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Submitted July 11, 2005
NATIVE EVANGELISM
Native evangelism is a concept that is fluid. There are always new and innovative ways to achieve the objectives we feel God has given us. Other areas of church ministries are constantly changing to meet the modern demands of its members. The very nature of the perspective of the Pastor’s role has changed in the last twenty seven years that I’ve been involved in church.
Years ago, the Pastor was at the top of the church ministry paradigm. He was the overseer of everything, governed all offices closely, and was the very glue that held the church body together. Within the past few years the pastoral paradigm has changed in many churches. Pastors are now viewed as the coach, or the team leader. There is a plurality of leadership and accountability that demands the Pastor’s leadership role is productive in current ministry. In the event the Pastor stagnates in his leadership and goals, the accountability structure will demand change. This change will usually occur by the Pastor adjusting his leadership and goals, or removal by the governing accountability membership.
A Higher level of accountability for leadership is just one of many areas that have changed within our churches. Accountability had become the Achilles heal for ministries existing in mediocrity. When mediocrity or ineffectiveness is called into account, better strategies can be developed in implementing our God-given goals. What type of accountability is in affect to authenticate our effectiveness in Native evangelism?
DENOMINATIONS ARE ASKING THE HARD QUESTIONS:
The Baptist organization writes,
“We are not the only church in America struggling with reaching our objectives in Native evangelism. There are over 500 Southern Baptist Native American and First Nations churches in the United States and Canada. Some of these churches are vibrant, growing, missionary sending churches. However, the majority of these churches are struggling”. (NAMB Native Ministries. Article, Church Strengthening. Website, Native American Ministry Needs and Offers - NAMB Native Ministries)
During the Presbyterian Consultation on Native American Ministry, which took place in April of 2005, June Lorenzo writes,
“By Saturday afternoon, participants from Native American ministries began to share their vision for Native American ministry in the PC(USA) at its highest potential. Many participants first acknowledged that visioning and goal setting does not come easily…”. Mr. Lorenzo further writes, “Perhaps one of the greatest challenges offered to participants was that of leading the way for other racial ethnic groups in the PC(USA) in modeling how to maintain cultural identity despite a legacy of attempts at assimilation by the Church, how to bridge the gap the world has imposed between Christian identity and Native identity”.
The Lutheran organization writes,
“Many indigenous people have wrongly believed that they can’t be faithful to Jesus and maintain the essence of whom God created them to be. Our ministry focus demonstrates that Christian faith can bring harmony to their families and strength to their culture”.
In order to develop authentic, effective Native evangelism, we must look for areas that are productive nation wide, and also have Biblical support. The three above mentioned organizations are struggling to meet effective evangelism. They are developing strategies that will positively influence their Native evangelism goals. Listen to what they are saying;
Baptist:
The majority of our churches are struggling with reaching goals and objectives in Native evangelism.
Presbyterian:
Visioning and goal setting does not come easily. How can we model cultural identity? How can we bridge the gap the world has imposed between Christian identity and Native identity?
Lutheran:
Natives wrongly believed they can’t be faithful to Jesus and maintain the essence of whom God created them as. Christian faith can bring harmony to their families and strength to their culture.
THE ASSEMBLY OF GOD IN CRISIS
Although there are Native American churches within our denomination that are doing well, they are in the small minority. If you wander through the Arizona District Council website you will see more open Native American churches than non-native churches. We must realize the bottom line. We are unable to fill open Native churches, and the majority of those that are filled are having little impact.
A large majority of our ministers in Native churches are reaching the 50+ age. While they look at retirement they can’t help but wonder who will continue the ministry God has given them? They see a sporadic, low addition of ministers that will eventually be their replacements. Not only are we struggling in Native evangelism, we are facing an inability to replace our current ministry levels. We are in crisis.
Our Brethren in the Native American Fellowship have an interesting statement on their web index page. It says the following;
Historically, Christianity has been seen by Native Americans as "the white man's religion."
Native American leadership MUST blaze new trails in... Evangelism... church planting and
leadership development among their own people.
I believe the above statement defines our crisis and offers the solution. Part of the crisis is that Native Americans see Christianity as the “white man’s religion”. The answer is that we must, “blaze new trials in evangelism”. The question we must ask ourselves is why do the Native Americans see Christianity as the white man’s religion when we have been presenting the gospel to them for over 100 years? If the NAF leadership defines part of the crisis as one of perspective, then new and innovative Biblical patterns for evangelism must be found in order to reverse the false perspective.
How can we reverse a false perspective which has conflicted with our Native evangelism goals? The NAF gives three great ideas. They are evangelism, church planting, and leadership development among their own people. However, there is a hidden truth in the NAF statement. Church planting and leadership development is only effective if we’ve reached Native Americans through evangelism first.
Why are we in crisis? We are in crisis because the foundational role of evangelism in Native America is not producing the growth in which church planting and leadership development can be effective. This is a difficult concept to accept. I was saved in Native evangelism. Revival is rooted deep within my spirit and is very precious to me. Native evangelism in the Assemblies of God is in crisis and we must search for new Native oriented methodologies in evangelism in order to birth new life within our denominational structure.
CONTEXTUALIZATION IN EVANGELISM
I believe the answer lies within the concept of contextualization. Contextualization is the presentation of the gospel in the flavor and cultural setting of the people. Earlier I quoted the Lutheran church as saying,
“Many indigenous people have wrongly believed that they can’t be faithful to Jesus and maintain the essence of whom God created them to be. Our ministry focus demonstrates that Christian faith can bring harmony to their families and strength to their culture”.
The NAF’s statement regarding the fact that Natives view the gospel as a white man’s religion is in harmony with the Lutheran statement. The Lutheran church tells us that the difficulty lies in why they feel Christianity doesn’t allow them to maintain the essence of who God created them to be.
Effective evangelism gives the hearer the understanding that it is “ok” to be Indian, and to even beat a drum that has been created for worship to the true and living God. Effective evangelism gives the hearer the understanding that it is “ok” to dance their prayers before their Creator with all their might as David danced his prayer of praise before God. Effective evangelism gives the hearer the understanding that it’s “ok” to honor who they are by dressing in regalia just at the Christian Scottish bag pipers do. This is contextualized evangelism.
CONCLUSION
We must always guard against syncretism (belief that all faiths are roads that lead to God). However, through contextualization we can impact our reservations in a powerful and dynamic way. I believe the Assemblies of God has in place, the ability to become a powerhouse in Native Evangelism. All we need to do is subject the effectiveness of our current Native evangelism to meticulous scrutiny by ourselves. This makes our methods accountable to each other as we grow and change while ministering in the fluid setting of Native Evangelism. No amount of contextualized Native evangelism will be effective in the Assemblies of God organization unless we are in agreement. Agreement will not come easy. I challenge you to ask the hard questions. Are we willing to put our leadership on the line in order to become more effective in Evangelism? We will all go forward, or we will stay where we are? Whatever we do, we will do together as a group. I am an Assembly of God minister and only one voice of many.
(This is a first in a series of related articles by William Laubner, III)
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