Several of us have been wrestling with this question now for some time. How do we effectively mobilize nationals to reach their own people groups? One worker wrote, “I fear we are still mobilizing Americans to go to countries where colonialism and recent foreign policy has pretty much burned the bridges for Americans to serve there. People in the heart of the Muslim world are in their hearts resistant to Good News when delivered by Americans. How do we better utilize the money from the West but send workers from cultures closer to those where the remaining UUPGs live?” Please keep in mind — not *every* bridge has been burned. In many locations, Americans still are loved, cherished, invited, respected, and treated with dignity. But … then there are some other spots. What’s *you’re* opinion? How do *you* propose we manage things in those spots? How is your church and/or agency working with other cultures… say… someone from the Global South? Your thoughts? Just click “Comment” below to leave your opinion. And remember, you can do so totally anonymously.
The best article I have read on the subject recently.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/november/fresh-call-for-missionaries.html?start=4
There are probably no “cookie cutter” approaches, so any suggestions must be made witht he caveat that said suggestion may be effective in some places and not in others. So, no sacred cows here.
In theory sending out national evangelists to reach their own or similar peoples makes a lot of sense. However, there are some big problems out there when foreigners give money to nationals to preach the gospel. It can be a HUGE hindrance to evangelism rather than the catalyst if nationals agree to do if for the money and not for God, in which case you’re getting the wrong people to do it. It is a hindrance when national believers see it as an easy source of money and spiritualize serving God “full time” as a somehow more spiritual way of doing ministry. It is a hindrance when others who might have a desire to serve God choose not to do so because they don’t have access to a foreign missionary or org to give them money to do it, or if they are seen as illigetimate pastors/evangelists in the eyes of others because they also work to support themselves.
There are many reasons foreigners choose to be “tentmakers” to go to creative access countries. If we want to mobilize national evangelists and pastors, we should try to see how we could help train and mobilize them as “national tentmakers.”
Also, if we want to see a movement, there needs to be multiplication. Multiplication can only happen if the nationals have the ability to copy and reproduce approaches, methods and materials. Reproducibility can only happen if nationals use their own resources that are at their disposal. So, if they are not wealthy, it will often mean doing thing much more “simply” than how we do it at home.
How does technology fit into this question? I’m a GMO on-line missionary that sits in my living room and shares the gospel with indiviguals in closed countries in South Asia…I realize that this method has some draw-backs, not limited to the fact that the new christian has to find a church fellowship on his own…
But the “global church” must be able to include this kind of technology-driven evangelism.
What are your thoughts?