Mere Missions

88 • M ere M issions : M oving F orward to M ultiply

We believe there is a vast army of the poor, the prisoner, and the least-of-these who are the next wave of “authorized individuals” to expand and advance His Kingdom so that a healthy church is planted in every community of poverty around the world. These churches will be built upon a solid foundation, but their “framing and building” will look different. Many might even question if it is a “legitimate” church. Let the words of Watchman Nee speak to us: Poor churches are not what they ought to be but they are more than what we think they are. ~ Adapted from a letter fromWatchman Nee to Norman Baker of CIM. Reformation in Foreign Missions , p. 49. Watchman Nee was a Chinese church leader and Christian teacher who worked in China during the 20th century. The local church, no matter how small or poor, is the only place where the fruit of evangelism and discipleship is secured. They are an Outpost of the Kingdom of God and must be looked at in this way. When Paul planted churches, they were considered churches from the very beginning. Though newly planted, these churches were biblical in the sense that they had all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of a church. It is not a half church today and a full church tomorrow just as a baby born is not a half person. A baby is a full person but is expected to grow in strength and maturity. The church planted is fully a church. Paul would commend the small infant churches into God’s hands, trusting the Holy Spirit to direct and empower the local appointed leaders to continue, at any cost, to grow and mature in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and reproduce themselves. When Paul and his team arrived back in Antioch to give a report of their missions work they reported it as being fulfilled – “and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had