What Can Churches Today Learn From Past Missionary Movements?

What can churches today learn from past missionary movements?

You know, I think one of the questions that comes to Christians in every generation is "what do we learn from those who have gone before us?" And sometimes you look at what were held up as great moments in church history and then you say, "well, where exactly did that lead?" You can think of some of the movements defined as revival and say, "well, what's the aftermath of that revival? And what can we learn looking backwards?"

In missionary work, I think much the same thing. We can look and say, you know, here's a high water mark. Here's a problem. Here's a lesson from which we need to draw some conclusions. And so just to give an example, I think one of the problems we had in missions in the 20th century is that so much of it became pragmatic rather than theological. So much of it was centered in just having some kind of results to report rather than the organic growth of the gospel.

And I'll tell you one other big problem is that there's very little evidence on the ground in terms of thriving biblically defined congregations where supposedly there was intense missionary effort greatly blessed by God. I think if there is such a thing— and there is, thanks be to God— it's going to be evident in congregations. It is going to be evident in churches faithful and obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ in those areas where the gospel is taken.

So it's not just reporting conversions, although I'm an unapologetic conversionist. It is looking for churches made up of born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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