The Same…But Different
American pop culture has been debating for quite some time regarding our nation’s history, its monuments, and its statues. Proponents for keeping certain monuments and statues will often cite the Winston Churchill quote, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
While the point of this article is not to debate the politics of our day, and while I understand the sentiment of that quote, I would challenge this notion as it relates to the Missionary Church and our own history. As I have learned more and more about Missionary Church history over the past two years, a history I have grown to love and respect even more and more, I would offer the other side of that same proverbial coin, with my own spin on Churchill’s quote:
“Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to not repeat it.”
Our family of churches has an incredible story of God’s faithfulness, provision, and sovereignty. Stories of miracles permeate our founding and growth, not just since our formal founding as the Missionary Church in 1969 with the merger of two like-minded groups, but dating back to the late 1800s as those two major streams that would ultimately merge were themselves being founded.
Both of those, the United Missionary Church and the Missionary Church Association, have fascinating stories of bold faith and unshakeable convictions leading to movements of fervent prayer and church planting – each beginning in homes – that were far ahead of their time. While we may often think of church multiplication and church planting as a modern tool, our denomination’s forefathers saw it as a necessity 125 and even 150 years ago.
Not only that, but a focus on international missions – and aggressively so – was a unique marker of those early days of the Missionary Church. Because of that, we can see today the fruit of those labors in our own Pacific Rim (Hawaii) and Caribbean (Puerto Rico) Regions as well as international movements like the Missionary Church of Africa, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba, and many others, where the numbers of churches have multiplied to far outnumber those here in the US!
Understanding those stories – those histories – is about more than an academic exercise. These stories remind us of what God still wants to do. They remind us of how we defeat the enemy!
Hebrews 13:8 tells us this about our Savior: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” That same Savior, who never changes, told us, “…whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
So, while Jesus and his promises never change, the work we do will, in fact, be different – it will be greater!
This has to be what those first Missionary Church planters throughout the Midwest in the 1800s experienced. They didn’t walk on water or turn water to wine. But they saw movements of disciple and church multiplication ripple far beyond what they could have possibly imagined. That work, which formally began in Indiana, is now active in 31 states and more than 100 nations in some form or fashion.
This story is the fuel for our own future. The same Jesus that powered our early movement hasn’t changed! He still desires to do even greater things among our generation. What might that be?
Next week as we gather at the SHIFT National Conference, this story – our story – will be one of many we celebrate. The stories of God’s faithfulness and multiplication that have continued over the decades and even more recently will take center stage. These stories point to a history that we can learn from and repeat – but different and even greater – as we pray, dream, and plan for the future.
Join me in praying that we will learn from this testimony – this story – and not miss out on repeating it, and then some! Let’s pray that this will bring Revelation 12:11 alive for each of us: “And they have defeated (the enemy) by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.” I can’t wait to see how our testimonies lead us to victory – victories like our forefathers experienced, but different and even greater for our generation.
