End-month news April 2024

Vulnerability in Practice

Many of my readers know that I am very keen to promote ‘vulnerable mission’. (If you didn’t know that, then now you do – see vulnerablemission.org.) A benefit of this became evident on Saturday 13^th April …

I attend a particular indigenous church periodically (once every few months). I have done so for well over 25 years. Sometimes their pre-planned programme is such, that I do not get opportunity to share. Most times, 80% of my visits I estimate, they invite me to share the Gospel with the congregation.

There are ‘costs’ to this opportunity. One is, like on 13^th April, I sat and participated for 2½ hours not knowing whether I would be given opportunity to share. To say ‘I will come to share’, then just to show up and do so, then to disappear again, would send a very different message. The 2½ hours sat demonstrates my appreciation and love for the people.

The 2½ hours includes much singing, dancing, drumming, people talking about money, as well as Bible readings, testimonies, announcements, and short-preachings. (During that time, the rule at this church is, that whenever someone talks at the front, anyone can break into song at any time and interrupt them!) It also includes people recounting their dreams and receiving interpretations. Frequently, as on 13^th April, it includes a member of the congregation becoming possessed by an ancestral spirit and speaking in a trance with everyone very attentive to every word. Those communicating through the prophet(ess) are referred to as ‘jo polo’, people of heaven.

Some may wonder – why compromise my Christian belief (by participating in a church that likes to listen to the dead)? Indeed, many people’s model of ‘church planting’ would be to call people away from this kind of syncretistic practice. I think that model is great, and support it. (My home church here in Kenya would do it this way.) So, why do I sit through the service of an indigenous church that does things ‘wrong’?

1. It enables me to learn. That is, I learn language, I learn to understand the people (indigenous churches are an expression of people’s hearts. ‘Correct’ churches are often a way people compromise so as to be acceptable to Westerners). It is especially important for me, as a not-native person, to be in a learning position, to learn things that to be honest, many nationals just seem to know.
2. I am a missionary. A missionary goes to those that are lost. This is a particular role for an apostle (another name for a missionary). It may not be appropriate for other believers.
3. Spending time with and listening to people is an expression of love. An alternative expression that missionaries sometimes use, is to give them money. The latter has problems. For example, if people perceive that you have ‘lots of money’, then giving money to them is not a sacrifice. Hence they do not consider it an expression of ‘love’ either. Giving time is different. We all only have limited time.

What was amazing on this particular occasion was the response of the people when the pastor ‘suggested’ that I be given opportunity to share. The congregation spontaneously burst out in a loud affirmation of ‘yes, we want to hear from him …’.

The problem of other ways of doing mission, like say church planting, is that they end up competing, in opposition, implicitly criticising, making out that they are superior. Particularly if a foreigner is involved, this can shut them off from close listening-participation. On the other hand, ‘vulnerable mission’ can result in a chorus of approval for what you do, that is not motivated by the need for money (greed, the prosperity Gospel, etc.), but something more profound that reaches into the mystical realm (can ‘compete with’ demon possession as a means of acquiring revelation).

To re-emphasise, I am not against conventional means of evangelism and church planting. Rather, I am very much ‘for’ such means. Using these means, a preacher tells people they are sinners and they are wrong and they must repent and join his church. This is great. But I am also saying, that there is a time for learning, for humility, for listening, for taking time to understand people, and being vulnerable. (It is particularly important to do the latter in Africa today so as to break through the ‘racial barrier’, where otherwise all Whites can seem to be good and innocent, and most Blacks guilty and backward. So, one reason I do what I do, is so as to oppose racism.)

Please pray for me, as this kind of outreach, puts me right at the spiritual warfare coalface.

Care for Orphans

Many of you will know, that I have had orphan children stay in my home since 1997. This has been an enormous privilege and joy. I sometimes take a few moments to watch the children. I think about the parents who gave birth to them and who anticipated rearing them. Instead, those parents died. The child concerned was devastated; left with no one to really care for them. What a privilege – to be able to step in to such a situation and love the child, not for a day, or week, month, or even year, but now to have done this for 27 years and counting. Not to love them by giving a gift or donation or even inviting them to a gathering or to some privilege, but to take them into one’s home as one’s own children.

I have in recent years put in a trip to Tanzania as ‘climax’ of my care for the children. Once they have completed secondary school or equivalent and are old enough to ‘leave home’, I take them with me on a two-day bus ride into the neighbour country. In Tanzania, I teach at a Bible training college for 6 weeks every year. They enrol as (unofficial) students in the same college. When I leave after 6 weeks, they stay on and complete another 6 weeks of study before coming back to Kenya. Our plan this year is to leave Kenya for Tanzania on 2^nd of May. I am to take a boy of 19 years old and an 18-year-old girl, both of whom have lived with me for more than 10 years. Pray that they find the time transformative and upbuilding regarding their faith in and understanding of Christ.

Jim

To see back-copies of Jim’s news: https://www.jim-mission.org.uk/

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