Missions: How The Church Goes Global
- Bao Vang
- Sep 19, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 27, 2024
World missions begins with the church. For the church to forego this calling, is a refusal to glorify God (28). Andy Johnson, the associate pastor of Capital Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, challenges local churches to rediscover their biblical identity in global missions. In Johnson’s book, he addresses the church’s disregard for missions and highlights key points for how the church can be missionary-focused. Johnson’s thesis is centered around the argument that scripture is sufficient in equipping the church for the Great Commission (20). The volume, Missions: How The Local Church Goes Global, is a continuation of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series.
Summary
The book opens with a church meeting gone wrong. Everyone at the meeting are God-fearing Christians but they cannot agree on how to best approach the ministry of missions at their church. The meeting ends in frustration and a headache for the character, Beth. Johnson uses this scenario to help illustrate the church’s “struggle with the concept of missions” (19). Johnson argues that in order for the local church to be mission-bound, there needs to be a “biblical foundation for missions” (21). For example, churches first need to understand that “missions is primary spiritual” (22) and the physical needs of the people are secondary. Johnson exhorts Christians to be more concerned for the eternal welfare of those who do not know Christ as they face the prospect of God’s everlasting punishment.
Furthermore, Johnson identifies the principles of missions as (1) missions belong to God, (2) God entrusted missions to the church, and (3) the Bible teaches everything we need to know about missions (29). Johnson elaborates in his book that each of these principles is essential to establishing a biblical worldview on missions. The subsequent chapter explores the importance of the gospel within the local church and offers a summarization of its core message to ensure the correct gospel is being proclaimed.
Johnson continues in his book with a clarification of the terms “missions” and “missionary.” According to Johnson, he regards “missions” as the church making disciples of people from every nation. Whereas a “missionary” is someone who is sent by the church to cross-cultural, language, and geographic barriers for the purpose of advancing God’s kingdom (35-36). Johnson also examines the importance of good financial stewardship and the stewardship of missionaries. Churches are responsible for evaluating potential missionary candidates in all aspects of their life including church involvement and character development. It is through a stringent screening process that the church will find the best candidate to send and be faithful in its services overseas.
The author cautions against the desire to equate success with large numbers and a quick ministry. Johnson states “I have personally visited several countries where well-meaning missionaries became so urgent in their desire for speed and numbers . . . that new churches were declared planted and then abandoned in a manner resembling spiritual abortions more than births” (68). To reduce the risk of taking shortcuts in their reporting, missionaries are to establish healthy long-term relationships with their local churches (76). For those unable to commit to full-time missions, a short-term mission trip is a good way to provide assistance to the missionaries currently stationed in foreign lands. There are also ministry opportunities for men to pastor overseas at established churches (112). The final chapter summarizes the key points of the book and closes with an encouraging message “we may fail in our faithfulness, but God will not fail in his mission” (120).
Critical Evaluation
Andy Johnson offers an easy-to-read overview of church missions within 126 pages. The materials in this book are introductory level at the most and are written for the sole purpose of informing the average church member. Johnson avoids using acronyms and technical terms often associated with people working within missionary organizations. If you were to push through the book, you could read it in one sitting. The book is divided into seven small chapters that help the reader formulate a proper worldview of global missions.
Johnson supports his premise by introducing biblical principles for missions. He argues that missions are for God’s glory and God will achieve it according to his purpose (24). The church was designated by God to be the vessel in which he would display his glory to the world. Therefore, if an external entity were to take missions from the church, it would go against God’s plan. Johnson continues that missionary organizations in themselves are useful in assisting the local church, but it is ultimately the local church’s responsibility to carry out God’s mission. Johnson argues that “the local church must be central to identifying, training, sending, and supporting,” missions (27).
I agree with Johnson’s argument. However, I believe he is unknowingly making a distinction between the local church and the entire body of believers, who are also known as the church. Johnson argues that God’s glory is best displayed through the local church as stated in Ephesians 3:10 “so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be make known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (26). However, upon careful inspection of the verse, it is apparent the text is referring to the entire church, not just a local church. I believe Johnson errored in seeing the local church as a separate entity from the people of God. For God gave the command for the entire church to obey the Great Commission. So, therefore, I believe it is biblical to use missionary organizations for the purpose of the Great Commission because the missionary organization is an extension of the church’s ministry and not a replacement. In addition, God’s word does not provide a detailed manual on how the church is to conduct its ministries but God gives the church flexibility in how it is to exercise its gifts within the boundaries set forth in scripture.
Another aspect of Johnson’s writing that I found encouraging was his statement “the heart for God-glorifying missions starts with joy in the gospel. Our churches must first cherish the God who sent his own Son to save sinners like us. The right fuel matters” (32). I strongly agree with Johnson’s sentiment. I have been to many mission conferences in which Christians were more concerned with the event than the gospel. Johnson advises churches to stop talking about missions and start talking more about the gospel. It is only when the Church loves the gospel, that they are willing to sacrifice for the gospel (32).
Overall, Missions: How The Church Goes Global is a well-written book that provides a foundational understanding of world missions. While there may be some who would object to the book’s simplistic structure and lack of depth in missiology, it is important to note that Johnson’s target audience is the average church member. I do, however, believe Johnson missed the mark on his thesis. According to Johnson’s thesis, he says “God’s word gives us everything we need to know to obey him and bring him glory. That includes everything we need in order to obey his Great Commission” (20). When I read his book, Johnson was more interested in helping local churches develop a biblical understanding of missions than in supporting this claim. His thesis misled me to believe he would write more on the biblical elements associated with missions. I recommend Johnson rewrite his thesis to better suit his book’s position.
Conclusion
In closing, Johnson’s book on Missions was an encouraging read. I would recommend churches that are interested in starting a mission’s ministry to read this book before diving into books that are more theologically rigorous. I also liked Johnson’s emphasis on selecting missionaries who are exemplary in character, theology, fruitfulness, and relationship with the church. I believe churches at times can be fixated on producing a quantity of missionaries rather than producing quality missionaries. Johnson’s book helped me to see the importance of missions in the local church and how God gave missions to the church as part of his glory. This is a book I would definitely use for group bible study and I would also use it to instruct my church members on the topic of missions.
Source:
Johnson, Andy. Missions: How The Local Church Goes Global. Wheaton: Crossway, 2017.
Bao Vang is a wife and mom of two amazing daughters. When Bao's not serving her local church, she likes to write and spend time with her family. Bao received her MA in Theological Studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and she is currently working on a PhD in Bible Exposition at John W. Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University. Bao is also a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature.
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