North American Christian commitment to world evangelization is in sharp eetrenchment. Unless there is an intervention by God leading to across-the-board willingness in churches and agencies to cope with changing paradigms and realities, North America will become a secondary force in the world church.
I had to read that a few times before the whole meaning began to sink in. Questions Engel’s statement has me asking are:
1) If North America became a secondary force who would be the primary force?
2) Would it be such a bad thing if North America became the secondary force?
3) If change is to happen what and how would that look/work?
What are your thoughts on the subject? I have no answers just theories and ideals. Many finishing the books will help solidify my thoughts.
3 comments:
Side thought, I find it odd when authors quote themselves and/or past books in new books.
The influence of the West is a little weird. American media is pervasive enough and American politics affect a lot of people, but American Christianity? I'd really question whether or not it's been the "primary force" on the global stage for several decades now. I'm kind of surprised to find this quote in a missions book - maybe I'm ignorant of the numbers, but it seems to me that the movements in Africa, India, and China over the past 50 years dwarf anything that's been going on under the direct influence of the American (or even Western) church (acknowledging that at some point in the past the Western church played a key role in those regions - a role that is now easily outpaced by indigenous church work).
P.S.
I'm assuming that the author is using numbers to calculate "influence" (that process being a wholly different discussion).
Also, I threw in a lot of "American church" there because I'm not sure what he means by "North American church." I don't see how Canada and Mexico could ever be counted as primary "force(s) in the world church" relatively speaking with nothing but numbers in mind.
I wouldn't question whether or not American christianity is the primary force in the world church. I know it's not. I don't think it would be a bad thing for us to step aside either. there is much work to be done inside our boarders, and I honestly think that the American church needs to focus on it's own for a while. America in general is too prevasive in culture, entertainment, and politics, and I worry that in trying to spread Christianity in the traditional ways that most American Missionaries seem drawn too we spread too much of that politic culture as well. Too many well meaning american Christians serve two masters, the state and the church, even though they don't believe that they do.
Now I say all this knowing my own ambitions and feelings on what God has called me to do in my life. If it's time for the American church to step asside and let other lead the way, or even be evangelized ourselves, I say let it be. If not, God moves the way He does, and I'll follow where He leads.
A.T.H.
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