I just finished reading “Revolution in World Missions” by Gospel for Asia (GFA) founder K.P. Yohannan. The “Revolution” referred to in the title is Yohannan’s belief that Western nations should shift from primarily sending western missionaries overseas to primarily supporting indigenous native missionaries that are already in the country to be evangelized, or near it.
After reading the book, I feel that GFA is doing some monumentally important work in Asia. Their strategies and methods of training native believers and sending them to plant churches among their own people or people who are culturally similar appear to be effective and efficient, and these missionaries ought to be held in high esteem for the sacrifices they make to help fulfill the great commission. Part of the book is meant to convict a western audience of selfishness and materialism, in order to free them to be able to give to overseas missions, and even as I myself felt convicted reading it, I believe his point is well made, and that we Christians here should be making sacrifices and cuts in our standard of living in order to support the work of missions overseas. All that said I have a number of disagreements with it, one in particular I’d like to address.
“Revolution in World Missions,” is essentially an extended support letter. Its purpose is to entreat western believers to financially and prayerfully support Asian missionaries in the third world so that they can spread the gospel. I have no problem with this. Yohannan seeks to gain financial support from three sources.
1. Individuals making changes in their own lifestyles in order to support more missions.
2. Churches shifting their spending from local ministries and buildings to world missions.
3. Churches shifting their support from western missionaries to indigenous missionaries.
Again, I find myself agreeing with him on the first two cases. However in the third case, I have to disagree. Yohannan, through many personal accounts of interactions with western missionaries, missions organizations and denominations, concludes that in nearly all cases Western missionaries are a tremendous waste of money, ineffective, motivated by pride, and full of subtle but deep seated prejudice and racism. In many instances this may indeed be the case, however the solution is not to pull the plug on the West sending missionaries, but for western “senders” to be better stewards in choosing whom they send, and for western missionaries to become better ministers in foreign countries. As a missionary appointee planning to go to Japan myself, I found many of his critiques helpful, as they give me things to watch out for. I believe any missionary that is humble, willing to live among the people he’s trying to serve and adopt their culture and strong in his faith can avoid most of the problems Yohannan has with Westerners.
I also have an issue with Yohannan’s strategy of “don’t send people, just send money.” Perhaps in many instances we should send more money than people but I think it’s very difficult to find Biblical justification for exclusively sending funds. The great commission to the disciples was not that they start saving up their money to hire people to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, but to start taking it there themselves. In the early church there were frequently missionaries being sent from one church and culture to another, and in this way all churches were encouraged. The function of a missionary is primarily to spread the gospel, but it in addition they serve as representatives, sharing news, resources and encouragement from one church to another. Yohannan himself claims that he believes that God has called him to open the eyes of Western Christians to see how deeply materialism has penetrated our hearts, and I have no doubt that this is the case. However that only goes to show that God uses people from other cultures to teach his children. Just as his Indian perspective allows him to see dangers in our culture, I think that a Western perspective could also perceive dangers in Indian culture.
Yohannan seems horrified at the thought of all the money that is being “wasted” on Western missionaries. However I think that this attitude does not take into consideration the sovereign provision of God. His fear is that if western churches send western missionaries then fewer native missionaries will be funded. This is odd given the many stories he relates of God’s miraculous provision of his ministry. Yohannan often comes across as though he believes that his ministry is the only one being led by the Holy Spirit, and that all missions organizations that are sending Western missionaries are doing it for some other reason.
To be fair, Yohannan does concede that there are occasions when western missionaries are useful, however he does so only in a few short sentences after spending chapters arguing that they are a waste.
In conclusion, I think we all need to be on the same team here, not competing for funds as though it were some sort of scarce natural resource. I believe that God is leading the ministry of Gospel for Asia, just as I believe that He is directing SEND, OMF, YWAM and countless other missions organizations. I believe that He will fund all the ones that He wants to succeed, and that if He wants to phase others out then He will. I think that American Christians need to give both generously and wisely in to support overseas missions work.
(SIDE NOTE: GFA doesn’t work in Japan, and it’s my opinion that, given the small number of Christians, Japan isn’t yet at a level where they have enough of their own that can reach the rest of the country, so it’s my opinion that Japan still very much needs missionaries from other countries to help take the gospel to its unreached areas.)
(NOTE 2: One thing I forgot to mention, that I think is important; in the interaction that I have had with Western missionaries, I have not noticed the negative qualities that Yohannan has described to be typical. In nearly all casses the impression I get from national believers is that the help of Western missionaries greatly appreciated and welcomed.)
Not having an unlimited amount of money to give to missions, I try to invest it so as to get the greatest return on my investment. Your article prompted me to examine the criteria I use for investing. Here are some of the ministries I give to and why.
1. GFA. I do give to Yohannan’s mission because I do think that native missionaries can be more cost-effective.
2. Navigators. I was led to the Lord and discipled by the Navs so I feel I have an obligation to support them.
3. Trans World Radio. I feel that radio is a very effective way to reach a multitude of people, especially where missionaries cannot go under repressive governments and religions.
4. World Missionary Press. I feel that inexpensive booklets are also a very cost-effective way to reach multitudes of people. I use tracts all the time to spread the gospel here in America. WMP have sent hundreds of thousands of gospel booklets into Haiti recently to minister spiritually to the earthquake victims.
5. Campus Crusade for Christ and Josh McDowell. This organization has a proven track record of effective ministry. Josh’s books such as “More than a Carpenter” can be distributed in Middle Eastern countries for about $3 and are read by hard-to-reach Muslims.
6. Smethurst Ministries. Dave Smethurst is a personal friend of mine who is wonderfully filled with the Holy Spirit and very effective in winning many souls to the Lord. He has been the head chaplain at the Olympics and Word Cup games and oversees orphanages in Eastern Europe.
7. Christ for All Nations. Reinhart Bonnke is very filled with the Spirit and has lead millions of souls to the Lord, as well as seen multitudes of healings occur in his meetings. I once asked the Lord how the gospel could be preached so that all the world would hear it before He came back, and the answer I believe He gave me was through miraculous signs and wonders such as happen in the Bonnke crusades.
I really believe that to be true. The Lord said in John 14:12 that his disciples that believe in Him will do the same works He had done, and even greater works. I myself have seen a few healings in people I have prayed for in other countries. I believe that this type of ministry will greatly increase before the Lord comes back, and is the type of thing that the Japanese people will need to see before there will be many conversions there.
The Lord said that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and then we would be witnesses. A couple people that come to mind that received that type of power through experiences of the baptism of the Holy Spirit are D. L. Moody and Corrie Ten Boom. Many evangelicals say that there is no subsequent experience with the Holy Spirit after conversion, but I believe that there are many irrefutable testimonies that contradict that doctrine.
This post has strayed from the initial topic of Yohannan’s book, but these thoughts are some things I wanted to share with you, Dave. I don’t know what your experience with or doctrine concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit is, but I hope that you will join me in seeking more of the Lord and His Spirit so that we can experience that promise He gave us in John 14:12. I think obedience and intimacy with the Lord are the most important keys to getting that power. The Bible says that He gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him.
Blessings to you and your lovely wife,
Steve
Hey Steve, just wanted to thank you comments. It’s really encouraging to know that other Christians are following along in our ministry. I’m sorry I took so long to get around to responding, but I have checked out some of the links and ministries you were talking about. I think perhaps we probably have some theological differences when it comes to gifts of the spirit, and signs, however it’s very interesting to hear a different perspective on things. Briefly I’ll say two things.
1. I believe that often times (and in my experience most of the time) God choses reach people without dramatic signs and miracles (although I believe that it is truly a miraculous work of God when anyone comes to Salvation). As I read through the Bible I see that the Israelites, despite seeing perhaps the most dramatic and obvious works of God in the time of Moses, still fell away from Him and doubted Him time and again. And in the New Testament, Jesus tells of the rich man and Lazarus, and when the rich man asked that he be allowed to visit his family to warn them, Abraham told him that if the scriptures were not enough to convince his family, then seeing a man raised from the dead would not convince them either.
2. I would never limit what God can do, and I do believe that He can and does work miracles today. If that is how He desires to reach people, I can do nothing but humbly and enthusiastically approve of His mighty works. God bless Steve, and thanks for sharing what God has been laying on your heart!
Also, that’s awesome that you support so many ministries, it’s very encouraging to hear about Christians who are faithful to honor God with their finances, and generous in supporting the work God is doing in every way they can, including financial giving.
Dave, have you ever typed in a lengthy message and them lost it for some reason and then had to type it in again? That’s what I just did by forgetting to type in the code at the bottom. But we are to rejoice in all things, so praise God — maybe there is something I need to say differently.
I have been watching a series of 7 DVD messages by T L Osborn. These cause me to believe all the more in the necessity of miracles in doing evangelism in hard places such as Japan. I have the highest regard for Mr Osborn. His credentials are the thousands he has won to the Lord, including many Muslims, by his simple gospel message confirmed by the Lord with “signs following” (Mark 16:20).
I wish you could hear these 7 messages preached to the students at Victory Bible Institute in Tulsa. I see that they have them on audio CDs as well (I assume they are the same as the DVDs) and I would be willing to pay the $42 price of the CDs if you would order them and promise to listen to them all. Just let me know and send me your mailing address so I can mail you a check.
I love your heart to get the gospel to the people of Japan. I want you to have all the power promised in Acts 1:8 (I want it too) and John 14:12. All the power the disciples in the early church had that we read about in the book of Acts. The promise of that power was never rescinded, as proven today by men like T L Osborn and Reinhard Bonnke. On a very limited scale I have seen the Lord do healings through the prayers of other team members and even myself when ministering in other countries on short term mission trips.
Here is where you can order the CDs:
http://www.osborn.org/site/sections/1474
BTW, from the time you posted your last comment, it looks as though you are in a vastly different time zone — Japan I suppose?
Hoping to hear from you — grace and peace,
Steve