Imago Dei Blog

It was awesome having Pastor Abraham from Cambodia here with us last week. I’ve been reflecting in light of it on the significance of partnering with strong national leaders when working overseas.

One of my convictions is that God has not called Imago Dei to be the church in Southeast Asia, he’s called the church in Southeast Asia to be the church in Southeast Asia. He’s called us to be the church in Portland, but when we work overseas it is significant that we partner with God’s people, like Abraham, in that place. National leaders know the language, culture and context where God has placed them and have Christ-centered vision for the presence of the gospel in their communities.

When we bypass national leaders and the local church we can waste a lot of time, energy and resources. For example: it would be weird if someone from Zimbabwe were to come to Portland and say: “we are going to start a new church here in Portland.” I would probably ask: “will you be moving here? learning the language? knowing our local culture? will you be coming underneath / alongside those of us who have been here for awhile to learn from us?” It would be really strange if they were to answer: “No. We will simply come twice a year on 2-week trips where we will hire translators, do outreach events, then go back home.”

We would think they were ridiculous. “How meaningful can your actions be when you don’t actually know the place?  If something good does happen while you’re here where is the ongoing presence for discipleship and local sustainability?” Yet I have often encountered where we in America are attempting to be the presence of Jesus overseas from a distance while bypassing national leaders and the local church and a priority on their localized contextual vision.

I’m grateful for Pastor Abraham and the many other national leaders God has blessed us with as partners over the years. They are our priority if we are to have effective involvement in kingdom proclamation / presence overseas, for they are the ones God has called and placed there to bear witness to His kingdom reign.

In the upcoming year, we will be partnering with Abraham’s church and ministry on initiatives in the areas of education, preventative health, clean water, sanitation and more. More on this in months to come. We likewise have a December 2010 trip (arts) and a March / April 2011 trip (medical) planned to go serve alongside Abe & our brothers and sisters overseas and see what God is doing firsthand there. Let me know if you’re interested in more info! (josh@imagodeicommunity.com)