Companions of Life: The Church Around the World Today

Philip Jenkins in his article, “Companions of Life,” Books & Culture, March/April, 2007, pages 18-20, does an excellent job describing the current state of world missions and many of the misconceptions Westerners have about missions and the church around the world. This article is “must read” for anyone interested in missions, church history, cross-cultural ministry, or anyone who wants to have a better perspective on the church.

Jenkins begins by showing how our prayers for world missions have been very effective, with over 40% of Africa converted, and church growth in Asia and Latin America exploding. Jenkins says, “Already, we do not represent the norm within Christianity, whether in racial, social or economic terms, and we will over time be even further marginalized. By 2050, white non-Hispanics could represent just 15 or 20 percent of the world’s Christians.”

Because of this massive shift in Christian demographics, it is imperative that we reorient our priorities in missions. The primary obligation of Western Christians, according to Jenkins, should not be on conversion but on helping the Christians who are already here, many of whom are in dire circumstances.

First, Western Christians need to evaluate the current situation to determine what it is that “we” have that “they” need. Jenkins suggests that the Western church should use its material riches, technological brilliance, and political influence to help the newer churches to grow.

Second, Western churches should take advantages of opportunities created by globalization and global mass migration. For example, churches in the America should strategically target specific ethnic groups already present in our country. By reaching immigrants already within our own borders, we can influence their home countries more effectively and efficiently. Immigrants are much more open to the gospel and they will spread the message to their home country through the more effective means of peer-to-peer evangelism. In fact, some of the largest churches in the west are pastured by Africans or Asians. By working with immigrant churches already present in our country, we can help build the church back in their home country.

Third, we need to reconsider which parts of the world have the greatest need, including Europe. Jenkins suggests that “reconversion” of post-Christian countries is just as important as converting ethnic groups that have not yet had the opportunity to hear the Gospel.

Jenkins also suggests that we study “dechristianization” and how it has occurred throughout history in order to understand how it is occurring today. He also suggests that we should consider the Muslim strategy of “calling” or “inviting” others to the faith instead of “sending out” missionaries.

Jenkins suggests there are many things we need to “unlearn” if we are to be effective in the twenty-first century. First, we need to unlearn the traditional view of church history of expansion from Palestine to the Mediterranean, to western Europe to North America. In reality, Christianity spread eastward as well as westward, establishing thriving centers as far east as India and China. In 1290 a Chinese-born bishop, Rabban Bar Sauma came to Europe as an ambassador from Mongolia. Christians throughout Europe were amazed to discover that there were Christians living in the East. In the same way, the Chinese Christian was astounded to discover that there were Christians living in the West. Western Christians today are also ignorant of the rich historical legacy of Christianity in Asia and Africa.

Second, western Christians need to unlearn geography. Our globes have the north on the top and the south on the bottom. Simply by turning the globe upside down we can unlearn a lot of prejudices and relearn important truths. Maps should also be redrawn, since many countries appear larger or smaller than they really are, causing us to unconsciously give undue attention to some countries while failing to give proper attention to others. It would also be helpful to visually represent population density and Christian to non-Christian ratios of the world’s populations. While most of the mission activity in the past two centuries has been from North to South, much activity today is South to South, with the North’s influence diminishing.

Third, we need to unlearn our politics. In the past we have separated spiritual freedom from political freedom, pitting one against the other. However, we need to see freedom as entailing both freedom from the oppressive forces of this world and the other world.

“Christians of European descent should learn that they are not necessarily the norm within the Christian tradition, still less the authentic core; nor, perhaps, have they ever been.”


You can read this article at: http://www.christianvisionproject.com/2007/03/companions_of_life.html