Empowering Locals: A Strategic Way to Build the Kingdom - Part 1
The West has been taking the Gospel to the world for many years. And while there’s a lot to be thankful for with how missionaries have served the kingdom, we think it’s worth discussing some of the problematic ways mission work has been done in the past and today. Even today can see intentional and unintentional colonization practices and their impact. One huge issue with the traditional western mission approach: Missionaries didn’t develop local leadership! They were trained in the culture and ways of the western world. The controlling mindset of the West created by many organizations led to a dependency system rather than an empowerment movement.
Unfortunately, many organizations still do this; they go overseas and tell locals what and how they should do ministry. It’s time we do better. We have a new opportunity to empower local leaders. We still need to go overseas and serve the world but with the mindset of empowerment rather than creating dependency systems or developing the western vision in organizations overseas.
Empowering locals means we stop bringing packages of products or cultural approaches to the locals and telling them what they need to do according to the western perspective. Instead, we build relationships, identify their needs, learn the cultural gaps, and analyze and internalize those gaps before designing a project that will serve them better, not our organization. We don’t want the locals to become what they are not; we want them to be and do what God has planned for them. We want to see God’s vision for them flourish, not our vision, and empower them to own it. So, it’s time for western ministry organizations to start serving the locals by identifying the problem, feeling the pain, and providing solutions.
Eduardo Mendes
Founder and President
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