What a delightful surprise I received when I read the article “Our mission: to make disciples of Christ” in the World Reach – New Zealand Baptist Reaching the World insert, in the July NZ Baptist, which was written by one of our esteemed tranzsend workers.

His opening sentence was, “The purpose of mission remains the same – to make disciples of Christ.” He was referring to the call our workers have to serve Christ as missionaries overseas in South Asia and other areas. What a necessary, prophetic reminder to all of us who meet and worship weekly in hundreds of Baptist churches around New Zealand that the purpose of our mission, regardless of all else we do, is the same – to make disciples of Christ.

Sadly, it seems to me that despite thousands of us being involved weekly in a wide range of church activities – all very worthwhile in themselves – there is a serious lack of dynamic discipleship happening in our midst. This comment is observational. To test my assumption perhaps we could ask what percentage of our church members are actually involved in personally sharing their faith and/or intentionally discipling and mentoring other Christians with the aim of helping them to do the same.

This is the principle of disciple multiplication as expressed by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:2 – “Teach (or disciple) faithful people so they in turn can then teach (or disciple) other faithful people.” Jesus’ command to his followers was to teach those who believed in him to obey everything he had commanded them. If this process had not been carried out, then the first century church would have fizzled out very quickly. But it exploded numerically because of this principle of disciple multiplication.

Unfortunately this principle died out as the authority to proclaim and teach the faith was taken over by the church hierarchy, and denied to the laity. The initiative and the confident proactivity that characterised the lifestyle of the early Christians was slowly snuffed out by the power and politics of religion. Is the reason that we have all but lost the purpose of making disciples of Christ in our own neighbourhoods because we have unwittingly come to expect and rely on the “priesthood” to do this on our behalf?

Surely we need to be reminded of Paul’s inspired instruction in Ephesians 4:11-13 that it is the responsibility of those endowed with gifts of spiritual leadership to equip God’s people for works of service so that the Church might be built up until all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature Christians, thus attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

The challenge for us as a denomination is: How can we recapture the purpose of mission – to make disciples of Christ for the days ahead?

– John Fuller
Waikanae Baptist