A new Japan missionary colleague Ian Smith recently wrote on his blog about indigenous missionaries. I liked his answer (from Dr. Ralph Winter) so I thought I would post it here too. I will add a few points to the end.
Can’t the Japanese Christians evangelize other Japanese better than missionaries?
I asked a question very similar to this to Ralph Winter when he taught a session of the Perspectives class in Seattle a few years before his passing. There has been over the past couple of decades a huge push to support native missionaries because of their cheapness and their understanding of the language and culture. I once supported a well known native missionary organization very generously–and had imbibed this very philosophy. However Ralph Winter’s answer knocked some common sense into me.
Firstly, he said something to the effect that one needed to be faithful to the call that was put on their life–God called us to make disciples, not write checks. Western Christians should support native missions as far as the Lord leads them, but that didn’t let them off the hook to going themselves. It wasn’t a choice between either-or, but of both-and. Until Ralph set me straight, I had never considered God’s call upon my life.
Secondly he called into question whether many ‘native missionaries’ were really doing ‘missions,’ that is, whether they were ministering cross-culturally. He also questioned whether a cultural-insider was automatically an expert on their culture and language. The truth is, there are very many Americans who are not experts on American culture and the English language–their familiarity does not necessarily make them effective in reaching out to other Americans. This is true for someone from India, Africa or Japan–simply being Japanese does not necessarily mean that that person would be more effective at reaching other Japanese with the Gospel. The truth is, that in Japan in particularly, foreigners can be some of the best evangelists because they are not expected to live within some of the stricter social norms. Gaijin can be much more direct than the average Japanese Christian and usually get away with it.
Thirdly, he called into question the book that I had mentioned by name which I had received for free from the organization that I had been supporting–he said that the book was very one-sided and perpetuated many myths about missions and unfairly characterized western missionaries as wasteful and unfruitful.
These three insights revolutionized how I saw world missions. He was correct, and I had never seen native missions in this light before.
We certainly should support indigenous ministries and partnerships when it doesn’t develop unhealthy dependencies.
From http://www.joyfield.org/2013/04/frequently-asked-questions-about-my.html
John’s points
1. There are only 8,000 churches, about 10,000 clergymen, and 270,000 church attenders in Japan to reach 127,000,000 people. There are not enough Japanese Christians. Outside help (missionaries) are still needed until viable multiplying movements of churches are started.
2. The question is not who can do it better but who can do it? Japanese can do several things better, but they even admit that missionaries can do other things better. Both are needed. It is not an either-or answer but both-and.