Compassion Ministries and the Indigenous Church

Part of our time here at language school is devoted to 'missiology' or the study of mission principles. We recently had Rod Boyd, Area Director for Latin America ChildCare, as a guest speaker. Once again, the ideological debate of compassion ministries vs. evangelism was brought up. Apparently, there is an on-going debate concerning missionary and church involvement in outreach efforts which are considered 'compassion' ministries (such as feeding programs, schools, clinics and relief work) or efforts considered 'spiritual' ministries (such as preaching, training pastors and church planting). Historically, when churches get involved in compassionate outreaches, they lose their focus on spiritual development. Therein is the concern. As if to say, with limited resources, the church should focus on the prime directive of imparting the Good News of Jesus Christ and let relief agencies do their job.

I JUST DON'T GET IT!

Jesus was moved with compassion as He looked in the faces of hurting people! As He was so moved with compassion, Jesus directed His followers to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, cleanse the lepers AND proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God - NOT 'either or' but 'both and'. The question is really then not IF we can do 'both and', but 'HOW ?'

First, all 'ministry' must be birthed in compassion. Compassion is that motivating, gut-wrenching feeling we should experience when we encounter another person in anguishing need. If we engage in what we would call 'ministry' and it is not motivated by a gut-wrenching sense of the fallen nature of lost and hurting people, what is the motivation: religious zeal? greed? power? simple obedience? Jonah finally obeyed his 'calling' and was absolutely miserable! Compassion is what moved the Father to send Jesus (John 3:16). Compassion is what moved Jesus to take up the cross for all humanity.

Second, establishing national and local churches that are SELF-GOVERNING, SELF-SUPPORTING, and SELF-PROPAGATING can never be fully accomplished if the people are starving, sick, dying, or bound in some form of slavery. No group of people can ever be self-supporting if the governing powers have no moral rudder, so our efforts must include training in accountability - accountability that even extends to our secular business transactions. No group of people is ever fully self-governing until they are fully self-supporting -- you know the Golden Rule: He that has the gold makes the rules. No group of people can ever be self-supporting if the members are suffering, hurting, unemployed, and barely surviving. So our discipleship efforts must include training in practical skills that prepare each member to be self-supporting. 'Sunday School' was birthed to teach poor children to read in order to break the poverty cycle. And no individual or group will ever be self-propagating if they cannot even meet their own needs. Church sustainability is the natural consequence of equipping people to be self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating.

Finally, no amount of human effort can ever or will ever 'save' anyone. No amount of preaching, drama, music, relief efforts, medicine, puppets, prophetic utterance or whatever can accomplish what only God can do through the power of His Spirit. What our efforts CAN do is create an environment where hurting human hearts can sense and respond to His presence. Jesus met human needs to touch hurting hearts with the love of His Father. It is in engaging in genuine acts of compassion, whether from a pulpit or exam cubicle or simply walking down the street that we set the stage for the Holy Spirit to do His job.

1 John 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

If we, as John put it, 'shutteth up our bowels' what are we full of ? Certainly NOT the Spirit of God!