I came across a church's Position
Paper (intentionally leaving it out as I disagree with many things they have on
their site). The paper has some good points but does not agree that the
parachurch ministry is biblical. As someone who pastors a local church as
well as gives leadership in a parachurch ministry,
I thought about it and did some research. I want to share my thoughts on this
topic.
Let us start with some simple
definitions.
Local Church – The local church is the consistent gathering of Christians within
a particular community or area.
Parachurch ministry - Parachurch organizations, are Christian
faith-based organizations that work outside and across denominations to engage
in social welfare and evangelism. They are focused on particular areas.
Why should I write about this?
I am the pastor of a local church,
and I have members who volunteer or help with other parachurch ministries. I also
give leadership in an organization that has people who are members of local
churches but also volunteer and support the ministry with their finances. I
have encountered scenarios where people start ignoring their local church as
they get busier with parachurch commitments. It has at times created tensions and issues.
Many pastors feel betrayed by parachurch ministries because they use their
talented members to work outside the church. That sometimes leads to intentional or unintentional opposition to a volunteer in a parachurch organization. This all leads to some unhealthy scenarios, ultimately hindering the work we all should be doing with one goal and focus.
Some ridicule and mock sincere people volunteering in parachurch ministry because
they are passionate about the mission and vision of that organization. I want
to give some guidelines based on my understanding of this matter. I will accept
that many people may disagree with me based on where they are today with their commitments. I can still see people who may think of what they do as superior to
what their pastor and church do. Then some people will say that parachurch
ministry is not the actual ministry and people are wasting their time. I deal with
people who volunteer sincerely but struggle to balance and get discouraged.
What is the Issue?
The concern raised by people who do
not support a parachurch ministry is that we cannot find any parachurch
ministry in the Bible. The concept of parachurch church ministry did not exist
in the first century; hence, we do not see it mentioned in the Bible. In most
cases, a parachurch ministry carries out a mission independent of any local
church and fulfills a need that a local church may not be able to accomplish. A
good parachurch ministry will have the goal of partnering with local churches and
complementing the mission. They will not be doing anything that will hinder or
harm the local church's mission. They will not start their churches by pulling
people away from local churches. The parachurch organization I serve works
among students and is focused primarily on campus ministry. We do not plant
churches but work with local churches and connect people who come to Jesus
Christ. I cannot think of my local church doing an effective campus ministry on
its own based on the size, volunteers, and people equipped to work among
students. I may be able to pull a few people and encourage them to do a few
things, but it will not be as effective as a student-focused ministry.
Today if you pick any influential
pastor who serves in a big church, it will be hard to find someone who does not
lead a parachurch ministry. When a local church and parachurch organization
partner and work together, it can be very effective. The local church can
provide financial support and encourage people to volunteer with the parachurch
ministry. Many big churches run many parachurch-type ministries under their banner.
They have the resources to execute additional projects which is beyond the
scope of a ministry within a local church. A parachurch organization is playing
a support role to the local church in reality, and they are protecting the
local church.
There are many non-profits
created for other purposes. Some do fundraising and send money to foreign organizations,
and others may have private 501c registrations for tax purposes. All
those organizations are out of the scope of this discussion as I do not believe
they have a particular vision or area of focus. We are only focusing on parachurch
ministries that have a clear mission and focus. They work along with different local
churches.
Some guidance for volunteers
in a parachurch organization
· Do not view your parachurch organization
as your local church.
· Do not ignore your local church and view
it as unimportant since you are doing many things.
· Do not intentionally plan events that
directly conflict with your local church events. For example, if you are doing
a student ministry, do not plan a student meeting for Sunday morning when your
local church has service time with the intent to skip your church. Your actions and plans should convey a clear
message that the end goal of your mission is to see people committed and
growing within a local church as per what the Bible teaches. There will be occasions when some commitments or programs may conflict with your church program. Make sure your local church leadership is aware of it and understands the reason. This can avoid a lot of unnecessary speculations.
· Make sure pride does not come into your
life as you experience high moments in the parachurch ministry. For example,
do not become arrogant after a successful mission trip or event where you saw
great results.
· Do not criticize or belittle your pastor
and other church members, thinking they are inward-focused, not doing any
mission, etc. They do many things to ensure that the local church functions correctly
and that all members grow spiritually.
· Have good communication with your local
church pastor and leaders. Even if they may not appreciate what you are doing,
continue to show them respect by being accountable.
· Take part in essential activities of the
church. Do not ignore events in church thinking what you do is better than what
the church can do. The goal of a local church is more than having a place for hatching-matching-dispatching
(Baby Dedication- Baptism-Funeral).
Some guidelines for church pastors, leaders, and members
· Accept our limits and acknowledge that we cannot run all types of ministries under the church. We need parachurch
organizations to do what we cannot do to accomplish the greater purpose.
· Always acknowledge and remember that most volunteers
are very sincere and have a call and passion for the mission they are involved.
They are not there for name or fame.
· Treat and see them as co-laborers in
ministry.
· Provide them with whatever support and
encouragement you can provide.
· Never treat them as opponents. They are also
doing their part in the big mission which God has started to restore lost humanity.
· Understand their calling and do not try
to destroy them if they do not align with everything you want them to do.
Conclusion
In conclusion, always have a kingdom-first
mindset and work towards the goal of winning souls. For that, we need
unity and not competition. When someone very talented and active in my church relocates
for work or other reasons, I get excited sometimes. Humanly speaking, it is a
loss within the context of our church. I am happy as I always think God is moving
them to accomplish a purpose, and He needs them there. If they are faithful, we
will see a more significant impact on expanding the kingdom of God. Having a few
more people sitting in my church may help me to boast about numbers, but I have
a view that resources for the kingdom work need to be strategically distributed.
If I have four people who can play guitar, I do not need them all. I will be
happy if one of them ends up where no one can play the guitar. They
will also be able to use their talents to grow and strengthen that
church.
If a member of my congregation,
rather than roaming around in a mall, gets involved with a homeless shelter
mission and uses their time and energy for the kingdom's work, I will rejoice. Rather
than spending money on expensive vacations, if someone goes on a medical
mission and touches the poor and needy, I will do whatever I can to support
them since they have chosen the better from a biblical and eternity perspective.
Suppose a volunteer working with
me at a parachurch ministry neglects the local church. I will not
be happy as it will eventually drain them out spiritually, and they could lose
all enthusiasm. I am not looking at short-term gains but have a long-term goal-
to be with all those people in eternity with Jesus Christ, having fulfilled our
purpose in our generation.
Sharing some links if you want to
read more about this topic from other ministries.
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-is-a-parachurch-ministry
https://www.9marks.org/article/journalnine-marks-healthy-parachurch-ministry/
https://www.gotquestions.org/parachurch-ministries.html
https://graceandtruthcincy.org/pastors-blog/2019/2/6/mission-local-church-or-parachurch
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