The "Non-Missional" Church

I am currently in Sydney, Australia, participating in some leadership meetings. However, I am trying to get a few things on-line. The following continues with a few of my thoughts on obstacles to discipleship in Latin America.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Evangelical and Charismatic church in Latin America is often presented as a success story in the North American and European, Christian press. It has appeared in media like the “transformation videos”, which have been very popular in recent years. Many Anglo pastors are now reading books by Latin pastors with the hope of understanding their success of church growth.

Still, many Latin churches suffer the complex of being mission churches rather than missional churches. They are churches capable of following the example and models of the founding missions and missionaries with little experience at becoming missional themselves. Form has been successfully transferred, but the vision or capability to multiply ministries is by and large absent. It is painful to admit, but in many cases the local, Latin Church exists solely for its members.

Books like “The Purpose Driven Church” (as well as church models like the G12) are impacting this evident obstacle. However, it must be stated that many local churches still have little idea of why they exist and what their purpose or goals might be.

A great term exists in Spanish: “Hablar sin pelos en la lengua” … speaking without hair on the tongue. It literally means to speak in a direct and forthright fashion.

As a missionary with over 27 years of experience in Latin America, allow me to comment “sin pelos en la lengua” about the dead-end model of church that organizations have planted for years in Latin America. Missions have sent workers who have begun ministries supported with funds from the exterior which have been propped up by an infrastructure also provided generously from the outside. While many of these churches give every appearance of health, they are incapable of multiplying their current model in additional church plants.

Leaders and churches with little experience in multiplying themselves will have little ability in producing disciples with a passion for multiplying themselves. It is imperative that Latino churches begin to break the mold and begin to think and act in a missional fashion. It is imperative that missions and missionaries allow them the right and honor to create churches which are essentially Latin.