Four Spiritual Laws and We Don't Need You!

Following WWII churches were still deeply embroiled in the Liberal/Fundamentalist Controversies. But most lay Christians didn’t share the “we are right and you are wrong” passions of seminary teachers, denominational leaders, authors and pastors. Most lay people just want to focus on evangelism and practical Christian living.

The objective of most Parachurch organizations is to meet a person’s practical needs, to share the gospel and teach basic truths, on Christian living, to a wide variety of people groups. The gospel is often boiled down to some version of the Four Spiritual Laws. And when there are converts they are encouraged to help the organization evangelize the people group that the organization is working with. As a result people involved in Parachurch ministries are positioned to share the gospel without a lot of theological baggage.

Arms Without Bodies

Most Parachurch groups see themselves as arms of the churches. But most churches don’t see the Para groups that way. In fact church leaders rarely see the Para organizations at all. Thousands of arms have been created. But they are arms without working relationships with the main part of the body, i.e. the churches. The potential ministry synergy between Church and Parachurch is rarely realized. That shouldn’t surprise us. The Barna research organization has discovered that only one or two percent of the churches, with similar mission statements in similar locations, ever try to work together. Unfortunately churches tend to be consumed by their own internal programs.

Separating Mission from Worship and Edification

Following WWII a dichotomy began emerging on the American religious scene, and it has continued to grow unabated for over sixty years. The dichotomy consists of worship and edification being actively pursued in churches, while mission is outsourced to the Parachurch organizations. The outsourcing has not been done strategically; rather it has been done by default. Parachurch organizations have provided an outlet for lay people whose ministry passion takes them off the familiar roads. Unfortunately, those who want an off road ministry experience usually have to find a Para organization to work with on their own; they seldom get much help or encouragement from their church.

Worship, edification and mission together make the church, The Church. When front-line, personal mission by the lay people is removed from the church, it removes passion from worship and edification.

Without extensive involvement in mission by lay people, worship and edification become gatherings of spectators and performers. There is a popular analogy comparing churches to football games in which the 22 players on the field desperately need rest, and 50,000 people sitting in the stands desperately need some exercise. Churches need mission to be authentic churches. Parachurch organizations, on the other hand, do not need worship and edification to be authentic Parachurch organizations.