Toward A Theology of Submission and Obedience in Missions

2011·186.4 MB·English

by  HERBERT FENTON LAMP, JR.

TOWARD A THEOLOGY OF SUBMISSION AND OBEDIENCE IN MISSIONS
A THESIS
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF
GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY
BY
HERBERT FENTON LAMP, JR.
MAY 2011
Copyright© 2011 by Herbert F. Lamp, Jr. All Rights Reserved.
So must | be called of no account and a coward
if | must carry out every order you may happen to give me
Tell other men to do these things, but give me no more
commands, since | for my part have no intention to obey you
-Homer, /liad

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom
shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’
-John 6:66-68
CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES
ABSTRACT vi
INTRODUCTION: PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND RATIONALE
FOR THE STUDY OF SUBMISSION AND OBEDIENCE IN MISSIONS
Chapter
1. THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
2. THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK -— PART |: FOLLOWERSHIP 62
IN CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY, CHRISTIAN FORMATION
AND THE OLD TESTAMENT
THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK — PART II: FOLLOWERSHIP 102
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
LITERATURE REVIEW: FOLLOWERSHIP IN THE BUSINESS 163
LITERATURE AND AN EXAMINATION OF THE SOCIETY OF
JESUS AND MORAVIAN MISSIONS MOVEMENTS
SPIRITUAL FORMATION PRACTICES IN IGNATIAN AND 213
MORAVIAN SPIRITUALITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR MODERN FAITH MISSION BOARDS
Appendix
A. OLD TESTAMENT FOLLOWERSHIP STATEMENTS 273
B. NEW TESTAMENT FOLLOWERSHIP STATEMENTS 276
C. ALIST OF EARLY SPIRITUAL FORMATION PRACTICES 278
AMONG JESUITS AND MORAVIANS
BIBLIOGRAPHY 279
VITA 299
FIGURES
Figures
4.1 Kelley’s Five Basic Types of Followers 170
4.2 Chaleff’s Circle of Leaders and Followers 172
ABSTRACT
The study of followership has been a neglected area of modern church and
missionary studies. This is regretful since much damage is done to the cause of Christ
by internal conflict over authority and submission issues, especially as it is found in the
North American Protestant sending faith mission boards.
This thesis seeks to lay out a beginning working biblical theology of followership
by drawing upon examples and teachings of the Old and New Testament. Its’
conclusion is that Christian believers are called more to followership than to leadership
and a proper understanding of submission and obedience can aid greatly in the world-
wide spread of the Gospel. It is this thesis’ main argument that the development and
implementation of a biblical theology of submission and obedience will result in healthier,
more sustaining, and effective missionaries and ministries.
To illustrate such a statement, two influential mission movements will be looked
at, the early Society of Jesus under St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Moravian Brethren at’
Herrnhut under Count Nickolas Ludwig Van Zinzendorf. Each will be explored as to their
history, their missionary movement and effectiveness, their early documents, their
beliefs on submission, and their spiritual practices. At the end of the study, ten
recommendations will be presented to modern Protestant Faith Mission Boards in order
to help address the submission and authority issues they currently face.
vi
INTRODUCTION:
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND RATIONALE
FOR THE STUDY OF SUBMISSION AND OBEDIENCE IN MISSIONS
The author has been a missionary for 30 years, first as a field missionary in
Europe, and then for almost 20 years ministering in the areas of personnel and member
care. One of the disappointing but real observations made during this time has been the
struggle that many missionaries have following their mission leadership. These
missionaries, many of the finest and brightest, have found it difficult to submit to their
mission authority when decisions or personalities come into question.
This was brought home first as a young missionary working in Eastern Europe
when the Berlin Wall came down and field and mission leadership came into conflict
over mission strategy for reaching this part of the world for Christ. The team this author
worked on was torn apart by the conflict. Over twenty highly effective missionaries were
deeply affected emotionally and quite a few prematurely left the field because of the in-
fighting that developed.
As this author subsequently moved into the field of missionary care, first with
his old mission and then later joining the staff of Barnabas International, a pastoral care
ministry to missionaries He soon realized that this was not an isolated one-time
occurrence. Conflict among mission leaders and followers also occurred within other
groups as he observed quite a few teams and individuals who struggled with following
mission authorities when disagreements occurred. Interpersonal conflict seemed to be
more than norm than the exception. He began to ask the question if anything could be
done to help lessen the number and intensity of such problems. This has led to this
thesis which proposes that both leadership and followership contribute to such conflict
and that a proper understanding and development of a biblical theology of submission
and obedience for both leaders and followers is needed.
Good leaders are good followers. Good followers submit to biblical authority. It
is this thesis’ hypothesis that when both leaders and followers mutually submit
to the Lord Jesus Christ, the power and fruit of the Spirit will be released to work
through conflict, bringing spiritual transformation in people’s lives and ministries.
This does not mean that disagreements will not occur, but it does mean that when they
do happen people will be able to work through the process of dialogue biblically and so
under the direction of the Spirit, resolve differences in grace and truth.
However, such mutual submission does not occur by will-power alone. Spiritual
transformation involves individual and community spiritual formation which opens spaces
to allow the Spirit freedom to change and transform. Historically, two missionary
movements, the early Jesuits, and the Moravians at Herrmhut, developed spiritual
practices which changed people and serves as godly examples of biblical followership
bearing much Kingdom fruit. This thesis will first present a look at submission and
obedience in both the Old and New Testaments. Then it will look at each of the
missionary movements, the early Jesuits and the Moravians, exploring their founders,
history, mission, and spiritual formation practice. In doing so, it will be demonstrated that
spiritual formation of the inner heart transforms the missionary, whether a leader or
follower, towards greater obedience and submission and leads to greater personal and
community freedom and fruit. The last chapter will present ten recommendations for
North American faith mission boards to consider in the development of their spiritual
formation training.
By addressing authority issues straight on and helping both mission leaders and
followers grow in areas of mutual submission, the belief is that missionaries will become
healthier, more effective in their cross-cultural ministries, and serve for many more years
on the field of their calling.
CHAPTER ONE
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
Modern Missions in Crisis
The modern Protestant North American faith mission board faces an immediate
crisis of identity and effectiveness. The twenty-first century is a changing and vastly
different world from that which early pioneer missionaries set sail across the seas to
preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The postmodern world of rapid globalization, swift
communication and immediate transportation have overtaken every aspect of daily life
including missionary service.
In addition to the surrounding changing culture, the missionary enterprise itself is
in need of genuine reform. The North American Church has, for the most part, engaged
in missionary programs rather than programs for Mission. The church has “adopted the
paradigm that sending pioneer missionaries cross-culturallyis essential if we are to be
obedient to Christ's mandates . . . but the pioneering, directive role is no longer
appropriate once indigenous initiative and leadership has emerged.”' James Engel in
his perceptive study of the current mission crisis, further notes that individualism,
pluralism, skepticism, holism, activism, and isolationism has all impacted North
American missions.’ Each one has caused a diminished zeal and an immature spiritual
vitality resulting in an ingrown, indifferent; self-indulgent and passive Church.
Some brave voices in the past decade have started to raise the banner
of concern by offering some fresh and courageous analysis of the challenges facing
missions.? However, much of the analysis made, focuses solely upon strategic
" James F. Engel, A Clouded Future: Advancing North American World Missions (Milwaukee: Christian
Stewardship Association, 1996), 7.
? Engel, A Clouded Future, 12-13.
5 James F. Engel and William A. Dyrness, Changing the Mind of Missions: Where Have We Gone Wrong?
(Downers Grove: interVarsity Press, 2000), Tom Sine, Mustard Seed Versus McWorld: Reinventing Life
goals and resourcing. Though this is a needed discussion, it does not go far enough in
evaluating the problems facing the missionary church. There is a need for an even
deeper evaluation of the challenges and causes of stagnation in modern missions.
Rather than just looking at the structures, strategies, tools, and resources for
effectiveness in reaching the world for Christ, there must also be similar penetrating
questions asked about the person and character of missionary force itself. For missions
to not only survive, but also thrive in the days ahead, a look deep inside the character of
God’s messengers to assess how global servant’s hearts are formed and their spirituality
released in their calling must be made.
Of particular interest is the spiritual dynamic when conflict occurs among
missionaries. What happens when there is a divergence of opinion between a
missionary and their organization? How is a missionary’s heart shaped when faced by
adverse leadership? How does such possible variant responses as outright rebellion,
apathetic compliance, or willing submission each play out in directing their futures, their
relationship with the Lord, and in the building of God’s Kingdom? What is the balance
between the tension of obedience and freedom in Christ? What part does godly
leadership play in decision-making among missionaries? What part does godly
followership and submission play? What are the spiritual benefits of submission to the
individual and what are the Kingdom-shaping outcomes for their ministry?
In discerning answers to such questions, there may be some humbling and
surprising results. It is not too strong a statement to propose that the number one
hindrance to the spread of God’s Kingdom in the world today is not the outward
challenges of confronting other religions and/or political systems antagonistic to the

and Faith for the Future (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999), Peter Brierley, Future Church: A Global
Analysis of the Christian Community to the year 2070 (London: Monarch Books, 1998), Paul McKaughan,
Dellanna O’Brien, and William O’Brien, Choosing a Future for U.S. Missions, (Moravia, CA: MARC
Publishing, 1998), K.P. Yohannan, Why the World Waits: Exposing the Reality of Modem Missions (Lake
Mary, FL: Creation House, 1991).