Church vs Parachurch

Dear Pastors

Ten days ago I sat with about 30 Mission Agency leaders doing a SOAR¹ analysis. It was an interesting day. Their passion for Missions is so contagious.

I have been a local church pastor for 25 years and loved that role and work. During those same years I spent around 20% of my paid time (always with the full support of the churches I served) working in parachurch organisations mostly on the Boards of a range of Christian parachurch organisations and loved that work just as much and then I led a parachurch organisation for 7 years full time before starting my own parachurch organisation earlier this year. Personally, I have benefited hugely from the ministries of parachurch organisations right back to when I was a kid with such fabulous organisations like Scripture Union, Youth For Christ and the Bible Society to mention just three of a vast number. My guess is that that is exactly the same for you.

This dizzying array of parachurch ministries these days feed the hungry, focus on families, evangelize youth, and send missionaries. They publish, lobby, and educate. They broadcast, fund, clothe, and heal. Parachurch ministries serve the Christian community around the world, right down to the parachurch ministry that distributes this very article. To be honest, where would the ministry of Jesus be in the world today if it weren’t for this army of parachurch organisations working ‘alongside’ the local church?

But did you notice that this blog’s title is ‘Church vs Parachurch’? So often in my experience it ‘feels’ like pastors and parachurch leaders are pitted against each other. In the 80’s and early 90’s I felt that there was a raging jealousy between the two of us. I must confess having less than charitable thoughts myself on occasion……’how dare they try and recruit my best people and want my dollars’ OR ‘how dare they tell me what I should do’ sort of sentiments. Oh…….but I must mention we were always nice to each other. We had to be after all, we were Christians.

Today the relationship between us is better I think but still a little uncomfortable. Parachurch agencies aren’t happy how little time and space they get in local churches and local churches aren’t happy at how ‘pushy’ some parachurch agencies seem to be. Add into that the downward pressure on the (Mum and Pap) donor dollar and it can quickly exasperate any underlying tensions.

The truth of the matter is that we need each other…..yes we do. ‘ Para’ is Greek for beside or alongside. In other words parachurch organisations work and minister alongside the local church so that together we are better and can achieve more than on our own. For example I couldn’t imagine running a credible Bible College or staging a massive Christian music festival or running a foster care agency as a local church Pastor. Together we make up the Body of Christ in a town, city and nation. So we should write ‘Church and Parachurch’.

As to how we might appreciate and work together better I have a whole bunch of ideas but that needs another few blogs. In the mean time I for one will encourage my brothers and sisters in the parachurch sector. They are doing a great work. I love you!

Blessings

Alan

¹ SOAR is an acrostic for, strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results. It is a new-ish strategic planning tool that focuses an organization on its current strengths and vision of the future for developing its strategic goals. This tool differs a little from the commonly used SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis in that it is more aspirational.

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Alan Vink is currently the Executive Director for LeadershipWorx. Prior to this role he has been the Executive Director of Willow Creek Association NZ (WillowNZ), a Baptist pastor (23 years), Bible College teacher, and church consultant.