Grace Baptist Church, Santa Clarita
Over the past half-century, there has been a drift in evangelical missions. Churches, seminaries, missions agencies, and missionaries alike have adopted secular strategies to accomplish the most un-secular goal: proclaiming the gospel and planting churches. Many of today’s evangelicals have turned to humanistic anthropology, sociology, and other such fields for guidance—instead of relying on the sufficiency of the Word of God in developing both the theology and practice of missions. This approach has largely resulted in local church leaders surrendering their biblical responsibility, relegating the work of missions to untrained individuals, disconnected missions agencies, and other outside organizations.
This shift away from the authority of the Word of God in missions has led to a series of compromises, diminishing the testimonies of individual missionaries and weakening the global church. At their worst, these compromises have concealed the gospel, created false conversions, and syncretized truth with paganism or local religions.
If the church of the twenty-first century is going to obey her Master’s call to proclaim the Good News in all the world (Matthew 28:18–20), it must return to the authority of His Word. The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) is among those who recognize this need and are raising their voice for biblical reform. In part, that is why 100 contributors within our network, from 60 different nations, have come together to produce the forthcoming textbook and companion workbook, Biblical Missions: Principles, Priorities, and Practices.
This year’s symposium features textbook contributors Paul Washer, Conrad Mbewe, and many other authors, who will provide a complete menu of plenary sessions, breakout seminars, and panels that survey the entire textbook from their perspectives as pastors and missionaries.
With a wide array of sessions to choose from, the conference will draw its main points of focus from the primary discussions found in the textbook. Beginning with careful exegesis, biblical theology, and a history of biblical evangelism, we will make the case for a scriptural foundation of missions. From there, we will hone in on the priority of the local church, applying the biblical instruction for missionary development, sending, and support for church planting. We will end our time together where many others would begin: examining a wide range of local cross-cultural practices (such as mercy and marketplace ministries) and applying biblical instruction to international contexts (such as short-term ministries, partnerships, and cultural engagement).
The goal of both the conference and the textbook is to equip pastors and church members, whether they are missionaries at home on furlough, candidates training for missions, donors supporting missions, or fellow elders building a missions program for their local church.
To assist in this equipping work, each attendee will receive both the textbook and accompanying workbook as a complimentary gift with their registration for this year’s conference. Participants will also have a chance to review the workbook together and hear from the editors on how to use its twenty-four lessons for independent study or for leading a class or small group through the material in a local church context.
Join us as together we are reminded of the biblical mandate for local churches to faithfully send and serve—for the glory of God and the salvation of the nations.
Register at tmai.org/symposium. Cost is $60 per person ($75 after February 4).
Volunteers are still needed for the International Symposium. To volunteer, you must be a Grace Church member or a TMUS student. To sign up, visit tmai.org/volunteer. For more information, email volunteer@tmai.org.