Jeff Adams

Dan had some great comments and questions on yesterday’s post about the joint venture summit I am attending in Omaha. Check the comment section under yeasterday’ post and you can read what he said in its entirety. Basically, how do we balance the biblical emphasis on the local church with a host of Christian organizations and missions that operate outside the church? What does the Bible say about this? That question is really the reason for this meeting and the basic source of contention and frustration that often exists between churches and outside organizations.

Parachurch is the compound of para and church (brilliant, huh?). Para is a Greek word meaning “beside.” In John’s Gospel Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the paraclete (Comforter), meaning the One called to come along side of us as believers. The idea of a parachurch organization is to pull up alongside of the church as a help, an auxiliary to help the church do what it could not do alone or to help it do a better job of what it does. The problem is when the parachurch organization becomes an überchurch organization — that is to say it places itself above the church in terms of authority, mission and function.

The roots of the parachurch organization are found squarely in the New Testament. For example, when I teach missions in Shepherd School or another setting, I point out in 2 Corinthians 8, especially verses 10-24, that this passage gives evidence of churches working in cooperation with each other to send missionaries and raise an offering for the believers in Judea and Jerusalem that was beyond the scope of a single church. This is the same spirit we should look for today.

If we keep this biblical foundation in view, we can remember that the local church is part of the Church, that is to say the entire body of believers. This way, the local church retains authority and autonomy and is able to work together with other churches through partnership and organizations to accomplish what would be difficult if not impossible alone. What’s true for churches is true for individuals. Christianity was never intended as an individual journey, but that we see ourselves as a body together where each part contributes its unique combination of gifts and abilities. Same for churches. Each has something to contribute, and working together in harmony can accomplish more together in synergistic form.

Fortunately there are still some missions and other organizations who clearly understand the place afforded to the local church in scripture and honor that. Unfortunately, there are many who do not. Eleven of the finest churches in North America are represented in this meeting and we have all been impressed with the way in which Avant is working in harmony with churches. I have been very encouraged by both the content that was spoken and the spirit in which it was spoken. I have had personal experiences with missions and other parachurch organizations that have have resulted in painful personal experiences, so I am thankful that some are going about their business in a biblical and positive manner.

Classic examples of parachurch ventures have been youth ministries that serve many smaller churches who do not have enough youth to provide for the interaction with other Christian students. Sadly, some such ministries grow huge and forget the local churches that form the core and essence of the Church. Education is another common example. Our church is blessed to be able to provide college level training. This is very expensive and labor-intensive for a local church to provide. Most churches do not have the resources to do this in an effective way. Even our church does not have the resources to provide the resources needed for a secular accreditation process. For that, we must work in concert with others.

Missions, of course, is another area where biblical cooperation among churches has existed throughout the centuries since the book of Acts. In today’s world there are many practicalities that make such this desirable and wise in many cases. As large as our church is, providing adequate health insurance for our employees is a daunting challenge. Our missionaries cannot qualify for our health insurance or pension plans. With missionaries in different countries and situations, just those two issues alone are one of the blessings of being associated with a good mission where they can provide such opportunities due to their numbers. That’s simply one example of many that could be offered of the benefits of pooling expertize and experience. The bottom line, of course, is that in the New Testament age the local church has always been and will always be the basic unit of Christ’s Church for which he died. The church is God’s plan and must be honored as such.

I learned some good information today and was greatly encouraged. I was also thankful for the chance to meet some new people from other like-minded churches. It is always amazing to me how God uses these contacts and networks to accomplish his plan. Tomorrow I head home.