Stop Church Planting!

Now that I have your attention, let me explain!

We had a fellow missionary visit recently.  He and his wife are 30 year veterans of ministry in Africa both in Zambia and here in Botswana.

We had good fellowship and as he was leaving he said (referring to missionaries in general):

"We need to stop church planting and focus on making disciples"

To which we say a loud AMEN!

To clarify…...In the current era of missions this might almost seem like heresy.  But we have felt this way for a long time.  Since before we first left Australia to serve in Botswana, we had individuals and churches 'apologise' that they couldn't support us because they only partnered with those doing 'church planting'.

While sounding noble, this actually lacks biblical validity, and narrows the focus significantly.  The term or a command to 'plant churches' is not to be found in Scripture.

Jesus' command was not to "go and plant churches".

We have concerns. As noble as 'church planting' sounds, it isn't actually the Biblical 'Great Commission'.  Jesus did not tell his disciples to go and plant churches.  

He did however tell them to go and make disciples and he told them to make these disciples across all the world.  

Our focus is not be be about  'planting churches', but about making disciples who will by definition as Christ's disciples be Christ's body and thus Christ's church. As those in a common area who become disciples gather together, they then become the local 'church' in that place.  

The 'church' description is not the start of the process but part of the result of the process. In fact though we talk of 'planting' a church, what about the 'watering' of a church or helping in the 'growth' of a church?

We are to make disciples and keep making disciples, not in relation to numbers of churches planted but in relation to loving others so as to win souls that grow to maturity. The 'making' process is life-long and on-going.  

 ….and as an aside, we want to confirm that 'making disciples' does not equate to collecting 'converts'. A profession of faith or 'alter call' response is not the same as the ongoing growth of a disciple - one who turns to follow Christ and keeps following. Again bringing people to the point of faith in Christ is part of the discipleship process but is not the totality of 'making disciples'.

There are consequences of confusing 'church planting' with 'making disciples'.

Sadly, we see several concerning consequences of the view that 'church planting' is the only valid ministry in relation to missions:  

• in some quarters it has become 'less' to be anything other than a 'church planter' if you are a missionary. 
• missionaries who are not specifically 'church planting' are subltly made to feel like they are not as important or 'biblical' in their role by those in their home countries.  It's like an honourable position vs a shameful position.  One 'measures' up to the noble standard and the other does not.  
• Not only does it demean and dishonour God's work being done in whatever doesn't fit the 'church planting' definition, but it also rejects those who God calls to serve in ways that are not directly 'church planting'. 
• It excludes anything, outside a group's definition of 'church planting', as not valid obedience to Christ's commission. 
• It also communicates to the (sending) churches that those who would not be 'church planters' cannot be involved in reaching out to share the gospel and make disciples cross-culturally so should feel no obligation at all to even consider that Jesus' commission could relate to them in a cross-cultural way.
• the emphasis can become the establishing the organisational 'structure' of  a church rather than making healthy growing and maturing disciples
• the focus leans to 'measurable outcomes' (such as number of activities undertaken, increase in numbers of attendees or baptisms etc), rather than immeasurable inner heart transformation.
• the churches 'planted' are often immature in ongoing spiritual growth

Instead, from a biblical perspective, the 'how' one makes disciples can take on various forms depending on the context God has called you to live and work in, the skills He has given you, the people and culture around you, your age and your strengths/limitations physically, etc etc.  No-one is exempt from being part of Jesus' command to go into all the world and make disciples.

While aspects of what we might label as 'church planting' (such as preaching, pastoring and training), are not excluded from ways discipleship can be carried out, it is not the exclusive definition or expression of discipleship. 

While you may think I am overstating the issue, this is not an isolated observation.

 Jackson Wu on his blog, over at Patheos also mentions the issue.

He speaks about the ethics of missions and missionary strategy, and raises three categories to examine to see which one you fit.  We found ourselves very much in his third category and agreeing wholeheartedly with his concluding remarks on that category.  

What does this look like in a ministry context?

Missionaries with this perspective lay stress on discipleship and the church's character. They will be concerned with balance so as not to be one-dimensional and stunt the church's growth. As a result, they might not see rapid visible results but they will more likely see fruit that lasts. Their holistic approach accounts for what is needed for long term growth in the Christian life.

What drives them? The conviction that God is glorified in diverse ways. Professions of faith, planting churches, etc. are just one possible way God can get glory. Faithfulness, healthy families, and service to the needy glorify God as well.

They do not want to compromise by only glorifying God in a single, narrow aspect of ministry.

Lets not confuse a 'means' with the GOAL

God can be glorified in the varied means and steps of making disciples, as long as the means doesn't become the goal to the exclusion of all other means, and the goal is still to make disciples so as to present them mature in Christ.  

There are many churches on mission fields that are 'functioning' with all the 'normal' structure and activities that a westerner might expect, but are full of members who are not born again and do not understand the biblical meaning of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Then there are those who may be saved but are not being discipled to maturity. 

There are young Pastors being trained and then going back to rural churches but have no access to Christian bookshops, internet, conferences or fellowship with other godly pastors nearby or older godly mentors who can give ongoing discipleship. In a 'church planting' definition of the Great Commission, such a context is not considered worthy or eligible for a 'missionary' because the church is already planted and has a pastor….but in reality the Pastor himself still needs ongoing discipleship.  Yet the global church sees it as a 'ticked box', the church is 'planted'….but it remains stunted and the fruit may be more limited than it could be.

Let's ensure that we keep the goal, the biblical one.

We are not called, (whether serving in our own town, cross-culturally, overseas or across the street) to maintain methods and traditions and systems and terminology. 

Rather we are called to Honour the King of the Kingdom we have been re-born into by obeying His commission to all of us and each one of us - to go and make disciples anywhere and everywhere in the world that He calls and places us.

50 years ago Botswana.....

.....gained her Independence as a country.

….when their first President Sir Seretse Khama was married to a white British lady, Ruth, setting the standard and example for racial harmony, beginning the process of what we see around us today!  Later this year a new movie will open the British Film Festival called 'A United Kingdom'. It's about their story. 

The flag of this landlocked Southern African country reflects the principles of peace (light blue) and racial harmony (black and white).

Next month - September is the month of the main celebration, particularly on the actual day - September 30th, but in this month of August the celebrations have increased significantly.  The 'torch' has been travelling around the country and is nearing the completion of its journey and other events of celebration are already occuring. There is a big event planned at the National Stadium for the day.  The daughter of the lady who works as our house-help, is one of the school children who was chosen to participate in the special displays on the day.

These next weeks will be ones filled with much celebrating and ululating. …….

Botswana was never colonised, but was the 'Bechuanaland Protectorate' of Great Britain from 1885 till Independance in 1966. It was the only country in the world that had its Capital in another country.

Great Britain didn't place much value in this patch of sparsely populated, hot, dry Kalahari Desert (70% of the country), with less than 1% of arable land.  

So the process of Independence was very peaceful.

We have heard it said that "the worst thing Great Britain did for Botswana was nothing, but the best thing Great Britain did for Botswana was nothing!"

But in 50 years it's come a long way…..

ROADS

The new country of Botswana inherited from Great Britain only 6km of sealed road in the entire country! 

Now it has over 6000km of sealed road including some multi-laned highways! (and about another 20,000km of other gravel and sand roads)

DIAMONDS

• Such progress is mostly due to the fact that in 1967, the year after Independence, diamonds were discovered.....lots of diamonds!
• Botswana now produces 1/3 of the world's diamonds.....or should we rather say that 1/3 of the world's diamonds are extracted from beneath the sand in Botswana.
• The Debeers rough diamond sales headquarters relocated in 2013 from London to Gaborone, Botswana's Capital city.
• It is wise use of the money from these diamonds which has essentially funded the development of the country in such quick time.
• But diamonds in the dust of the desert is a reminder of the extremes of this country.  

On the one hand Botswana supplies the world with 1/3 of its diamonds,

yet there are...

SOME GREAT ADVANCES and SOME GREAT CHALLENGES

As much as the diamonds is a 'wow' statistic, on the other hand, it has as much of a 'oh no' statistic of still being the country with one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world.

It also has one of the highest degrees of income differences in the world between the rich and poor.

Then in the north it has the large Chobe River and Game Reserve and the largest inland Delta (Okavango Delta) in the world with an abundance of wildlife, and bird life and spectacular scenery.

A Pod of Hippopotami in the Chobe River

But in the south there have been times in recent days when the main hospital can't carry out all needed surgery because of massive water rations due to there not being enough to supply the area's requirements let alone peak demands and the major dam supplying the capital city 'failed' because it more or less dried up.  It is currently in the midst of the driest year in 34 years!

It is a country with massive potential but also have to deal with massive difficulties.

It's a tough time in its history. But it is persevering and making full effort to grow itself.

As it becomes more educated, exposed to media, and urbanised, all new pressures come upon it.  It's people want more, expect more and consume more.

THE PEOPLE

POPULATION

While population growth dropped during the worst of the HIV crisis it is now over 2 million people, about 4 times what it was at Independence.

At Independance the population of it's capital city (which had been built from scratch in 3 years) was 5000.  It was originally built with a maximum of 20,000 in view. At the 2011 census it had over 230,000 with over 420,000 in the wider agglomeration area. 61% of the population of the country has now become urbanised, whereas over 90% were rural dwelling in multiple villages under 500 people at the time of Independence

EDUCATION

At Independance schooling was limited.  Only 20% of school aged children were attending school at all, but only about 100 had completed Secondary School and 1.4% had completed Primary School.  There was no university of its own but a shared one with Swaziland and Lesotho.  There were only 22 University Graduates among the entire population. The University of Botswana started in 1982.  Now there are a few different Universities both state and privately run, and other various tertiary study institutions, and over 95% of children attend school.

HEALTH

One area of priority since Independence has been health. Though there were some clinics at Independence it is said that most did not have resident staff. There are now multiple hospitals and clinics both government and private.

Almost all the country now has access to safe drinkable water. 

MEDIA & COMMUNICATION

It now has its own TV station and produces its own programs, and has multipe radio stations.

It has telephone, internet and cell phone availability, although full availability and efficiency of those services varies across the country

And these provisions and services have almost all come in the last 50 years.

MAKING ITS MARK

But this country of only 2 million people , one of the most sparsely populated in the world (3 people per square km) is making its mark on the world scene. 

It earned the name of the most peaceful country in Africa and one of the fastest growing economies of the world. At Independance GDP per capita was about US$70 per year but now boasts a GDP (purchasing power parity) per capita of about $18,825 per year as of 2015, which is one of the highest in Africa.

In 2012 Botswana gained its first Olympic medal when Nigel Amos won Silver in the Mens' 800m.

In 2015 it was rated yet again as the best in Africa in rule of law and governance. 

Also in 2015 the second largest diamond ever discovered in the world and the largest to be discovered in over a century, was found in Botswana.

Truly this is an amazing country - PRAY for her people, that they would seek God, not pride in their own achievements, as the measure of 'success'….that they would come to know the One who not only Created them but provided a way through Jesus Christ to save them from sin and give them true honour, not just for 50 years but for eternity.