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What Do I Think of Parachurch Groups?
By Editor | July 29, 2008
“What do you think of parachurch groups?” I was recently asked this question. It wasn’t the first time, and it most likely will not be the last! If I were to rephrase the question this way, and ask myself, “Do you think parachurch organizations are good or bad, beneficial or harmful, a blessing or a curse?” My answer would be a resounding, “YES!” (What a perfect political response that would be).
But seriously, parachurch groups can have all the above qualities. And if they do not actually manifest them, they often inherently possess them. That is because they usually are a result of concerned Christians seeing a lack in some area of activity in the local church. While it is commendable that Christians see that, and want to do something about it, (that’s good!) the danger is that far too often parachurch organizations tend to become ‘issue-oriented’ and often it is ‘single-issue-oriented’ (that’s bad).
God’s purpose in this world is to be worked out in and through His Church - the local church. And while I would be in total agreement with those who believe that many, many churches have departed from biblical doctrine and practice (and it usually goes in that order), that does not mean that God has given up on His church. Just because there is a high divorce rate in our society, does not mean we give up on the institution of marriage; and so it ought to be with the real and perceived problems with local churches.
The Church is mandated to proclaim the “whole counsel of God”. It cannot be single-issue focussed without abdicating its responsibility to its Head - Jesus Christ. Let me give two examples:
(1) A local church cannot focus on evangelism and neglect the discipling of new converts. Many “evanglistic” parachurch organizations only “do evengelism” and almost totally ignore the equally important ministry of discipleship.
(2) Neither can the Church focus only on doctrinal teaching / apologetics and not give equal attention to practical teaching that gives down-to-earth practical helps for its members to put those great doctrines into practice. Parachurch organizations tend to do one or the other.
Briefly then, while I thank God for the good that does come from those few parachurch organizations that understand their own limitations, are accountable to the elders of a local church, and do not in any way detract from the authority and mandate of the local church as God’s chosen way to carry on His work in the world, I am also very concerned that due to the over-emphasis of ’single-issues’ by parachurch organizations, that many well-meaning Christians are unwittingly undermining the real work of God, and in fact, may be doing more harm than good. And one of the saddest manifestations of this is that, all too often, Christians often show more loyalty and zeal towards parachurch groups - which are created by fallible men and women, and take their involvement in them more seriously, than they do to the local church - which was instituted by God. And that can never be good.
Topics: Parachurch organizations |