Students of missions are exhorted to avoid becoming a foreign pastor on the field, but rather to maintain their status as church planters, servants who are temporary, aiming to move on to begin another work. Indeed, every missionary should have this ambition. But some church planters have a ministry that by necessity spans over decades. These ministers consistently pursue making disciples. They fulfill their ministry with a clear conscience. But here they are, decades later, still in the same church. Is this ever right? Are there advantages to long-term ministry such as this?

The ministry with which my wife and I are involved here in Scotland is long-term. Our ministry does not just extend to more than two decades in the same place; it includes two generations!

Our ministry context

My parents came to the Scottish Borders back in the 1960s as part of the first-ever BJU mission team to the British Isles. A Scottish evangelist helped organize the team with the purpose of reinvigorating Christianity in his homeland. The Lord eventually led my parents to a fishing village on the North Sea coast with the vision of establishing a church in the local community. Fifteen years later, they returned to the US, leaving behind an established church under the leadership of a national pastor. Sadly, within five years the national pastor left, and the church suffered a split in the ensuing leadership vacuum. Years later, at the invitation of the church I returned with my family to assume pastoral leadership of the ministry. After twenty-three years, we are still here.

The usual roadmap for church planting is to move into a new area, see converts come to the Lord, train local believers to assume leadership, then move on to a new location, and repeat the process. Advice varies on the desired length of time this should take place—anywhere from two or three years up to ten years. The model for this type of church planting is based partly on the example of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament (e.g., Acts 20:31).

In my experience, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to this design. No two areas of ministry are exactly alike. Many variables (e.g., cultural, historical, social, etc.) come into play and will affect the outcome. Some forms of ministry will be more effective than others, depending on whether you are ministering in a city, a university town, or a rural village.

Unlike some mission fields where the Gospel has had little influence over the years, the British Isles have a nearly 2000-year history of Christian experience. The population is highly educated. The average individual is already acquainted to one degree or another with Christianity. On the other hand, the populace has been exposed to over a century and a half of “higher criticism,” Darwinian evolution, and the devastation caused by two world wars. The consequence is that scepticism of religion runs deep. Many idols must first be torn down before the light of the truth can penetrate the spiritual darkness and take root. That takes time! There are no quick fixes, no shortcuts in ministry, unless God provides an unusual outpouring of His Spirit.

Benefits of long-term ministry:

It provides a deeper understanding of the people.

One benefit of a long-term ministry is that church workers can get to know and better understand the people. Moving into a new community or cultural context is never easy. No matter how many books you read or videos you may watch, you really cannot fully understand a people until you live among them and engage with them personally on a regular basis over time.

It gives more time for sceptics to observe Christian testimony.

When you move into a new area to begin ministry, you are the stranger. The onus is on you to get to know the people, to befriend them, and to establish a credible testimony. Upon your arrival, you may find the locals to be polite, courteous, even welcoming, but do not mistake that for acceptance. That comes much later, after years of building up personal relationships and earning their trust. The locals may hear your words, but they are waiting to see how you live. They want to know if you are for real before they accept what you have to say to them. But if you are willing to put in the time and effort required, a long-term ministry can yield positive results even in the most challenging spiritual environments.

It allows more time for God’s truth to take root.

Long-term ministry allows time for the truth to sink deep into hearts and take root, to see believers grounded and settled in the faith. More time can give the work the best possible chance to survive and even to flourish when the missionary departs.

With long-term ministry, the local community will have ample opportunity to observe your example and learn from you what a Christian is to be. Instead of merely providing them with teaching, they get to see truth applied first-hand. A picture is indeed “worth a thousand words,” as the saying goes.

Effective long-term ministry requires a right mindset, a long-term view. It’s being willing to shed preconceived notions about what should happen and being willing to learn from the people in whose community God has placed you. Long-term ministry allows you not only to establish personal relationships, but also relationships with families over generations. It’s when you begin to see the children of the children you once worked with coming to Christ that you know the Gospel is beginning to take root in the community.

It helps ensure mature leadership.

Long-term ministry also gives the church planter or missionary adequate time to train and prepare converts to take on positions of leadership in the church. The Bible warns us against the folly of putting a “novice” behind the pulpit (1 Timothy 3:6).

Long-term ministry strategy doesn’t matter without the effective working of the Holy Spirit. But if the Holy Spirit so wills, just about anything can happen. Under normal circumstances long-term ministry has a valuable role to play in seeing the Gospel advanced and churches established around the world.