Church’s responsibility for the sending of that Missionary ...



MISSIOLOGY

LECTURE 29

THE MOTHER CHURCH’S ROLE

IN UTERO RESPONSIBILITIES

As a man of God in a church officially recognizes, and then answers the call of God to go and plant a church, there comes with that certain responsibilities for the church he is a member of. That church, of course, needs to (hopefully) agree that this is God’s call and then get fully behind the man and the work God is calling him to.

Sadly, often it is the case that a pastor and church will not really be too excited about the ‘man’ and his family (and possibly another man and his family) leaving the church; they are big givers, they are very active in all aspects of the church, they are loved… Thus, there is often, in the beginning, a lagging of that parent church getting all excited and behind the soon to be Missionary. But, thank the Lord, often is the case that a few months go by and that church starts to realize that God is in all this and there is a great need in the new location and they are just being selfish for not wanting them to leave. Though, sometimes a church and pastor never really ‘get behind’ the Missionary; they ‘let them go’ but with some reservations. Well, why then commission them to go if you’ve got ‘reservations’… if your not just thrilled about it… if your not sure if it is God’s will or not…! Either get fully behind them, or put the brakes on.

A key role of the church’s Pastor and the Missionary is to rally the church body behind what is going to be taking place soon. Let the Missionary frequently give testimony on what the Lord is doing. Have prayer time specifically for the ministry God’s calling him too (fasting also). Learn about the new area and share the information with the church. Have some of the members visit the new area (if not too far away) and then have them give testimonies about what God placed on their hearts.

The Pastor should help ‘network’ that Missionary with area churches and be a great help in promoting the future church birth with his pastor friends. That Pastor’s full, without reservation, recommendation for the Missionary is a very key aspect of that Missionary ever getting financial and prayer support.

That Pastor needs to make sure the future Missionary is doctrinally sound, that he has no moral character issues to yet work on, that his family and he are emotionally and intellectually prepared for the great adventure that awaits them, that their finances are in reasonable order, and that he has a reasonable plan for accomplishing the great task at hand. Also, the Pastor needs to work with that soon-to-be Missionary in drawing up official church documents, getting travel documents (if out of country), helping him find a meeting place and home (if not too far away), and figuring out the right time for the birth to take place.

The average length of time ‘in utero’ might be at the minimum 6 months, and the max maybe 3 years. The advantage to a long period of time is that ‘baby’ is going to be fully healthy upon birth; the disadvantage is that there is no birthed baby (church) for that time…there is this period of time of waiting, wishing, wanting…and there are many people in the new location that oh so desperately need that baby there! But, you don’t want a ‘pre-mature delivery’.

THE BIRTHING RESPONSIBILITIES

There isn’t much role mentioned of in the Bible; this seems to show that that work was a church and was independent.

The main passage dealing with a church and the birthing process is the following:

Acts 13:1-4 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

It is implicent that churches began as a result of their evangelism work…whether immediately, or in due time.

There isn’t much said about a church’s role in birthing a church, other than it birthes a church. Thus, much of what is said in this lecture is based on reason, logic, practicality, experience, assumptions, and even wild guesses. It is more of a philosophy than a doctrinal position.

It is totally the responsibility of that parent church in the birthing of the daughter church…that is for sure. It is all on Mommy. But, after the birth occurs, just how much responsibility does Mommy have? In real life with humans, Mommy is still extremely responsible for the baby; in fact this continues to maybe age 18 or so. This is not quite the case with a newly birthed church. It is born with everything it needs to stay alive and survive on its own…without Mommy there taking care of it. It is fully functional from the ‘get go’.

I believe that the Mother church still has some responsibility, though, with that newly birthed baby church; how long does that responsibility last?... it probably never ends. It’s authoritative role with that baby ends right at the birth. But it’s responsibility shall continue for a lifetime.

Many (most) Mother churches don’t ‘allow’ the sent Missionary and the people meeting with him in the new location, to officially organize into a church for a certain period of time. Even though this appears patently unscriptural to me, that ‘sending’ church is fully responsible for everything that goes on with that Missionary and his ‘converts’ (or proselytes) for the duration until said organization takes place. There are some Missionaries that have a so-called ‘church’ that never officially organizes. Thus, that sending church is totally responsible before God and men for anything and everything that goes on with her. I think it to be much wiser and much more scriptural to commission that Missionary and his ‘2nd man’ as a church from the beginning and then be there to help ‘her’ through the months and years to come…but not be totally responsible for ever ‘bad thing’ that may come upon her in her beginning years of life. Once that baby is officially born, then the Mother needs to take on the role of ‘helper’, or ‘assistor’, and not ‘overseer’, or ‘authoritative parent’; yet, so many times is the case when Mother will ‘tell the Missionary’ what to do, and if he doesn’t do it, then she will call him back home.

Many churches will rely on the ‘expert’ Mission Board (or agency) to take ‘responsibility’ for the ‘approved’ Missionary. This shows the Pastor to be lazy, unloving, and very unscriptural. There shouldn’t even be a ‘surrogate parent’ involved in this process! There only needs (and can be) to be one Mother…not two.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INFANT

It is important to be a Mother that still has an ‘umbilical cord’ connected to the baby. Yes, I know… the baby is an autonomous entity (a real church), that doesn’t have to have Mommy helping with anything; but, oh how important it is for Mommy to still be connected, hypothetically, and assisting wherever she can. Mommy needs to be nosey… she needs to be talking to the baby a lot… she needs to be trying to spoil the little ‘cutey’! However, some Mothers say ‘good riddance’ once the baby is born and is totally disconnected and might not even talk to her unless baby initiates it first. This ought not to be…Mommy needs to stay connected to baby….

It would be very helpful to have a rotation of families to visit the baby church; a different family each week, rotating through maybe 4, 5, 8, even 10 families. And do this for 6 months, or even a whole year. This, of course, would not be practical if the church plant is thousands of miles away. Nonetheless, just think how encouraging it would be to that beginning church to have an excited, well grounded, helpful, friendly family in each week. The new folks attending the new church would be encouraged by all this, for sure! These families can help with music, teaching, soulwinning, setting up, repairs, preaching, etc., etc..

It is good to have an initial ‘evangelism blitz’; the Mother church should send as many people as they can (and other area churches also) to help ‘blanket the town’ with information about the new church…and, of course, win souls! The Mother church should put a fair amount of time, energy, and money into the initial advertising for that new church plant.

The Mother church should be the biggest financial supporter of the new church. A reasonable amount might be $500 per month; but why not $1000, $2000, or even be the sole financial supporter (at least for a time…maybe 2 years)??!! It is pitiful to have the Mother church only support that baby they’ve birthed for what they give to the average Missionary they support ($50 or $100 per month)! They should love that new baby way, way more than these other babies by other mothers! And they need to put their money where their mouth is. Thus, it is wise to begin preparing for the increased financial allottment here months prior.

When the Missionary comes back on ‘furlough’, the Mother church should take care of all their needs (housing, car, special needs; but money should not be a main issue since they are still getting their support each month).

Also, the Mother church needs to be prepared to ‘rescue’ a Missionary and his family in case of some unforseen emergency that comes their way: health, physical danger, financial disaster, new members revolt, government red tape, etc.. Thus, the Mother church should have an ‘emergency fund’ set upt to prudently prepare for the ‘unknown’.

Probably the main responsibility that a Mother should take on for the infant is in being the banker and the correspondance administrator for the new Missionary…especially if he is oversees. That Mother church should take in the support monies and then once a month transfer it all into the Missionary’s bank account; there may be 2 accounts…one for the Missionary, and one specifically for the church. The monthly or quarterly Missionary Letter should be processed out (printing and mailing) by Mommy…not the Missionary in the jungles of Cambodia!

The most important responsibility, by far, is for that Mother church to consistantly and fervently pray for that infant. It’s dangerous out there; the Devil wants the baby to die.

1 Thess 5:25 Brethren, pray for us.

2 Thess 3:1-2 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

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