While it’s important to learn from the differences between the church in the U.S. and the rest of the world, we share universal priorities.
By Scott McConnell
In pursuing the Great Commission, churches in the U.S. are not that different from those in the rest of the world. While it’s important to learn from the differences, the things we share remind us of the universal priorities of the church.
Speakers and discussions among participants at The Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in South Korea this fall underscored similarities in the church of Jesus Christ amidst many contextual differences among participants. These participants included believers—both laity and ministry leaders—from over 200 countries.
1. Same source
Resources represent one of the biggest contextual differences across countries in the world. Yet the church’s foundation and source of plenty is Jesus Christ and His Word. When we think resources have dried up, He possesses all we need. When we think progress has stopped, God is at work.
During COVID, Theophile Pare, a pastor in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, was discouraged that his church could not meet in large numbers and had to set aside their plans to build a church building. But this setback led them to explore ministry in neighboring towns. This work has produced seven new churches. He praised God for His unexpected provision when their people and facility resources were limited.
Like many of us, it took extenuating circumstances for Pare and his church to experience God’s provision. Yet the opportunity for us to ask God to provide the things that matter most exists at any time. Sarah Breuel, director of Revive Europe, points out that too often we’re looking for the next strategy, when “we need something from the hand of God.”
When we think about the transformed lives we want to see in and through our church, we can often get discouraged by the absence or infrequency of these transformations. As we look for the problem, we never say God is absent or unable. But our obsession with examining our own efforts and approaches ignores His presence and power.
Our source of success is not found in our excellence in execution. The source of our next breakthrough is not the next strategy we embrace. Our power or lack thereof does not reside in our church’s leaders, bank account, or methods. “Our mission can only be fulfilled as we recommit and submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit,” said Femi Adeleye, Africa director for Langham Preaching.
“Our mission can only be fulfilled as we recommit and submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit.” — Femi Adeleye, Africa director for Langham Preaching Share on X2. Same commission
The Great Commission Jesus gave His disciples before He ascended into heaven has been passed down through the generations to us today. Not only has the story been translated and repeated, but each generation of believers in every place where the gospel has traveled has inherited the responsibility.
As believers and local churches obey this command to go, Christ’s followers are going from everywhere to everywhere with the message of the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. We have been sent along with churches and believers around the world.
“God uses the unknown, unnamed, and uncelebrated,” said Patrick Fung, global ambassador of OMF International. Fung pointed out that when the first persecution began with the stoning of Stephen in Acts 8:1 all the believers except the apostles were scattered. Verse 4 says, “So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word” (CSB). Such a response to persecution was radical. The Holy Spirit fueled this conviction and obedience among unnamed people.
While we may be discouraged that many in our congregations don’t share their faith with others, there are some unnamed people who do. In churches around the world, unknown, uncelebrated people are faithful along their way to share the Word with those in their lives. This isn’t the script for a new movie. It isn’t something that will go viral on social media. These people won’t speak at the next conference we attend. Yet, Christians are still embracing this shared commission today.
3. Same gospel
“Persecution never kills the church. But a compromised gospel will,” said Fung. As numerous current stories of persecution of believers around the world were shared at Lausanne, it could be easy for Americans to feel distant from these stories. Yet, in every culture, the gospel’s invitation to turn from sin and self to embrace Jesus as Lord is offensive.
The increasing unpopularity of the truths from Scripture in our culture tempts us to compromise. This danger of thinking that God’s Word is not sufficient puts us at the brink of doubting God Himself. The challenge for believers is the same challenge for those who have not yet believed: Are we willing to trust Jesus and the words of testimony about Him?
“Persecution never kills the church. But a compromised gospel will.” — Patrick Fung, global ambassador of OMF International Share on X“The gospel is supra-cultural. It contains the complete truth about people and their societies as revealed in Scripture,” said Ronaldo Lidório, a Brazilian pastor who serves in evangelism and leadership development efforts in the Amazon region. There is nothing in our changing culture that changes biblical truth. God’s revelation to us is unchanging and yet never irrelevant. Proclaiming this truth has always required courage and boldness.
Lidório emphasized the power of God’s Word, quoting Martin Luther: “I simply taught, preached, and wrote God’s Word. Otherwise, I did nothing. And while I slept … the Word did everything… For it is almighty and takes captive the heart.”
4. Same mission
“Make disciples, not converts,” said Dale Stephenson, pastor of Crossway Baptist Church in Australia. He noted Jesus had no Christians to disciple. He had people. Jesus led these men to faith and to a life of faith. When Jesus later told them to make disciples, it was a calling to glorify God in relationship with other believers.
In the United States and many other countries, the reputation of Christians is often scandalous. The Seoul Statement released by Lausanne’s Theology Working Group includes an emphasis on the biblical theology of holiness and mission lamenting that “we have often failed to live in keeping with the holy pattern of life he gave to us and to teach others to do the same.”
Mentioning in church that someone prayed to receive Christ will always illicit a positive response or applause. Yet, loving each other and walking in holiness are just as integral to our mission. Our mission is not achieving converts but making disciples. In relationship, we teach with words and faithful lives. In turn, the believers we walk with are encouraging our faith and obedience.
We need good biblical teachers, but we (and our teachers) also need good companions in following Christ. As we seek to bring every area of our lives under the lordship of Christ, both our conversations and our actions should reflect this. This integral mission requires we love our Christian companions and people who have not yet come to faith in Jesus.
For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.
