Rethinking the North American Mission

D recent presentation at the President’s Forum at Southern Seminary was no doubt of interest to many who are interested in what will result from the Great Commission Task Force.  I have also enjoyed watching some video of the recent luncheon held in Arkansas. It is good to see so much interest and so many questions being asked.

It is obvious the great and enduring passion of our Convention is International Missions, and it should be. At the same time, no one I know wants to abandon North America in order to reach the nations, and that too is as it should be. What we must grapple with, however, is how can we continue to justify the inordinate amount of resources and energy we expend in North America compared to the rest of the world.

Let me explain. Like most of the few who will read this article, I minister in North America daily.  I preach in a church in North America. I serve in a local association in North America. I am active in my state Convention’s work, which is also in North America. I pray in North America and I share my faith in North America. We take mission trips in North America. My desire is to adopt a people group and begin personal involvement in the International field. But, until then, we minister in North America.

Currently, our church gives 7.5% of our budget to the Cooperative Program, and 2.5% to our local association. Though we take special offerings during the year, the vast majority of our budget is spent here in North America. Of the 7.5% of our budget that goes to the Cooperative Program, 79% remains in North America, either retained by my State Convention, or through allotment to NAMB, ERLC or the Seminaries.

The vast majority of Southern Baptist churches, like mine,  are in North America. Most of their pastors are like me. The vast majority of their Cooperative Program money is spent in North America. So, we have the churches, the resources, the buildings, the people, and yet we still keep most of the money here in North America.

Lest you think that anecdotal, here is an example of the current Cooperative Program, utilizing percentages and dollar values from http://www.cpmissions.net/2003/State%20Statistics/Georgia.asp.

Our small church is budgeted to give $13,162 to the Cooperative Program through the Georgia Convention. Under the current formula only $2,709 of that would make it to the IMB. Of the original gift, $7,743 would be retained by the Georgia Convention. I am in no way saying the GBC is unworthy of support but I have a growing discontent, and deepening conviction that more of my (my as in participant, not as in owner) churches resources need to be expended toward International Missions. Merely increasing our giving to the Cooperative Program is not the most effective way to increase our giving to International Missions.

Now, we still have North America to reach. This, in my opinion is where we have the most work to do. We have NAMB, State Conventions and local Associations on the ground already. How can they all work together to empower and equip local churches to evangelize, to make disciples, and to plant churches.  How can they help 40,000+ churches that do not look alike, that do not have all the same programs, that may not have any of the same programs? How can NAMB, Conventions and Associations all contribute to the Mission without wasting resources and duplicating efforts?

This is where my local church, and yours, can make the most difference.  We’re already here. Let’s stop outsourcing the Great Commission in our own backyard. Let’s take personal responsibility.  Let’s not expect NAMB to do it all for us, let’s band together to reach our neighbors. Let’s not delegate it to the State Conventions, let’s band together to plant churches that will reach the people our churches aren’t reaching. Let us provide theological and practical training and let’s raise up pastors, teachers and planters. Let’s get to work in the fields in which we live and work. Let us work while it is day, for night is coming.

- Ken Nichols