The Local Church’s Role in Missions

Over the past several weeks, we have considered some foundational principles of missions as presented by Pastor David Doran in his book For the Sake of His Name. While he deals with several other issues in his book, and goes into much greater detail on the issues we have also discussed, I just want to look at one more concluding question. Examining the Great Commission, given by Jesus to his disciples in Matthew 28:18-20, Doran has identified 3 basic principles of missions: the task is disciple-making, the target is planting indigenous and self-reproducing churches, and the territory is the ends of the earth.¹ The question that remains concerns the church’s role in missions. While it is certainly true that the responsibility for the Great Commission falls on individual Christians, the NT never conceives of that responsibility apart from the ministry and membership of a local church. Doran explains that the NT teaches four specific obligations of the church in the area of missions.

The Local Church Must Pray for Missionaries

• Pray for the supply of missionaries – This is exactly what Jesus taught his disciples in Matt. 9:37-38, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Doran summarizes Jesus’ teaching saying, “In light of the size of the harvest and shortage of workers, the disciples of Jesus Christ must do something, but contrary to our natural impulse (to work harder), Jesus commands us to pray for more workers. If we are serious about the harvest, we will earnestly beg for God to supply more missionaries to work in it.” And this certainly includes those who will travel abroad as well as laborers for the local church itself, for we are living on the mission field.

• Pray for the success of the missionary message – This is consistent with the apostle Paul’s own request for prayer concerning the effectiveness of his own gospel ministry in 2 Thessalonians 3:1, “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you.” Why then do we not see more people saved as a result of gospel preaching? Pastor Doran explains that this has been caused by a lack of faith and of prayer rather than a deficiency in the power of God or his word, and he offers this remedy: “We should pray fervently that the Word would be proclaimed powerfully, and sinners would be saved so that the Word spreads rapidly and is glorified.”

• Pray for the safety of missionaries – In the very next verse of 2 Thessalonians 3, Paul continues, “and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.” For whatever reason, God has chosen to use prayer as the means by which he protects and delivers his servants from harm. Surely Pastor Doran is correct when he says, “that God wants us to pray for those who serve Him on the front lines of the gospel because they are engaging in spiritual warfare and they have very real enemies that oppose them.”

The Local Church Must Send out Missionaries

Acts 13:1-4 teaches several important things about sending out missionaries. First of all, it is clear from v.2 that God himself is the primary sending agent, because the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” But it is also important to note that it was the local church in Antioch which confirmed this call and consecrated these men to serve as missionaries. In verse 3 it says, “Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” And so Pastor Doran notes that “God is certainly the ultimate agent in the sending process, but He works through the local church.” This is consistent with the local church focus in this age.

The Local Church Must Supervise Missionaries

This principle becomes evident when one looks at the return of Barnabas and Paul to Antioch in Acts 14. In v.27 it says, “Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them.” Not only did the local church commission them in obedience to the Holy Spirit’s call, but they also held them accountable by gathering together to hear all that God had done in their ministry. Again, Pastor Doran states it clearly: “the local church has the primary responsibility for assisting missionaries and exercising loving accountability for the actions and ministry of its missionaries.”

The Local Church Must Support Missionaries

Pastor Doran points to 3 John 6 where the apostle says of the church’s support for missionaries, “If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well.” Their support is to be in a manner worthy of God, which means they should be treated the same way the church would treat God himself. The reasons to support them are found in the next verse. First, they went out for the sake of Christ’s name, not their own benefit. Second, in order to avoid hindering the gospel, they did not seek support from those among whom they ministered. And finally, the goal of their support is found in v.8 which concludes, “that we may become fellow workers for the truth.” By properly supporting missionaries, the local church partners with them in the work of the ministry. We need to take our missions responsibilities seriously both as individuals and as members of the local church, that we might bring glorify God above all.