Steve Saint, whose father was martyred with four other men trying to make contact with the Waodoni (Auca) people of Peru in 1956, had strong words to say against some of our most common missional mindsets. In a September 2011 article in the Journal for the U.S. Center for World Missions he said: 

“Our goal in planting Christ’s church where it doesn’t exist must be to produce churches that are self-propagating, self-governing and self-supporting; especially where the members come from a background of hopelessness, powerlessness and inadequate resources. The most important aspect of church planting is whatever that fledgling congregation needs most. In a growing number of cases, the greatest need new churches have is to become self-supporting.

Giving handouts creates more problems than it solves. It is like casting out demons with long leases. Break the lease or they will come back and bring more roommates (Lk 11:24–26). Where the Church is being established among people that perceive themselves as powerless, there is a great need for deep discipleship, wrestling with the roots of poverty at the community level rather than concentrating on the individual.

Financial help that does not develop sustainable, local, financial self-sufficiency is much more likely to create poverty than it is to meet real needs. Until we realize that we can’t overcome poverty with handouts, we will never be much help in completing Christ’s Great Commission.” (Click here to read the article)

It is time for a major breakthrough in how we think and thus act in terms of helping to establish and support the Church and impoverished communities in some of these difficult contexts. God has given us amazing hearts to help those in need, and this is so beautiful! In those cases of widespread catastrophe we must first stop the bleeding. But very quickly we must transfer the triage and care to the local community or they will become overly dependent on our solutions and we will become unnecessarily entrenched. In most cases, being part of the solution requires us to resist the knee jerk reaction to give benevolently when a more long-term approach of empowerment will bring much more independence and creative solutions to the local community. We must ask ourselves, “What is the potential long-term harm or benefit from our current missional approach?” “Who is in perceived leadership right now?” “How am I raising up indigenous leadership to be fully capable to do what I am now doing?” “How is my approach creating dependency?”

Please feel free to respond to these weekly Breakthroughs in Missional Thinking. We need your voice in this ongoing dialogue about how the Christian Church engages in missions in this rapidly changing world and culture.

Blessings,
Mark Mielbrecht
Director of Global Leadership Development

Furthermore, sustainable spiritual, economic, and societal practices that are owned and adapted by indigenous missional leaders must be developed in ways that bring widespread life and vitality to a community, not dependence.  For far too long many missional paradigms can be illustrated by the robin and her nested young in the above photo.  Without the constant feeding and care by the mature robin, the blind and helpless young will simply perish.  They are absolutely dependent on her unabated procurement of more resources.  How does this picture represent some of the missional relationships that you are aware of?  How has your church or mission organization added to the dependency of the foreign mission field on Western aid and relief?  How have you begun to think of ways to empower local missional contexts to develop their own solutions to the needs of their own communities?

Please feel free to respond to these weekly Breakthroughs in Missional Thinking; we need your voice in this ongoing dialogue about how the Christian Church engages in missions in this rapidly changing world and culture.

Blessings,
Mark Mielbrecht
Director of Global Leadership Development

This week the local Breakthrough Partners Team, the organizers of the seminar on Christian Economic Development have been overwhelmed with the response.  There was an expectation of 150 participants from different regions of Ivory Coast and 11 other African nations.  However, there have been 207 men and women in attendance.

During the past two days we have visited some of the most sacrificial and gifted works of young Africans served by the Breakthrough Partners Ivory Coast Team that we have seen in the world.  Let me tell you of Dominique, a vibrant young Christian woman, who has established a savings and credit association for some 1,300 people.  This past year she worked with the pastor of the local church to see it have a roof for the church building and provide care for widows and orphans.  The result is that the church is growing dramatically, widows and orphans are brought out of a vulnerable and destitute state and the region is observing the creativity and love of Christ.

Thank you for walking with us to build leaders for rebuilding communities,

Yours truly, from Bingerville, Ivory Coast,

 Gary Edmonds

 [You may our work in the Ivory Coast through Breakthrough Partners by clicking here.]

Koffi shared the joy of having Breakthrough Partners with him in worship on Sunday. “Wonderful!” Koffi expressed thanks for gifts received and promised us further reports with pictures.

“I will send you a report every day.  Great thanks!”

If all the technology works between Africa and Edmonds, WA, we will be sharing the promised reports and pictures each day.

To follow us on FACEBOOK and read the updates, click here. Become a fan of Breakthrough Partners and send an invitation to all you friends. Great things are happening in Ivory Coast.

Our objective is to move some 15,000 men, women and children out of vulnerable and destitute poverty to stability and self-sufficiency.  We will impart knowledge, skills, attitudes and relational connections to help them achieve this goal.  With God, this will happen in the year to come as the darkness is pushed back in the communities of these lovely people. 

 Thanks for standing with us as we build leaders to rebuild communities. 

Yours truly,

 Gary & Tricia Edmonds
Kevin and Renee Napiér

Christophe Mbonyingabo of CARSA

During the past two weeks, we hosted Christophe Mbonyingabo, Founder and Executive Director of CARSA of Rwanda. He is a courageous and Spirit-anointed leader set apart for rebuilding Rwanda out of genocide. Click here to check out the website of CARSA which is an affiliate partner of Breakthrough Partners. Christophe and his team are instrumental in the incredible healing and transformation of lives that have been traumatized by the wounds of genocide.

Again I was reminded that the rebuilding of broken communities and nations is built on the backs and from the convictions of Godly Local Leadership. Outsiders will never be able to lead a process of transformation. It takes those with moral and spiritual credibility who are relationally connected to the populous. It takes those who are in the culture of the local setting, but not of it. It takes those who are prepared to suffer and serve for the glory of God, even unto death.

This is where Christian mission, donor and development work so often goes astray. Those who come from the outside with money, messages and materials naively believe that they can bring about profound and lasting change. It simply does not work that way. And so often we let those with money, technological equipment, and educational degrees determine the priorities and strategies for the local mission. Then we wonder why there is no sustainable change.

The key for change to nations like Rwanda is to identify those who are morally credible, Holy Spirit anointed and filled with the vision of the Kingdom of God coming on earth like in heaven. Listen to them, follow them and support them. For culture change and rebuilding of nations is a job for insiders!

Gary Edmonds

[You may support Christophe and CARSA through Breakthrough Partners by clicking here.]

How do you move from despair, fear, and suspicion to hope, peace and equitable prosperity?

This week I was invited by the Rwandan government to attend the International Summit on Unity and Reconciliation, October 15-16, at the 10^th anniversary of the operation of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission. Based on my involvement and partnership during the past eight years in the process of bringing healing and life to a broken people and nation, I am asked to offer feedback of the past efforts and insights for future progress. I count this a real privilege to be used as a peacemaker in friendship for the rebuilding process of a profoundly traumatized nation.

Reflecting on the issues that needed to be addressed in the nation and the pathway to a peaceful and prosperous future, I wrote a brief paper of my observations. (Click here to read.) 

Today, let me leave you with a leadership thought that underscores my convictions for all nations and societies. Leaders must be willing to face uncomfortable truth, create a culture of truth telling, and ruthlessly examine destructive patterns of belief and behavior in an environment of forgiveness, equality, and hope. They cannot pretend, cover-up, fear truth, and lie about self or their constituency. Paul the apostle wrote, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” (1Timothy 1:15-16)

Rwanda, or any nation for that matter, will only move forward to display justice for all by the mercy of God which is offered to humble confessing leaders and people.

Gary Edmonds

I am often asked about the best steps in developing young leaders. My answer normally astounds people. “First, Listen!”

Leaders by nature and gifting are endowed with hopes and dreams for a healthier and more caring society. Embedded deep inside of them is a burning desire to help others and see change for the better. Brokenness and despair trouble them profoundly. Anger over matters of injustice, sloth, abuse, indifference, disease, and greed troubles their waking hours and disturbs their sleep patterns. The status quo is not acceptable as they hunger and thirst to see the goodness of God in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)

What do these people need most? Not someone to come and tell them what to do or how things are done in our land or to offer a seminar on leadership. Instead they need someone to listen to them. They need a discerning and caring ear, one who draws out their hopes and dreams. In the process the young leader is affirmed, honing vision and building courage to articulate the treasure that is buried inside of his/her soul.

This week, I listened to three young leaders of Rwanda who are dreaming of a New Generation for a New History. They see the day when Hutus and Tutsis, young and old, and men and women will live together in unity in diversity. They are in faith breathing the air of freedom when the citizens live in solidarity. They are convinced that someday their nation will no longer seek help from other nations but instead will be peaceful and prosperous, generously contributing to the development of other nations.

How do I know this? I took the time to listen to their hearts. I let them tell me what causes their hearts to beat fast and their eyes to be wild with excitement. This is the first step in building leaders who will rebuild nations. Listen today to another. You’ll never know what you may discover; you may be used as an instrument in bringing the goodness of God into the land of the living.

As I write this message, I want to introduce you to Kevin and Renée Napier who are joining Breakthrough Partners. The requests for our time multiply weekly. We need to increase our capacity. Kevin and Renée are great listeners and know how to build leaders who will give themselves to rebuild broken communities. You will want to get to know them through the bios posted on our website.

Gary Edmonds