples).
The growth of “short term missions” (and support) is merely an outlet for guilt driven works due to the sans Gospel relief (and this I’ve seen happen in churches not just like Saddleback but supposed “Calvinistic” churches, supposed high end doctrinal churches) that the flock should be receiving and the law light preaching that replaces both Law and Gospel. These trips then become to the conscience a quasi-sacramental “relief valve” that the Word (Gospel) and sacraments should be. At length they become the outward manifestations or “badges” of “what I’m doing” in the “church yard piety box” to “make sure” I’m “saved, elect, regenerate, chosen” – again, pick your poison. And the fact that we teach this to our youth is flat out demonic. Missions are not a means to bring youth to Christ, the same Gospel IS and ONLY IS! And missions are NOT means of grace, that’s what the sacraments are for, but you would hardly know that today in American churches. I polled the youth once in a former church of ours and was shocked, deeply stricken in heart (the pastor wasn’t though, very nonchalant about it) by what they thought “got them into heaven” (and this was not a loosey goosey doctrinal church either)!
There’s a difference in a message (from the pulpit, SS’s, broadly out there in Christian circles, etc…) that is largely a message of “evangelISM” and a message that is the “evangel”. The difference at length is the difference of two religions, one of works or fallen with some Christianese white wash and one of Christ and Him crucified or the true religion. At many churches, especially one’s I formerly belonged to, the message is not the Good News but one of “evangelism, missions, get busy some how”. The later has the appearance of wisdom but at length is utterly vain and produces much of what you see in these statistics. The Good News begets itself or as Paul says “is the power”, and not some other message! I was once talking to a family member who was very pridefully, because they were very “involved in this way”, saying, “I wish Christians had the same zeal that Mormons do” (we were doing Mormon missions at the time). I replied, “Do you realize just how asinine that is? Of course they are zealous, they have some idea of a hell and know they are going to physically die some day – the filled grave yards with its stones in every city and burg are the most tangible evidence of this to us – death is sure and certain for ALL. So, it’s no shock whatsoever that they are zealous in working their way to heaven. Fear of punishment and hope of reward can generate a great ZEAL, so much that one will turn one’s mission unto righteousness into flying planes into buildings giving ones very life. But these merely, at all levels, are witnesses of their perdition – even and especially outwardly good looking works, not just the later. Have you ever thought that a man could really be working his way to heaven EVEN by missions and evangelism and is in reality becoming a martyr to his own perdition?” Of course that wasn’t received well which merely proves the point. The Law does strike its blows deeply.
None of that is to be speaking against missions or evangelism but to point out the deception and then drive to the cure, namely the Gospel in strength. If one REALLY wants REAL missions and REAL evangelism, STOP preaching on those and declare Christ crucified and risen for them constantly throughout the Word and with the Sacraments, and this Gospel WILL beget itself. To not believe this is to call God a liar, there’s no sugar coating for that.
E.g. a few months back a close brother/pastor/co-worker of mine was on a long trip to a meeting with another individual in a different department. He, the other guy, was Roman Catholic, life long. The guy kept asking my friend questions like, “Since you are a Christian what do you think about ________(some moralism generally). To make a long story short (it’s a great story though) my friend kept pressing the Gospel to him, 200 proof and would not let up. Finally at one junction my friend explained to him that what Christ came to do was to have our sins imputed to Him and His righteousness imputed to us so that there is literally NOTHING left to do, NOTHING period, you are free. A good roman catholic like today’s protestant gets the former while largely missing the later, thus missing the Gospel. It absolutely stunned him, literally. He said, “That’s the most compelling thing I’ve EVER heard in my entire life!” My friend said he kept repeating that phrase all the way home (a 3 hour drive). Day’s later, my friend found out, that this guy went home and told his mother and family (all RCs), and continued to tell other high end folks in our departments and etc… I told my friend, “See! The Gospel begets itself. If you had given to him as a fellow Christian some moralism affirmation to his query or some vain message of “do evangelism or missions”, it would have NEVER left the car. But you gave 200 proof Gospel to him and guess what! It stunned him and it could NOT help but leave the car and fall on other’s ears! That’s, my friend, is the power of God that is foolishness to the world’s messages.”
That’s the problem and solution in a nutshell.
Blessings,
Larry
