Liba Hopeson
Recently, I wrote about church and worship, arguing that the church’s primary purpose is worship. True worship, however, can only happen when we are truly redeemed. For that reason, mission is crucial. Today, churches tend to swing between two extremes when it comes to mission: one side believes we should focus mainly on the local church and its ministries, while the other strongly emphasizes mission beyond the local church, often using the phrase “reaching the unreached.” Indeed, just as the Father sent the Son, Jesus sends us today on His mission. Mission is not optional—it is a mandate we must obey. With this in mind, many churches send out missionaries to carry out mission work.
A common issue that arises is conflict between missionaries and sponsoring churches or associations. Surprisingly, these conflicts often happen when missionaries from different groups both claim the same mission field as their own. For example, one group may begin mission work in a certain place. Later, another group might arrive, unaware of the first group’s presence. The first group then gets upset, claiming the area as their mission field and insisting that the newcomers should not work there. But why does such conflict arise? Whose mission is it, really?
It is an undeniable truth that mission belongs to God. If that is so, we all share the same purpose—to preach the Gospel to those who don’t know Christ. Logically, this means missionaries are not competitors. If our goal is the same, shouldn’t we be glad when others join the work nearby, knowing that more laborers will help expand the mission? Even if only a few missionaries are needed in a place, why not have open discussions and spread out with mutual understanding, instead of insisting, “This is my mission field”? Mission is not a competition—we are co-workers in God’s field.
When we pray, we often say, “for the expansion of God’s Kingdom,” but do we truly mean it? If we care about expanding God’s Kingdom, why do we get upset when other missionaries work near us? Many problems exist because we do not genuinely seek God’s glory. Even if others or other agencies are more effective than us, we should be happy and thank God for using them as His instruments for His Kingdom.
The inability to rejoice in others’ success is a major stumbling block in ministry. There is also ongoing debate about independent churches. Many educated and open-minded people become frustrated with traditional churches that resist change, often due to overly legalistic beliefs, regulations, and practices. As a result, they support the formation of independent churches. Indeed, rigid legalism in many traditional churches turns away many truth-seekers who are spiritually hungry.
At a Christian Apologetics Conference, someone asked why many in the West have left the church. The answer, based on research, was that people left because churches failed to address their questions and struggles. This could be our problem today as well.
Some object to independent churches, arguing that without proper structure and beliefs, there’s no accountability, and pastors lacking sound doctrine might mislead their members. There is truth in this concern. When many independent churches appear, there is risk. We must be careful. But here’s a question to consider: Should we accept only churches under associations or councils? Can’t churches exist outside of them while fully depending on God and His Word? If a church is biblical, it should not necessarily be called an independent church, because it depends on the Bible and on God. Even if a church is doctrinally sound and positively impacts its members, should we reject it just because it does not function under a proper churches’ council or association? I leave the answer in your hands.
The resistance isn’t only toward independent churches. Many traditional churches also oppose other ministries doing God’s work. Some leaders react negatively when people are drawn to these ministries, insisting the church alone should handle God’s work. As a result, they try to stop or ban such ministries. Again, we must ask: whose ministry is it? People have different preferences in preaching and teaching. Some may be more inspired by others than by us. But should we be jealous or angry because people don’t respond to us the same way? If someone comes to know the Lord and experiences His love through another ministry, shouldn’t we be glad and praise God?
Paul, while in prison, heard that some were preaching Christ out of jealousy or rivalry. But instead of being upset, he rejoiced, because Christ was being preached. Paul cared more about Jesus being known than about his own reputation. That’s why he could rejoice. Like Paul, we too should be more concerned with the Gospel being shared and Christ being glorified, rather than promoting the names of our own churches, tribes, missions, or ministries. I wish to reiterate, we are not competitors. Let’s work together for the expansion of His Kingdom and glory. Never forget that the mission belongs to God; serve Him faithfully as one who belongs to Him.
