Reaching the Nations, Together
The Role of Gospel-Centered Partnership in Mission
The Great Commission will not be accomplished by just one church, one sending agency, one denomination, or one generation. It takes a multitude to reach “a great multitude. . . from every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Rev. 7:9-10).
At the Global Mission Center, we have four key values that shape all we do:
1) Prayer 🙏
2) Preparation 🪑
3) Participation 👟
4) Partnership 🤝
This post is a part of our series that will describe these values and how they apply to the everyday lives of those seeking to be “Global Christians”.
Partnership is a common value in the world of sports, business, education, and government because many recognize that human beings can achieve more together than alone. To be “partners” often implies a mutual relationship and the voluntary exchange of resources centered around a shared task. Partnership in missions is not merely beneficial, but necessary. The Great Commission will not be accomplished by just one church, one sending agency, one denomination, or one generation. It takes a multitude to reach “a great multitude. . . from every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Rev. 7:9-10).
One of the first tangible pictures of partnership in the New Testament is observed at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. The first four disciples were two sets of brothers who were fisherman by trade. Luke’s gospel account describes these men as fishing partners who worked together when Jesus led them to a miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1-11). The “why” behind partnership is clear in the story:
These fishermen have limited ability (v. 5). Simon and Andrew worked hard all night and caught nothing. They were exhausted and had little reward for their effort.
These fishermen have vulnerable tools (v. 6). When Jesus led them to a large number of fish, their nets began to break. The practice of mending and preparing nets seems to be a common occurrence since it is mentioned in the two parallel accounts in the New Testament (Matt. 4:21; Mark 1:19).
These fishermen have small vessels (vv. 7-10). Even after signaling to other partners, both boats became so full that they began to sink under the weight of this miraculous haul. It was an event so astonishing that it led these self-reliant fishing experts to repent and trust in Jesus.
This passage, however, is not simply a lesson on professional fishing or corporate partnership. Despite helping with the catch of a lifetime, Jesus invites these fishermen to follow him and partner together in something far greater when he says, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people” (v. 10). All three synoptic gospels describe a similar response to this invitation: they pulled their boats to the shore, dropped their nets, and followed him (v. 11; Matt. 4:20; Mark 1:18). This occasion highlights a significant theme in missions: Christ intends to make his followers fishers of men, and Christian fishermen, who are led by Christ, work together in order to catch a great multitude for the Kingdom.
How does this relate to churches and parachurch organizations? The answer is partnership in the gospel (Phil. 1:5). When John Stott drafted the covenant for the Lausanne Movement, he stated,
“Evangelization requires the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world.”
Few Christian groups model mission partnership better than the Southern Baptist Convention. For over one hundred years, thousands of autonomous, doctrinally-aligned churches, have sacrificially pooled resources together to form sister entities like associations, seminaries, and mission boards who work together to fulfill the Great Commission. Within this cooperative fabric lies the Global Mission Center at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
The Global Mission Center has a number of ministry partners in the United States and across the globe. Most notably, the Global Mission Center (GMC) works alongside the International Mission Board (IMB) to train missionary candidates as they work toward mid-term and long-term service in the Lord’s harvest (Luke 10:2). This partnership can manifest in a variety of ways:
IMB missionaries can take graduate and undergraduate missiology courses at reduced rates.
IMB field teams can receive and direct short-term volunteer teams from the GMC.
IMB field leadership can be invited to speak in classes or occasionally teach full courses.
GMC leadership can support returning workers and missionary kids who are transitioning to the US.
GMC faculty can promote IMB pathways and introduce training materials in the classroom.
GMC can partner with missionaries assigned globally to form missional communities on campus.
Currently, the Global Mission Center has a growing pipeline cohort of quality missionary candidates and are prayerfully considering cross-cultural service among unreached peoples and places. By facilitating regular fellowship and training meetings, the IMB, in partnership with the GMC, is cultivating a mature and diverse group of like-minded believers who are taking steps in the sending process. This cohort provides vocational coaching, fosters local church connection, and develops missionary skills while pursuing theological education. None of this would be possible without gospel-centered partnership. Since the multitude is so vast and Christ has given his followers His Spirit and a shared task, we are reaching the nations, together.
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