The Works of A Missionary
Answers to the question ‘what do missionaries do?’ would vary from evangelising, preaching, saving souls, to doing social service and so on. Scarcely would anyone bring the word ‘Church’ in their answer.
We have seen in India that so-called missionaries go to different places just doing evangelistic, open-air meetings. On the other hand, professionals like doctors and teachers working with Christian organisations are also called missionaries. All this has influenced our present definitions of ‘missionary’ and ‘missionary works.’
But the New Testament defines missionary and missional works differently.
What are Missionary Works According to The Bible?
The best definition of ‘missionary works’ can be drawn from the ministry and teachings of Apostle Paul.
With Paul, mission begins with the proclamation of the gospel (Act 13:5) and ends with the establishment of the church (Acts 13 & 14). The Book of Acts reveals that the ultimate objective of missionary works is to form and to perfect lasting Christian communities, to establish them in the Gospel, mission, and leadership, and to move on to other places to repeat the process.
Michael Griffiths, who has served as General Director of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship, Principal of London Bible College, says,
“… it means starting in a town or district where there is no existing church, making contacts, developing friendships, leading people to faith in Christ, instructing converts, baptizing them, beginning church meetings with them, and building them up into a functioning congregation in such a way that you can see local leaders trained and appointed, who will be able to carry on without you, and then moving on and starting the process all over again somewhere else.”
“…the main purpose of missionary works is to plant new churches where none exist and perfect existing churches where they do,” he adds.1
In the missionary works of Paul, Barnabas, and their missionary teams, the church was at the centre. They were sent by a church and they were to plant new churches and perfect the existing churches.
What is the Goal of Missionary Works?
Evangelising, preaching, and winning souls – these were not the goals in themselves for missionary works, but the means to achieve the ultimate goal of planting and establishing churches. Therefore, missionary works should result in forming and establishing Christian communities.
The ultimate outcome of missionary works isn’t a multiplication of just individuals but multiplication of the communities – the churches.
Missionaries not only formed and established the believing communities, but also trained and appointed the leaders from within those local communities to continue the functioning communities. Then, the missionaries could move on to other places to repeat the process over again, thus, continuing the church planting movement.
Without training leaders, the works of evangelism and church planting might go down the drain since the local churches will no longer survive, and ultimately Christian communities will vanish. Hence, training leaders is an important aspect of missionary works.
Conclusion
Therefore, missionaries or church leaders shouldn’t always settle down in the same church forever.
They should be able to distinguish between who are to remain as local leaders and train them in local leadership, and educate those who are to go out as missionaries in missionary works and train them accordingly.
