Jacobson acknowledges the decrease in the number of missionaries sent by the ELCA.
However, he says, “It’s not about the numbers.”
“It’s no longer about sending, sending, sending missionaries. Our model has shifted from being a sending church to being an accompanying church,” said Jacobson. “And this has been more successful with outreach because the primary tools for evangelism are best known by people in their own country, in their own context.”
According to mission agencies such as Gospel For Asia, which trains and sends native missionaries into unreached areas of Asia, native preachers have an "enormous advantage" over their western counterparts.
In places such as Asia, where over 85 percent of countries do not allow western missionaries to come and freely preach the Gospel and plant churches, native missionaries have few or no cultural barriers to overcome.
“In the eyes of the people, native missionaries do not represent a foreign country or a strange religion,” according to GFA. “They already know the language or can easily learn a local dialect.”
Furthermore, contrary to criticisms, supporters of the accompaniment-style of missions believe these programs effectively spread the gospel of Christ.
“Everything we do is about the proclamation of the gospel," said Jacobson. "So when we send a teacher who teaches English in the classroom, the purpose is to give people the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“When we send a doctor, the purpose is giving people the opportunity to hear the message. In all we do, it’s about the proclamation of the gospel.”
Currently there are ELCA missionaries in 50 countries around the world.
Some of those missionaries will be in Baltimore today, giving presentations about their work. But the highlight of the conference will be the local leaders from Rwanda, Sudan, Palestine, Nicaragua, Germany and Hong Kong.
These global companions will teach the 1,000-plus Global Mission Events attendants about the different strategies they are using to run their respective churches.
This is why Jacobson says he is “absolutely thrilled.” After all, he explains, “the three fastest growing Lutheran churches are in the Southern Hemisphere, and we have a whole lot to learn about evangelism from them."
“That’s the purpose for the GME. We have a lesson to learn from them," he said.
The Baltimore GME held from Aug. 25-28 at the Baltimore Convention Center and the Wyndham Inner Harbor Hotel. For more information about the event or to register, visit: www.elca.org/gme.
Pauline J. Chang
Christian Today Correspondent
