EFCC and Missions

My title is deliberately making a point.  There are certain subjects that are worthwhile in themselves that I am not aiming to consider:- 

1. I am not aiming to consider the relationship between ‘EFCC Churches’ and missions. I take it that most of our churches have their own connections to different missionary societies. For many years my home church had a missionary with OMF and now they support several different societies where individual missionaries are known to us. I am sure this pattern is repeated in church after church.

2. I am not aiming to consider the relationship between EFCC and ‘Missionary Societies’ – that is a relationship that is appropriate for our member churches but as a body it is appropriate that we leave those sorts of relationships to our member churches. Many of them are very active in fostering such links.

As a group of churches we have unique opportunities to be directly involved with indigenous churches throughout the world and it is this that I think we need to major on in our thinking and activity as EFCC.

Not many people will realize that Congregationalists were very active in gospel preaching and church planting throughout the world.  For this reason we find that there are indigenous churches, with a distinct Congregational history and identity, throughout the world.  They can found in India, the Philippines, the South Sea Islands of Polynesia and Micronesia, Bulgaria, Portugal and Brazil.  The churches mainly responsible for their planting were from the United Kingdom, the United States and from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

The connections that we have historically give us a unique opportunity.  The fact that the connections are currently active and not just historically focused is due to the activities of people like David Saunders, the former pastor at Rochford, and Barry Jones, who pastored in Carlsbad, California.  They have unstintingly given time and resources to renewing and reinvigorating these contacts.  While they are currently freer to devote time to these contacts much of the spadework was done while also holding down the responsibilities of busy pastorates.

This leaves us with opportunities to teach, support and provide materials for the churches linked with us throughout the world.  You will often find that those who leading the churches are handicapped by financial needs and are lacking in appropriate training.  There is nothing wrong with their spirituality and ability, indeed many of us would be put to shame by these, but they simply have not had the opportunity to train.  What we can provide is materials and support to enable them to serve the Lord effectively.  My hope would be that as a UK group of churches we can regularly visit the churches in Bulgaria and Portugal, and perhaps from time to time visit further abroad.  By doing this we can link churches in the UK with churches in Europe and further afield.  As the links between individual churches are built up I would look forward to:-

1.   Ministers from abroad being supported for visits to their UK sister church – nothing will make us pray like this.

   Ministers from abroad being supported for training in the UK.

   Teams from UK churches visiting and working practically on projects in Europe and further afield.

   Translation of basic books on Congregational Polity and Practise being undertaken in partnership to equip and encourage our brothers and sisters overseas.

Mike Plant – 28^th January 2005