All churches, missionaries, and mission organizations seek to be wise, even strategic, about gospel outreach. In that pursuit, we need to understand that even those who are Biblically-informed might understand strategy differently.

Go Where There is the Greatest Need?

I remember the first time I heard about being strategic. I was then planning to go with my wife to Equatorial Guinea, to the jungles of Africa – to one of the smallest and least “important” places on earth. The proposal about strategy that I heard was exactly opposite of my thinking about missions at the time. My idea was: “You go where no one else wants to go. You give those who have never had a chance to hear the Gospel a chance.” C. T. Studd´s illustration was my paradigm. Studd would ask, “If you see ten guys trying to lift a heavy log, nine on one side and one by himself on the other, which end should you help lift?” The answer is clear: you go where there’s the greatest need. To me, that meant primitive missions.

Are Cities Always the Most Strategic Places?

Then I heard about reaching the “strategic places.” The proponent was planning to plant a church in New York City, and he was explaining that going to the “most strategic place” meant NYC. To him, this was the best idea. You can imagine how I first received his proposal. I was not on board!

Even in Equatorial Guinea we avoided living in one of the only two “cities” in the country. We liked how Hudson Taylor did it—go to the interior. We and one other missionary couple were the only ones not in one of the two urban areas.

That said, we felt our choice of location was “strategic.” Our small country’s people had two strong language accents, and we wanted to learn to talk “normal,” like the people from the middle of the country. If you’re from Ohio as I am, you get that! Settling there also allowed us to be on the only highway in the country, something that would facilitate travel into the bush. Our village was strategic.

Not a Choice Between Primitive and Urban

So maybe this debate reveals not so much about embracing one extreme or another (primitive versus urban, etc.), but rather the need for clear Biblical thinking. Scripture should guide God’s people as they choose a location for ministry. Consider the following passages and their applications:

Principle: God expects you to plan.

Passage: “The thoughts [plans] of the diligent only to plenteousness; but of every one hasty only to want” (Proverbs 21:5).

 

Principle: God expects you to plan wisely, taking into account the consequences of your decisions.

Passage: “A prudent foresees the evil, and hides himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” That proverb occurs twice (22:3 and 27:12, NKJV). “Hiding yourself” means taking favorable action based on expected risks (the context of the proverb) or towards certain rewards. That sounds like a risk/rewards analysis. Here one asks, “Of the available options, which is the best?”

 

Principle: Your choice may be based on the location, size, importance, and access of a given city.

Passage: Paul reached several central and strategic cities during his missionary journeys. Remember Ephesus (see Acts 18b-19). It was the capitol of Asia Minor and the gateway to the region. Corinth is another great example (see Acts 18a).

 

Principle: Great opportunity does not automatically mean God’s will for you.

Passage: Paul said to the Corinthians, “Furthermore, when I came to Troas [a strategic costal city] to Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia” (2 Corinthians 2:12–13). Paul had, in fact, been through Troas various times, but we have no record of him planting a church there in spite of the “strategic location” and the “open door.” Other factors tipped the scale in favor of continuing his travels.

 

Principle: Sometimes your great plan doesn’t work. That’s God’s leading too.

Passage: On his second missionary journey, Paul wanted to go to “Asia” (Acts 16:6), and when that didn’t work, to Bithinia (Acts 16:7). By “Asia” Luke clearly means “towards Ephesus”. So Paul was thinking strategically. Ephesus would be the most logical next place. But the Holy Spirit forbid them. The closed door is just as much God’s leading, if not more, than the open door.

Principle: God’s will for you and someone else in the exact same situation may be different.

Passage: Acts 12.

James is in jail. He gets martyred.

Peter is in jail. He gets released at night by an angel.

You do what’s right as God leads you, and don’t worry about the other guy (see John 21).

 

Where Can We Make the Most Impact With Our Abilities?

We are no longer in Equatorial Guinea, Africa. My wife’s health crashed, and we simply could not continue in those conditions, especially without co-workers! Now we’re in the third largest city in Mexico: Monterrey. This is anything but primitive, third-world missions. 

We made the decision to teach at the Christian University of the Americas after asking ourselves where we could make the most impact for world missions with our abilities.

We wanted to be “strategic.” For us this now means training nationals. Both on campus and now online, seminary classes allow us to prepare church planters and missionaries. These are native speakers of the language and at home in their own culture. We have students from more than a dozen countries, and, when you add in the Bible Institute level materials (our non-accredited offer), the number jumps past twenty-five.

Beyond this, for me, being strategic also means using an airplane at times to accelerate travel. It includes communicating our burden for primitive missions and the unreached places. Every two years we take our students for two months to the “worst” place we can find!

Continue to Evaluate Ministry Opportunities

We continue to evaluate our ministry opportunities. A supporting church recently asked us to consider returning from the field to take over for the retiring pastor. We love the church dearly and would love to help, but we feel (can I use that word?) that, because of our abilities with Spanish, the place God has put us now allows us to do the most for His kingdom.

Take All the Factors Into Consideration

As you seek a Biblically-balanced approach to ministry strategy, you should ask yourself questions such as these:

• Where can I use the training, talents, resources, and time God has given me for the greatest good?
• How can I prepare native speakers of the language who are already comfortable in that culture?
• What other gospel-preaching ministries are already at work in the area?
• Are there physical considerations I should keep in mind?
• What are godly counselors suggesting?
• What about the people who have never heard? Please don’t skip this last one.

God expects you to make the best decision that you can, taking all factors into account. It is okay if God leads other people differently!

 

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version.