A major discussion point in missions work is where to send missionaries. Missiologists spend a lot of time figuring out where there are unreached people, and there are multiple organisations and websites devoted to identifying unengaged people groups.
For 17 years, I worked as a missionary in South Africa. There has been a long history of Christianity of various sorts here. It is the mission field of Robert Moffatt, David Livingstone, and Andrew Murray. Almost every denomination has a presence. If the Apostle Paul lived today, he would not have been a missionary to South Africa – nor many other places where we work as missionaries. He put it this way: “I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation” (Romans 15:20.)
Should that be the normative for missionaries? Should your church only focus on sending missionaries where the gospel has never been preached?
There are some things about this verse to consider that should flavour our thinking:
- This was Paul’s personal ambition, and it does not mean everyone should have the same vision. The other apostles stayed in Jerusalem for quite a while before some of them headed out to various parts of the world. It obviously is not sinful to have goals different from Paul’s. He was a special person, called to be an Apostle to the Gentiles, and a pivotal personality in the early church. He wanted to go where the gospel had never been preached because that’s where the Gentiles were, and that was his special calling. Therefore, his unique and personal ambition does not apply to everyone. Paul did not write this as an imperative. It was merely what he did.
- Every new generation is an unreached people group. A country that has been evangelized has a new generation that comes along that needs to be reached. It would be wonderful to think that all Christian parents raise Christian children, but the reality is that any nation is only one generation away from being secular and pagan. Regardless of past successes in missions, there is always an emerging mission field.
- Shifting demographics mean that previously reached countries now have a new population to be reached. There is a constant migration of people around the world. For instance, millions of Muslims live in Europe who were not there a generation ago. In the past, missionaries went to Germany to reach Germans, but now they might be ministering to Muslims. This is happening all over the world. To reach the Chinese, we can now think of going to other parts of Africa, Europe, and even South America.
- Church planting is a never-ending job. South Africa has many churches, yet we still need to plant more churches. Despite the abundance of Christianity in Africa, there are still millions of unreached and unchurched people. Churches all over the world are also constantly dying and needing to be replaced with healthy churches. There will rarely be a place in the world where there is no need for church planting because there will always be a need for evangelism.
What is the conclusion?
There are missionaries who have an ambition to go to places where there have never been missionaries, but there are other missionaries who are equally called to minister where the gospel has been preached. Both are needed. Both are worthy of financial support. Both are fulfilling the Great Commission.
So the answer to the question posed above is quite simple. Jesus said to take the gospel to every person everywhere (Mark 16:15). So that is THE MISSION of the church. The mandate is clear… go everywhere and reach everyone!
Next Steps
To learn more about pioneering vs partnering missions, check out our video here.
To take the next step in becoming a missionary, contact us – we’d love to talk with you more about how you believe the Lord is calling you.
If you are a church leader desiring to make missions the heartbeat of your church, it is our desire to walk alongside you and support you in your efforts. Through free workshops, speaking engagements or one-on-one discussions, we want to partner with you to fulfil the Great Commission. Contact us to learn more about how we can work together.
