The Missional Fog
When you make social transformation and evangelism equal partners in the mission of God, history shows, eventually evangelism is lost.
The dominant view of contemporary missiology, is the goal of mission is to transform communities and promote human flourishing by healing social ills and bringing justice. I call it the missional fog.
Instead, in the New Testament:
Missionaries establish contact with non-Christians.
They proclaim the news of Jesus the Messiah and Savior (proclamation, preaching, teaching, instruction),
They lead people to faith in Jesus Christ (conversion, baptism), and
They integrate the new believers into the local community of the followers of Jesus (Lord’s Supper, transformation of social and moral behavior, charity).
Jesus founded a missionary church: its existence and activities were an expression of its missionary calling, its members were fearlessly determined to win others to faith in Jesus as the crucified and risen Messiah. Their mission field began at home in Jerusalem and Judea, and it extended to the ends of the earth.
The goal and purpose of their missionary work was the making of disciples and the creation of communities of disciples—people who turned from their old way of life, put their trust in Jesus, and obeyed his teaching. From Jerusalem to every people, every place.
