Epiphany has often been seen as a time to focus on missionaries. In all the congregations I served sponsoring missionaries, this is often the time we would focus on some aspect of their work, and, if they were in the country on furlough, have them come on a Sunday to teach, preach, and get personally acquainted.
In a time of US church decline we need to remind ourselves that all the church is not in decline. It is just in the southern hemisphere that the church is thriving. Africa, South America, and parts of Asia continue to be very receptive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our missionary efforts work!
They also work to help lift up some of the health, poverty, and hunger issues suffered especially in these regions. One missionary a church I served sponsored worked high in the Andes of Peru teaching locals dealing with great hunger how to use one of their best resources, rivers and streams, and raise fish for food.
Not all missionary endeavors now or in time past were so focused on the gospel nor on helping the needs of those being evangelized. Too often colonialism went hand in hand with mission work. A saying even these days in Hawaii is, “When the missionaries came we had the land and they had the Bibles. Now we have the Bibles, and they have the land.” Indeed. Though most land belongs now to the Hawaiian government, some land continues to be owned in Hawaii by the descendants of missionaries, rented out to those who built or own houses on the land. At one time the entire island of Lanai was completely owned by missionary descendants.
We are only too familiar with stories of South Africa, the former Rhodesia, and other nations on the African continent where missionary work and colonialism sometimes seemed indistinguishable. Our own efforts with Native Americans often seemed more interested in destroying their culture so they could adopt our western values.
Sometimes I wonder if this is part of the resistance so many Americans in main line denominations have with anything appearing to be evangelism. Perhaps we cower at the word evangelism because of the aggressive approach that many often use in their outreach in our own country. They seem to be unaware that the root word of evangelism is “good news.” I was part of a group of many campus ministries at ASU that had one such group removed from the campus ministry association (CORA) at ASU due to their very aggressive methods often with painful results.
Yet mission work is heart and soul of who we are as followers of Christian. On the road to Emmaus the travelers asked one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us as he was talking to us on the road?” Too often we let that fire burn within us but are afraid that others might see a sign of smoke from us and we work to disguise it. Missionary work is good work when done by sharing good news. Years ago a company called Amway thought they had a unique way to grow a business. Those recruited were to recruit others into the business. They failed to realize the church had been using that method throughout its 2,000 years.
Now many from Africa and other continents new to the Christian faith are sending missionaries here to the US. One time at an Arizona Cardinal event I sat with a player, Sam Acho, from Nigeria. His father is a pastor and came to the US to evangelize Americans. As a more recent recruit himself he thought maybe he could reach out better than those of us uncomfortable with doing so.
You and I in the church surrounded by other churches often fail to see what a life might be like not only without our own faith and church, but without any. We have become a bit comfortable in our Christian privilege. Don’t be afraid. We don’t go alone. And over time good mission efforts work. We also have to be secure enough to face rejection as that often is the most common response. Is the Good News of Jesus worth this? What good news do you have to share?