GlocalNet

The following was in the comment box - I wanted to respond to it in the form of a blog . . . .

Randy Ehle says:
Sep 30, 2008 at 10:29 PM
In less than 36 hours I will be leaving Portland with a team from our church heading to Liberia for 12 days. This is the first foray into what we anticipate will be a long-term partnership in the region, a significant piece of which will involve encouraging and training pastors. Earlier today I received a list of questions they have asked for help with; four of the five areas focused on money (Biblical teaching, prosperity gospel, church and pastoral accountability for money, and issues of money between Americans and Africans). The other question was on the role of a pastor.

One thing I’ve been wondering since getting that list was how much of the present financial situation in the US can be translated into the current situation in Liberia - a country that was devastated by a 14-year civil war and is just over the past couple of years getting its footing again. Your prayers (and input) would be greatly appreciated.

Randy - here’s my response:

Just like the U.S. is sending economic tidal waves across the world so we do the same with our expression of Christianity.  Emerging economies are devastated by our level of greed to the degree many would like to be freed from the “dollar” and come up with another form of currency. 

The real “emerging church” not the post-Western, postmodern, but as Fareed Zacharias would say, the “Post-American” church has already shifted it’s spiritual currency and is booming.  The problem is, there are many pockets of western religious imperialism that continue to dictate what Christianity looks like - and from a primarily Western format.  In the West, we all admit we don’t even have a good handle on what the “church” looks like - but we have no hesitation in exporting our past expressions despite our current frustrations or even failures for that matter. 

Notice the majority of the questions are on money.  If it were a group of Chinese, Middle-Easter, South American Christians going to partner in the same way - do think they would be asked those questions?  Why are you being asked those questions?  One reason, that’s what we talk about.  He truly has become the “God of all comfort/consumers!”

When the rest of the world looks at the church in America - what do they see that they want?  What do we have that they want?  The only thing we have that they might want is money and security - and both of those things are draining right now!  Does God promise us he’ll take care of us?  Of coarse.  Are there principles of sowing and reaping?  Of coarse.  BUT, when that’s our primary message - instead of a discipleship principle - where did our message go?  Have we lost the message? 

Training pastors . . . ?  Go easy - be careful - Greek is Greek and history is history - but orthopraxy must be contextualized.  Look for healthy expressions of the church in West Africa - they’re there, and help them connect with that.  Facilitate development and relationships through engagement.  In that way, believe it or not, they’ll begin to help you see the church through fresh eyes and will help you “reengineer” the church in the West.  They have more to teach us, than we do them - not to say we have no value.  But to say, we are now the 3rd largest mission field.  We need help.  So - go help, but tell them how lost we are.  Discover what they have that is beautiful and ask them to help us here and bring their goods and wares to us as well - we need them.