People Spots
Online
Produced by James W.
Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants
Provided as a service by New Life Ministries
Institution vs. Mission
Churches start out as mission enterprises, but they tend to calcify over time into institutions.
by James W. Moss, Sr.
I wrote a history of church planting in the Churches of God, General Conference. The missionary zeal of these early forebears was touching. Gradually as the years began to accumulate, one word kept jumping off the pages of The Church Advocates. That word was institutionalization. Organizational machinery takes the place of missionary enterprise. Organizations need to be tended and greased if they are to continue functioning. A formal organizational structure, publishing interests, educational institutions, camps, and homes for the elderly all need to be sustained and cared for. The mission is set aside to take care of the institution.
The Vocabulary of an Institution
There are four words that are key to an institution.
Existence: A primary goal of an institution is to continue to exist. The "March of Dimes" was established to fight polio. Quite an organization was developed. Property was owned and people employed. Finally, a cure was found for the dreaded disease. Much of the country rejoiced. But there was no joy at the March of Dimes headquarters. People went into quite a funk as they contemplated the end of the institution. It took a while but the institution changed causes. Institutions will fight to exist. In fact, whether written or not, one of their primary goals is to exist.
Buildings: Institutions exist to own buildings. One denomination had a goal to start churches that would never be burdened with buildings. They rented. After about 10 years the movement broke down because people had trouble being committed to an organization without a permanent site or building. It is obvious that the buildings are important. Churches spend great amounts of time, energy and money sustaining their buildings, even though building are just a tool used by the church. In the early days of the Churches of God, a building was never called a church. Why? Because a church is not a building; it is people bound together for the cause of Christ.
Anniversaries: These celebrate the continued existence of the institution. The life of the organization frequently revolves around anniversaries. The Churches of God were 100 years of age in 1925. S. G. Yahn wrote "A History of the Churches of God in North America" to celebrate that anniversary. It really was a history of the institutionalization of the Churches of God. A program called "Second Century Advance" was designed. It was a mission effort that died because the institution of the Churches of God had other goals.
Past: Institutions tend to dwell in the glories of the past. John Smith is an elder at "Old Church." He will tell anyone who will listen about the glorious days of the past for "Old Church." Elder Smith continues, "Pastor Jones was the best preacher we ever had. The church was packed. Many times people stood in the aisles. We sent pastors and missionaries out from our church." That monologue could continue for an hour. Listen to the members talk. Where do they spend the bulk of their conversation? Frequently the past is the dominant concern.
The Vocabulary of a Mission
Mission enterprises also have four key words.
Sacrifice: Those involved in mission enterprises are willing to make personal sacrifices for the effort. Harry Baker is the executive director of a mission enterprise. It is not unusual for him to receive 60% of the salary agreed upon. He and his family work together to make the effort successful. They spend far more time than the average worker. You never hear Pastor Baker complaining. He loves the work. People committed to mission frequently work for lower salaries. They spend of their own resources. They make every effort to involve others in the process.
Cause: It is the cause that is important. Five missionaries gave their lives for the advancement of the Kingdom of God among the Auca Indians. In mission the cause is more important than life itself. There were more Christian martyrs in the 1900s century than in all other centuries put together. Physical things are not important except as they provide the tools to advance the cause. The cause in the church is the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
Converts: Winning new people to Jesus Christ and nurturing them in the faith is the highest priority. There is a boldness in the attempt to reach new people. People committed to mission take Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23 seriously: "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all [people] so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." Helping new people to find their way to sacrificial involvement in the cause is very important. There is a willingness to invest much to achieve this end.
Future: Mission enterprises are driven by a concern for the future. Paul is the classic mission-driven person. Near the end of his life he wrote in Romans 15:23-24, "And since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while." There is no evidence Paul ever completed that plan. However he was always looking forward. Mission-driven people make efforts to shape, direct, and change the future.
After years of observation, it appears it can be a relatively short journey from mission to institution. Conversely it is a long journey from institution back to mission. It is a very possible journey. But that journey requires commitment and the willingness to pay a price.
A Good Book: Aubrey Malphurs, Pouring New Wine Into Old Wineskins (Baker, 1993).
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Read about Jim's seminars and books.
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December 2, 1998. Volume 1, Issue 17. People Spots Online is prepared by James W. Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants. It is provided as a service by New Life Ministries, www.NewLifeMinistries-NLM.org. Articles may be duplicated and reproduced in any way. A new article is produced about every two weeks. To be added to a list to receive these messages directly by e-mail, send a request to churchconsultants@yahoo.com.