September 30, 2002
VANESSA Ploetz, a member of First Baptist Church of Boerne, brushes the teeth of a young girl at a medical/dental clinic in Mexico.
Boerne births bonanza of direct missions involvement
___By John Hall
___Texas Baptist Communications
___BOERNE--Direct partnerships with mission agencies can work for any church, and those kind of church-initiated partnerships are the future of missions, according to leaders of First Baptist Church in Boerne.
___They should know. The church has been participating in direct partnerships for 10 years.
___The central Texas church has partnered with several organizational representatives to help with missions around the globe, including the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
___The church began building direct contacts with missionaries and missions agencies in 1992, but the movement gained momentum in 1995.
___Before entering these relationships, members went on about two mission trips a year, but the partnerships have increased the church's trip total to as many as 10 a year.
MEMBERS of the Boerne church participate in services at a rough-hewn mission church building. The central Texas congregation is on the forefront of a national trend toward direct church involvement in missions. The church now sponsors as many as 10 hands-on missions trips a year.
___About one in five church members participates in the mission trips annually, but the congregation's involvement does not stop there. Every adult Sunday School class performs local missions once a month in its assigned area of the city. Services at First Baptist Church frequently include the commissioning of volunteer missionaries, prayer for them and reports of their efforts.
___The partnerships "have given us a world vision," Pastor Bubba Stahl said. "We can see God loved the world. He wants us to go to the world and is willing to help. We're begging to go."
___This approach to missions is what Baptist General Convention of Texas leaders hope will blossom from creation of a new world missions network connecting churches to missions agencies.
___"What (BGCT Executive Director) Charles Wade is wanting to propose is the most exciting thing I've heard in a while," Stahl said. "He's wanting to help churches no matter who they're aligned with. He's helping churches fulfill the Great Commission. It doesn't cut anyone off. It expands missions."
___As the proposal allows, Stahl's church continues giving through the Cooperative Program to fund the SBC's IMB and North American Mission Board. But the church also chooses to directly fund other specific efforts.
___"It's not a day of either-or. It's both," Stahl said.
___The proposed network presents a vast improvement over the current system, according to Will Bryant, chairman of the missions committee at the Boerne church. Churches will be able to react more quickly to needs and feel more connected to missions efforts, he predicted.
___Stahl believes the current system that relies on large denominational mission boards setting the missions agenda is inadequate for the upcoming revival he envisions. A more flexible approach by churches could harness the power of the complete Christian mission effort, he said.
___"The old way of doing missions just can't handle that," Stahl insisted. "It's too limited. Churches need to partner directly, across denominational lines, to gather the harvest."
___Mike Meadows, associate pastor of prayer and missions, said he was scared of losing control of the church's efforts when Stahl first approached him with the notion of direct partnership. Soon, however, he understood it is not the church that is in control at all.
___"We are under the authority of the lordship of Jesus," Stahl said. "We are not in control. We're trying to be obedient."
___With this new understanding of missions, the church not only has become more involved but more financially generous.
___"People give," Meadows said. "If we weren't involved like we are, our giving wouldn't be near what it is. People see what it's like, and they come back and give."
___The funds support traditional missions agencies as well as indigenous missionaries with whom the church has built a direct relationship. The Boerne Baptists have helped start churches in Africa and build a seminary. In all, the church's efforts saw 5,000 professions of faith in Christ in 2000 alone.
___With the positive reaction from his congregation and the world, Stahl believes his church and the BGCT are looking at a bright future.
___"I believe this is the future of missions--indigenous missionaries being supported by partnerships," Stahl said. "We believe this is going to usher in a worldwide harvest."
___
The Baptist Standard
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