A Caution on "Being Missional"

The church's commitment must remain to the building of the local church.

As an instructor at Wesley Seminary (Marion, IN), I teach a class called "The Missional Church." It is a joy to see "lights go on" in the hearts of students when they consider the priority of believers to share the message—and experience—of God's love beyond the walls of their church. The "missional movement" is bringing many church leaders to the important realization that Christians are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their world.

I have observed, however, that after reading books by missional authors and viewing videos of missional teachers, some students seem to throw the baby out with the bathwater. That is, they conclude that the ultimate goal of a "missional church" is to go into the community to do good works in the name of Christ and the expansion of "the Kingdom." And whether these needy folks ever come to faith, and membership in a local church, is not among the criteria to define "success" in their missional endeavors.

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