Top 12 Mistakes Mission Agencies Should Avoid

World renowned missiologist Dr. Ralph D. Winter shared 12 past mistakes made by Western mission agencies that Asian missiologists should avoid when he spoke Friday at the Asian Society of Missiology conference in Bangkok.

Enlarge this Image

(Photo: Asia Society of Missiology)

(l-r) Dr. Atul Aghamkar, professor and head of the department of missiology at Union Biblical Seminary, Dr. David J. Cho of DavidCho Missiological Institute, and Dr. Ralph D. Winter of the U.S. Center for World Mission at the Asian Society of Missiology's first international conference in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, Nov. 2, 2007.

Related
• World's Top Missiologists to Brainstorm for Asia Missions
• Is it Possible to be a Hindu Follower of Christ?
• Interview: Dr. Ralph D. Winter on Frontier Missions in India

Winter, the founder of the U.S. Center for World Mission and named by Time magazine as one of America’s top 25 evangelicals, was giving the closing speech at the first-ever ASM international conference.

In his address, the American missiologist acknowledged that the list of 12 mistakes is “merely” to his “best understanding” and Asian missiologists would have the final say on their validity. Winter hopes, however, that Asian mission leaders learn from what Western agencies did wrong and avoid the same pitfalls.

Winter’s first criticism was that Western missions are starting Bible schools rather than universities. Winter gave examples of successful past mission leaders and movements which were notable for the number of universities they established. Yet later when evangelicals who never went to college did missions they built Bible schools, Bible Institutes or theological schools that “replaced” or “ignored” the university tradition.

“In the last 50 years, the majority of American mission agencies have not founded a single university,” Winter emphasized.

The mission expert pointed out that in the last 100 years in the United States 157 Bible Institutes eventually converted to colleges and universities after 60-70 years. He also pointed out national leaders who are the product of Western mission agencies recognized the “great influence of the university pattern” and have themselves founded over 40 universities in the last 40 years.

“Why is it that missionaries have not realized that Bible Schools, no matter how high the quality of instruction and curricula, simply do not represent the global mainstream of the university pattern?” questioned Winter.

Furthermore, 90 percent of the money spent on maintaining about 4,000 Bible institutes and seminaries around the world is focused on “untried youth” looking for a place to stay, food, and perhaps English, rather than the “real leaders” in the churches.

“Often their students have already failed to get into several other schools. Meanwhile, the gifted leaders of many growing church movements cannot get help from these schools,” Winter noted.

The U.S. missiologist said he disapproves of church movements that restrict their choice of pastors to people selected by schools not congregations and noted the movements are not growing or in decline.

Another mistake is that some congregations are bypassing mission agencies when sending church members as missionaries. Winter criticizes this practice because churches lack the insights of missiology and the vast experience of mission agencies.

“It may be true that some mission agencies are more experienced and wiser than others, but to my knowledge there is no example of a local congregation bypassing mission agencies with any great success,” he stated.

Other similar criticisms fell upon congregations which send every family in its church overseas for a two-week project. Winter called it a “marvelous idea” to educate people about foreign lands, but “incredibly expensive” and “very questionable” in its contribution to the cause of missions.

The phenomenon of short-term mission was also another mistake that Winter said Asian missions should avoid. Nearly 2 million short-termers leave the United States each year compared to 35,000 long-term missionaries. It costs at least five time more overall to send a short-timer than a long-term missionary – financial support that Winter suggested would be better invested in a long-term missionary.

He resisted, however, from calling short-term mission a bad thing, but rather urged balance.

Missiologists are also confronted with the thorny issue of science. Winter argues that science is not an enemy but helps Christians recognize God more fully.

“Every missionary must take with him to the mission field both a microscope and a telescope if we are to properly glorify God,” Winter advised. “Even more important is the need to take to the field a true reverence for the glory of God in Creation.”

In order to help bring educated people to Christ, the church should be aware and integrate discovery in nature into its worship and not lead young people “astray” by “superficial” theories that the world is only 6,000 years old.