The Jump Between Theory and Practical

The Jump between theory and practical can be very difficult. Many people understand the practical truths that I am relating, but the practical implications escape them. Most conservative Christians seem to grasp the need of context in minor ways, and have understood that a few choice groups need different approaches when it comes to gospel preaching. These Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Atheists, have strong beliefs and many time cultures. We have had enough exposure to these groups, or fear them enough, that sincere, thinking pastors have understood that a new approach is needed in presenting the gospel to them. Though we have realized this truth about a few minor groups, it seems hard to cross this line for new groups.

If a person looks at any fellowship, church, or publication that makes tracts they will see that in a minor way conservative Christians have seen that at times the message needs to be presented differently depending on the audience. This brings a story to my mind. While home on furlough, I over heard my home pastor make a comment about another ministry’s tracts. He is very closely associated with this other ministry, and was not criticizing them. They had just printed a new gospel tract. The front says in bold words, “YOU have never been so LOVED!” Pastor laughed a little when he first saw it, and said we couldn’t use that one in Michigan. What was he saying, he knew that in the inter-city area in which the church was located, and the rural areas around the church this mode of presentation would not work. The message would not make sense, or would even come across in a sarcastic way. It would not be appreciated, would not make contact, so it would not be effective.

Here are a few sample tracts, that are put out by fundamental publication. They proved that we have understood the first step of witnessing to different world views, cultures, and people groups.


"Imagine Giving this to Univeristy Professor that is an Athiest"

Tract "Title Jesus in the Koran"

"This Tract Is Country Specific, I do not think it would go over well in Canada, or Mexico"

"The aim is Catholics, I do not think that this tract would be effective with Buddhist, or African Tradtional Believers"

We have seen these beginning areas of understanding, but the leap to the practical outworking of the mission field has seemed harder to grasp. We know that language should me modified from people to people, that a person might need to study a different religion, or ‘holy book’, but anything beyond this we seem to be blind too. When a missionary goes to a nation or group that does not seem to have strong counter religion (i.e. Catholic in Italy, Muslims in Morocco, Jews in Isreal) the missionary and pastor sending the man, seem to think that language school, and a basic knowledge of the Bible is enough to affectively preach the Gospel in that culture. But this fact is sadly not based in fact.

Most missionaries that arrive in Africa come with these pre-conceived beliefs. They have been moved by the stores of thousands of conversions that are happening daily. They have heard evangelist and some missionary that have started multiple churches in short term trips, or in their first year on the field.

I will give one example from our city. Our city has a population of about 2 million people. We have a group of missionaries that have arrived in the city. In the first few months they had rented a large building, and started ministries and evangelism efforts. None of the missionaries associated with the group have learned the local language, and most of the missionaries that I have meet struggled to understand the basic ways of life for the average Ghanaian. This is not a condemnation, just a statement of fact. (Most missionaries struggle, and have difficulty in the beginning). They have been here in Kumasi for three years, and here are the official numbers for their church since it has started. (This is quoted from their official web site).

Salvations for the week: 340
Salvations this year: 21,691
Salvations since inception: 186,105

That means that in less then three years by their numbers, they have led just fewer than 10% of the total population of Kumasi to Christ.

I do not doubt these peoples sincerity, just their training, and ability to put the message into a contact that people understand and can truly be able to reject or accept. (If the reader has read earlier post about African society, he knows that an African will perform any action that he deems necessary to keep social harmony, especially when considered with pray to a god. .)

After this group made a major push in the local school here, I had a chance to speak to some of the kids that had attending their meetings. While on visitation in our Bible study area, I meet some Junior High School boys, and invited them to our Bible studies. They asked me what church we where a part of. To which I answered, Baptist. When they heard that we where Baptist, they asked if we where a part of ***** Baptist Church of Kumasi (which is the group that I am speaking about) and asked about getting Bibles. I told them that we where not, and then asked how they knew about that particular church, since it was quite a distance away form our location. They told me that a white man from that church had attended their school. He had given everyone a Bible, and preached to them something about Jesus. Basically after speaking with the boy personally, though he had been led to pray, we discovered that he did not even have basic knowledge, needed for salvation. They where charismatic, and where working hard fro their salvation.

This is a challenge that faces most missionaries. While in college, I made missions trips to Ghana, during which time, we had thousands reported as being ‘saved’. It is so easy for an African missionary to give a simple Gospel presentation in his mind, which makes no sense to the people. I will give a personal example from my ministry here in Ghana. We had a mission team visit us about two years ago. They where trying very hard to be clear in how they preached the gospel, but of course could only see the world in their own mind set. We brought the team to a school. At the school I allowed my father-in-law to preach. He did a very good job. He was very careful, and tried to be specific in his gospel presentation. At the end he started an invitation, and asked the children if they wanted to receive Christ into their heart. (All the time using a translator). When he asked a show of hands, every last child raised their hands. Seeing this, he asked me to speak to the children, and make sure that they understood. After restating the teaching and using African terminology and thought patterns, we asked the kids again. This time about five children raised their hands, not the 200 that had done so before. We where able to deal with them personally and see some make decisions.

Here, is where the rubber meets the road. The main force driving many of us in missions today is peer-pressure, or fear of man. We had be told for many years that missions in certain parts of the world is easy, hundreds and thousands of people trusting Christ in days. This is all fine and good, but if it is true, why is Africa still filled with paganism, and why is Islam rising in Western and Eastern Africa in alarming rates! I believe that many of us in missions are starting to face an inconvenient Truth!

We can keep missions as it has been, and continue to see the numbers. We can build the buildings and have amazing letters, articles, and reports to send home. But, still not change the heart and souls of the people that we are reaching. Or we can bite the bullet, and accept the down turn in numbers, and take time to places the Gospel in a context that can be understood in the local view. (And possibly loss support, by those that do not agree or understand). I have personally meet a number of missionaries that have learned these truths, but where afraid of the consequences to their ministries and/or work.

If missions is to have the lasting change that it needs. If the same words that where spoken about Paul and Barnabas are going to spoken about us, Acts 17:6 “And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also”; then we are going to have to learn about their world, and give a gospel that directly confronts it and makes them have to change, not add Jesus to the list of all their other beliefs.

Our job as missionaries is to be used by God, to turn people’s world views upside down. We can never do this, if we are not a part or do not understand their views. In the next blog, I will try to give practical advice to missionaries that seek to put the gospel in to world changing context!