Subscribe to Christianity Today
Subscribe to Christianity Today
Donate to Christianity Today
login | my account
February 11, 2012

Home > 2009 > MarchChristianity Today, March, 2009
Making the Local Church a Hero
The untold success story of Willow Creek in Africa.




I don't know when exactly Africa became a hot destination for evangelical concern. It might have been Bruce Prayer of Jabez Wilkinson's 2002 move to Johannesburg and later Swaziland to start Dream for Africa, a ministry to orphans. Or perhaps it was Bono's December 2002 seven-states-in-seven-days Heart of America tour, when he visited venerable evangelical institutions like Willow Creek and Wheaton College, scolding them for ignoring the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Or maybe it was Rick Warren's 2005 foray into Rwanda to promote his PEACE Plan and create a purpose-driven country.

Surely a constellation of circumstances raised Africa's profile. But it didn't hurt that celebrities whom evangelicals trusted leveraged their considerable influence. Lost in the media hype that celebrities create was one "celebrity" and one famous church taking a different approach: Bill Hybels and his Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago.

In fact, Willow Creek's outreach to Africa—specifically Angola, Zambia, Malawi, and South Africa—is as extensive as it is extraordinary. And it is extensive, ironically and precisely, because it bypasses multimillion-dollar nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to work mostly with local churches. And hardly ever with other megachurches, but small, small churches. Furthermore, Willow refuses to bring to bear most of its vast expertise and technological resources. Instead, it relies on the basic resources and expertise of that small, local church.

I spent a whirlwind three weeks in South Africa last year, dipping my toe in the river of good works Willow is bolstering there. And the first thing I found, in both my pre-trip research and on-the-ground discoveries, is that I really didn't need to interview Bill Hybels. While it would be inconceivable to do a story about Saddleback Church's work in Africa without talking to head pastor Rick Warren, it is unnecessary to talk with the senior pastor of Willow. In fact, when talking with Willow-supported ministries in Africa, the church very quickly fades into the background.

While Willow's contribution to these ministries is vital, the megachurch's role is nearly invisible. Willow is not the first or only church to practice a church-to-church ministry model. It does its homework and monitors "metrics of success" like the best of them. But how it partners with local churches, and its insistence on staying in the background, is a model that can be replicated by many more churches.

'Why Aren't We Doing Anything?'

In the early 1990s, when it came to overseas ministry, Willow worked closely with several larger NGOs. But in the late '90s, it began to rethink its philosophy. "We said that if we believe the local church is the hope of the world, which is the mantra of Willow," says Warren Beach, director of Willow's Global Connections ministry, "then why would we not be more focused on building relationships with our brothers and sisters who are in the foxholes on the frontlines fighting against global poverty and AIDS and reclaiming their communities for Christ?"

So Willow started looking for overseas churches who were "practitioners"—those "already in the game," as Beach puts it. He quotes 2 Chronicles 16:9: "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."

"That was our prayer," he says. "To find where God was working in local churches, and come alongside and provide some resources appropriately without creating dependency."





Christianity Today


  


Subscribe to Christianity Today and get 3 free trial issues. No credit card required.

Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only.

If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive nine more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The three trial issues are yours to keep, regardless.


Click here for international orders2-for-1 Gifts!

Displaying 1–5 of 9 comments

Doug

April 08, 2009  10:51am

Small churches can do the same thing -- come alongside, encourage, help, pray. Here: http://www.swazilandrelief.org

David Lim

April 04, 2009  10:44am

Wow, this is wonderful to see local Christians being made the heroes! Now, let's see American churches move towards helping them to become self-sustaining through economic development projects. And better still, to help local Christians enabled to do community-based programs, so that their local community leaders may be transformed (no longer corrupt) and empowered (able to develop appropriate projects), as well as to generate local resources to support their strategic activities (even giving cups of refreshing water) in the name of Jesus Christ!

Matt

March 31, 2009  8:50pm

Bazil. I understand there is a balance between preaching, and giving to the poor. However, we must remember the correct tension. First preaching, then giving to the poor. Giving to the poor is a secondary aim -- but none the less important. All I'm saying, is we must never lose focus of the primary aim of evangelizing -- preaching repentance and good news. Good discussion. Matt

Basil

March 30, 2009  10:45am

To Matt, Primary Needs can be meant to be read as physical needs in this context. Don't give a person food for their soul until you can also give them food for their stomachs. Scripture oozes with such sentiments James 2: 14-18 Yes, preach the gospel but if that's all you do than your faith is more Gnostic than Christian. A disdain for the physical needs.

Matt

March 28, 2009  4:17pm

Betty, "We have seen over decades/centuries that the focus of preaching the gospel can be limited by cultural bias and lack of awareness of others' primary needs. We do know that Jesus had no such limitations." That's a very interesting statement, rife with humanistic propoganda. What are the others' "primary needs"???? Let us consult the gospel: Human race is in an utter state of sinfulness, and a wicked rebellion towards the High God of heaven. We as unregenerate heathens are in an evil and voluntary rebellion. But God in His great love, is calling all men, everywhere to REPENT OF THEIR SINS. What is the primary need of a person? To hear the Gospel, and repent of their wickedness. This is the "primary need" of a person.

You must be a Christianity Today subscriber or have created a FREE registration to post comments
[Browse More Christianity Today]



Search
Search
Search
Scripture Search
Go Deeper

Books & Culture
Christianity Today
Church Law & Tax Report
Church Finance Today
Leadership Journal
Men of Integrity
Kyria.com
ChristianityTodayLibrary.com
PreachingToday.com