MentorNet #59
THE DEMON OF SOPHISTICATED DEPENDENCY
Copyright © by George
Patterson and Galen Currah
Permission is granted to duplicate by any medium.
Wise relief and development workers
avoid helping the poor in ways that build dependency. It is well documented how
careless handouts make the poor lose initiative and self-respect; many begin to
depend on others’ generosity, and greed moves them to lie about their needs. However,
this grave error is not unique to those who serve the poor. Church and mission history
reveals that dependency is just as common, and far more destructive, among
churches and believers who are not poor. The demon of ‘Sophisticated
Dependency’ is an invisible member of the advisory board of many churches,
mission agencies and seminaries. Two major problems arise.
Problem #1. This
demon always whispers the same lie, ‘There’s not enough money to do that.’ He
blinds believers to the fact that they have needlessly let a lack of material
resources force them to violate God’s commands. For example:
·
Believers believe that fully supported
pastors are the only legitimate ones. This lie stifles many church planting
movements, because finances–as always–are limited. A material barrier
needlessly becomes a spiritual barrier. Leaders can just as easily commission
and mentor self-supported, or partially-supported, lay pastors, as churches
commonly did a hundred years ago as well as in New Testament times, to keep
right on extending Christ’s work without any slowdown.
·
Bible schools and seminaries sometimes
limit missionary training that would have the strategic effect of reaching thousands for Christ,
because Sophisticated Dependency whispers in educators’ ears, ‘There’s not enough
money to do that’ when they could apply all their brain power to arrange
volunteer mentoring to train missionaries in obedience to Jesus’ Great Commission.
Often the same educators find enough money to erect ornate buildings, not to
mention their own comfortable houses. Opulence wins out over obedience!
·
Every theological school that becomes
accredited must raise its academic standards for those who can be students.
Those standards keep most Christian workers out of the schools. The demon of
‘Sophisticated Dependency’ whispers into educators’ ears, “You must maintain
the pursuit of excellence!” Since the vast majority of gifted apostles,
prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers cannot afford to earn requisite
academic credentials, they cannot attend those schools. Those who have the
credentials, but not enough money to pay fees, become dependent on scholarships
and stipends, or they go deeply in debt to pay school fees with no guarantee
that they will be able to pay their debts. This is a form of financial
enslavement.
Solution #1. Thus,
those who train church planters and shepherds in ever-expanding church planting
movements must ensure that “generations” of mentors are set up and keep
extending, wherever new churches get started. Most mentors will be local
leaders and shepherds who train others, in turn, according to the model of
Exodus 18 and 2 Timothy 2:1-2. Where mentoring chains grow, both mentors
and their apprentice learners continue to earn their own living; they do not go
farther away than they and their flocks can afford to send them.
Problem #2. Frank
Viola* has identified several practices of
pagan origin that rich churches and missions have adopted, practices that have
no basis in the New Testament. These include chapels and buildings, paid clergy
and evangelists, special costumes and electronic media. Wherever the demon of
‘Sophisticated Dependency’ requires such expensive objects and workers, the
workers themselves often seek income and funding from other organisations and
from getting the Christians to pay tithes and make frequent money offerings.
This, in turn, has led to many abuses including fraudulent reporting about
ministry success as well as untrue theology about God and money. This happens
in every country, not only in developing nations.
Solution #2. Thus,
those who envision whole countries, regions, languages and tribes becoming
disciples of Jesus must introduce practices, methods, materials and equipment
that local workers and believers can find, afford, imitate and pass on to
others, rapidly. This may require that believers gather in their own homes and in
factories, and that they keep starting many little fellowships. As a rule of
church multiplication, never require new churches and workers to adopt any
practice or method that they cannot afford and cannot perform without big budgets
and lengthy training. Rather, teach all new workers to help seekers and new
believers to experience the real Presence of Jesus Christ in their midst and to
depend mostly on the gifts of the Holy Spirit to accomplish lasting work.
Let Christian leaders form a tight
circle, hold hands, and agree before God in Jesus’ name, to detect and to bypass
blockages imposed by the demon of ‘Sophisticated Dependency.’
Resources for Church Planting and
for Training Christian Leaders
Order P. O’Connor’s Reproducible
Pastoral Training, to multiply churches, from a bookshop or via
<http://missionbooks.org/wcl/customer/product.php?productid=533&cat=1&page=1>.
Download free CP training software “Come,
Let Us Disciple the Nations” from <http://www.Paul-Timothy.net/dn/>.
Download free mentoring tools and
materials for new leaders from <http://www.MentorAndMultiply.com>.
Obtain Train & Multiply®,
church planting and pastoral training course from <www.TrainAndMultiply.com>.
Order Church Multiplication Guide
from a bookshop or at <http://www.WCLbooks.com>.
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