[8 Minute Read]

Dear fellow participants in God’s mission,

Grace and peace to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I work from a base assumption that the path of missions typically follows commerce. From the Roman Roads to Colonial Expansion to Virtual Reality, the Gospel is typically transmitted along communication routes created by/for commerce. So, like many industries, in the COVID-19 crisis the global missions community is scrambling to learn the communications skills required for the digital landscape. But they are different from in-person communications and adaptation will not be easy for most.

In the digital reality ahead of us, relevance to a potential ‘client’s’ context and biases is likely to influence more than the pre-pandemic influencer of in-person foreign expertise that held the promise of resource flow…

Being Heard

With a shift to digital, I suspect we will also see a power-shift, at least temporarily. Cyber-space levels the field somewhat (for those who can access it). Especially if you take the promise of money or other resource out of the equation (I will discuss the financial implications of the crisis in a later post). The move to virtuality provides access to a much broader set of ideas and influences. In the digital reality ahead of us, relevance to a potential ‘client’s’ context and biases is likely to influence more than the pre-pandemic influencer of in-person foreign expertise that held the promise of resource flow (so long as the beneficiaries followed a certain methodology). That model is temporarily disrupted in the short/medium-term but, eventually, money/resources will probably return as a significant influencing factor in determining which methods, models, and missiology wins the day and shapes our global missions culture in the ‘new normal’ that’s emerging.

COVID-19 will likely accelerate a 5G roll-out worldwide and this will create a new ‘Roman Road’ for commerce in a way we haven’t experienced to date. The existing digital divide may become a short-term issue. As we’ve seen with the uptake of smartphones, even the poor will soon be connected if they’re not already. (Stable) connectivity options will increase. Onboarding costs will drop. There’s too much money to be made from the masses to risk keeping them out of the comms loop. Missions can use this to gospel advantage if we can see far enough ahead to maximise its potential.

We could have the equivalent of digi-colonialisation emerge, which sees the digital landscape as new territory to occupy, and a harvest to be extracted from an investment of methodologies (and ideology) there.

Colonising with Content

Combined with the inability to cross physical boundaries, new means of access will mean that digital content creation will be a big part of the missions push forward. I’d suggest the interwebs and cloud servers will start to be flooded with new content as every expert with a microphone and webcam starts to put their “this is the way it should be done” ideas out into the ether. We could have the equivalent of digi-colonialisation emerge, which sees the digital landscape as new territory to occupy, and a harvest to be extracted from an investment of methodologies (and ideology) there. In other words, the creation of presentation material that may or may not be entirely appropriate for the contexts they suppose to speak into, especially if physical distance remains a factor for a while. Not being there is not likely to stop the marketing of methods. If there’s one thing the privileged and influential love to do, it’s to tell others how best to do something.

We need to learn from the radio missions that have been around since the end of World War II:  consider our audiences and prioritise their indigenous content to their indigenous (and nearby) contexts. New communication routes provide great opportunity, but I remain concerned that we will be back in the situation where those with the bucks get the bang—those with the resources get heard the most. Missions could be in danger of becoming a “content marketing” machine if we are not careful. That is, ‘using means’ to promote one’s ideas to the largest audience. I am not sure if those with immediate resources on hand will be the best creators of the missions-enhancing content we need as we enter into a new era of missions. As my compatriot Andrew Jones warned recently on Facebook, “beware the old expert selling his new book”. New expertise will need to emerge to meet our new missions contexts and challenges.

What if we, the supposed missions educators, became the learners?

Flip the Script

Here’s an intriguing thought: if we are expecting a new normal, how about flipping the script? What if we, the supposed missions educators, became the learners? “Of course we’re learners” I hear the experts saying. But I am not talking about learning about something or creating a methodology so you can teach it to others. I’m talking about watching and listening so deeply and humbly that our very lives are transformed by what God is doing through those we might have considered our students or subordinates. This is their time to shine. Innovations in church and missions will emerge in parts of the world we likely still consider recipients of missions service or training and resourcing. Now that we cannot easily influence (via presence and/or resource), will we listen? If so, how (and where) would we then apply what we learn? Let’s not be quick to turn it into a live-feed ‘how-to’ teaching session via our new YouTube channel.

I am aware that this post might strike a cynical tone to the ear of those used to being in positions of influence in the global missions community. The irony of me creating this ‘content’ and discussing a new era of missions is not lost on me. But please hear me: I do not mean to imply that we no longer have anything to offer. Experienced missions-engaged churches, missions leaders, missions workers and their organisations will continue to have a valuable role to play in the era ahead of us. The rupture we are experiencing just provides us with an opportunity to realign ourselves to restricted access and influence, and it should encourage us to have faith in the God-given, Spirit-filled potency of the churches and disciples that now exist in (or near) every people, language, tribe and nation.

I believe it is healthy to expose the gaps in a dominant voice to allow the values and perspectives of alternative voices to heard. In musical terms, this is called counterpointing—two or more melodies set to the same rhythm. Our objective should be to make space for counterpoint harmony (one way of viewing Christian unity). Too often, if another voice is amplified, it can feel like ours is somehow diminished. But this is zero-sum thinking and there is no place for such scarcity mentality in the Kingdom of God. Our God is the God of abundance! So, let us celebrate one another’s contribution as we #stayonmission and let’s allow polyphonic missions to emerge on the new communications superhighway that is about to be opened to us—and make a beautiful noise to the glory of God (Psalm 98).

Pray

• That the same Spirit who lives in all Christ-followers will empower the people of God around the world to reach their own and beyond their own now that trans-border ministries are greatly hindered.
• For innovations in missions and discipleship to emerge in new contexts that can be used with great effect elsewhere, even back in traditional sending nations.
• For God to raise up new experts for this new era, who can lead us along the virtual superhighways that are being opened up right now.
• That the Lord will amplify the expertise of the digital-pioneers who have been developing sophisticated digital-missions for a couple decades now, that their skills will multiply to others.
• For much fruit from the continuing radio ministries faithfully broadcasting relevant content into the most remote regions to declare God’s Kingdom and feed God’s people.