The Strategy Coordinator Approach

In 1998 the Board decided to concentrate our efforts on the 25 largest and least evangelized people groups in the world. The criteria for the 25 were two – that they be over 1 million people and have fewer than five agencies working with them. Since then we have found that four common characteristics turn up in each of these 25.

They are usually remote, some taking three days of travel from the US.
They are often under a government that is hostile to Christianity.
Mission efforts among them have been scarce for centuries.
They suffer under severe conditions of spiritual oppression.

The most common modes of missions outreach do not fit these cases. The unreached live in tough and rocky soil that needs time to break up and prepare their soil for planting. The planting and nurturing cannot occur effectively until this stage has been adequately done. Furthermore, with so little known of Christianity, it is extremely important that multiple and varied forms of the Christian faith and resources for evangelism need to be concentrated on the people group.

In these circumstances what can one missionary from the West accomplish? Plenty, under the model of the Strategy Coordinator. We have found that this model allows for flexibility by location and by personality. The model also lends itself to addressing the varied tasks of the stages of work. There are common roles for an SC. For illustration of these, we will draw from the experience of a couple who are SCs to the Miao of China.

Strategy Coordinator Roles

Research

Usually this is better than anyone else’s - more comprehensive in resources and scope, grasping the deeper revelations of legend, poetry, family structure, and social order, knowing the belief systems of religion, watching for ways to and not to introduce Christ.

The Miao research has concentrated on their worldview. Their religion is vastly comprehensive, ancient, and complex. The SCs are looking deep into this to see the spiritual history, the areas where the Miao are open or closed to new ideas, which ideas to lead with, which to avoid. This research project is on-going and far more revealing than the usual statistics of Christian data.

Advocacy

This runs the full gamut from brochures for promotion to prayer chains to published articles. Basically it means whatever it takes to draw the attention of the church to them, going to the wider church seeking personnel and expertise for ministry

The Miao SCs did a project on this that began like a research project, but it had a clear audience that made it distinct from their research. This took the form of a brochure and a plan for distribution. The purpose of this was advocacy for the Miao for prayer and for church response.

Many ministries

Like Paul’s image of the many parts of the Body of Christ, so the ministries envisioned make up an open-ended list. In true headhunter role, the options arise from research looking to personnel from other lands and denominations, with skills that will lift the people from their oppression, stretching the horizons of those usually sought for mission. The SC arranges for placement of the workers.

These SCs have brought in workers from Singapore and the US. Some are translators who will be in training for two years before returning under Wycliffe. They also have developed a platform of ethnic crafts. For this they have US workers for distribution and sales here, as well as a team of Miao workers there. This platform gives support for Chinese national workers as well as income for the Miao craft people.

Building unity

With the diversity comes the need of breaking down lone ranger ego trips and demonstrating the connections missionaries have one to one another in dependence and to the whole in completion.

This is a responsibility that goes with their leadership. The team is not an AFM team but one made up of several workers whom they have brought in as well as some who were already on the ground. The unity of the team has been a challenge for the SCs. Differing expectations, ethnic background, and roles have made unity elusive and relationships messy. But they know the value of unity for power of witness, so they work at it.

Strategic Leadership

This means always looking for new ways of working, new ideas, ways to incorporate other programs, efforts that may or may not lead to breakthroughs.

For the Miao SCs, they realize the need for discipling the new Christians and church planting. They are studying chronological Bible stories taking courses in church planting strategies. They know this will take years and efforts beyond their capacities. They are praying people, full of hope, and willing to make great sacrifices.

These are the most essential characteristics of the Strategy Coordinator, the model for missionaries used by AFM among the 25 largest and least evangelized peoples. These are the defining principles of AFM.

How the Strategy Coordinator fits among the Least Evangelized

Today’s unreached peoples

Characteristics – Distant, resistant, hidden, well established faiths
Why traditional ways do not mesh – No assumptions of Church infrastructure

Driven by the numbers!

20% of population, 1,700,000,000 people with no clue about Good Friday
One church at a time will work - if we wait until 2286!

The entire ethnic group

Strategies that encompass more than villages, that see an ethno-linguistic group
Multiplication – “church planting movement” – instead of addition

Resources abounding

The world-wide Body of Christ – at our finger tips
Matrix of workers in-country and staff of agencies with expertise and products

Communications wired

Internet phones, camera pictures, sent and received instantly
“Information overload” can lead to understanding and wisdom.

Non-Western maturity

They are sending, thinking, planning, leading.
Their people are eager, willing to sacrifice, and culturally near the unreached.

Western perceptions

How we see ourselves – capable, results-oriented, on-task, voice of individualism
How they see us –culturally insensitive, morally corrupt, isolated in individualism

Western skills and advantages

Entrepreneurs, networkers, multi-taskers
Affluence, travels, influence

Western challenges

Qualities needed are not our dazzling technology and skills but Christ’s humility.
Can-do and Type A people in a world of relaxed time, family, and relationships

The role of advocate, coordinator, strategist

Learning other ways, respecting other leaders, serving, listening, earning a role
Off-stage conductor, manager of off-site trailer at construction

God's Gifting & Power, Our Obedience

“Look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting”(John 4:35) - Vigilance and a heart for the lost

“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8) – Listening and responding

“Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6: 17) – Know and follow Jesus as your savior and study and meditate on the Word of God.

“Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5) – Humble dependence on our Triune God

“So, if I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14) - Servanthood

“…the gifts that God gave” (Ephesians 4:7-13) – Seek, accept, develop, and use the spiritual and natural gifts, talents, skills that God has given you. Strategy coordinators use all the experience of a lifetime of work, ministry, family and leisure activities.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Ask and trust God to fill your spiritual, emotional, and skill gaps.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) – Ask God for his power and strength to serve

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) – Seek others with a heart for the people group, build a team, a partnership, and love one another.

“…let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12: 1-2) – Planting the Church among an unreached people group is a medium to long-term ministry. With God’s help, commit and stay the course.