7 Tips to PREPARE an Effective Missionary Exit Plan

Titus 3:1, "To be prepared to do every good work…"

Thongchai Pradabchananurat, Southern Baptist Church

Intro: 

Southern Baptist Mission History (1948 to the Present)

Ralph Winter called the period following World War II (1945) the “Twenty-Five Unbelievable Years.”                           

After World War II, Christians from North America expanded missionary activity in a way never seen before in history.  The “Unbelievable Years” in Thailand opened in 1946 with the departure of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), the younger brother of King Rama VIII,to Switzerland to commence studies, and with the arrival of numerous mission societies eager to evangelize Thailand.

In 1948, the Southern Baptist Convention in the USA adopted a mission theme called "PROGRAM ADVANCE."   It was a plan to use all funds and personnel to grow the work of missions throughout the world.              

By 1949 the political instability of China forced a massive number of missionary personnel to evacuate China and to relocate in other Asian countries. God used these relocated “China hands” to open new work throughout Asia.   Southern Baptist missionaries of the IMB represented just a small number of the many “China hands” who began work in Thailand after World War II. IMB (FMB) missionaries quickly established churches in Thailand. 

From 1952 through 1954, IMB missionaries started Grace (Chinese) Church, Emmanuel (Thai) Church, Calvary (English) Church, and other institutes, including the Baptist Seminary and the Baptist Student Center (BSC).

By 1976, Thai Baptist churches with the help of the IMB started the Thailand Baptist Convention (TBC,TBCA).This was an unintentional Exit Plan for the IMB (SBC)!   

Today, TBC churches are no longer called SBC churches.  We are now called “Thai Baptists.”  Furthermore, the original concept of “Thai Baptists” has evolved from that of a “denomination” to that of a “brand!” Through its many ministries of good deeds, the Baptists are now well accepted by the government and the Christian community.  We exist to fulfill Christ’s great commission.  All churches and institutions are run by Thai nationals and the missionaries have become good partners. History shows that God blesses the work of missions when a missionary and a local church makes evangelism & missions a PRIORITY.

In the past, we had division and conflict because we had differences in theology. But because of missions, we can now work together.  So we can confess that, “Theology divides us, but missions unites us.”  And, I believe that evangelism and missions are most fruitful when a missionary endeavors to prepare an “Effective Missionary Exit Plan.”

Content: 

From my study of missions history in Thailand, and from my over 30 years of personal experience in evangelism and church planting ministry, I would like to offer 7 tips on how to PREPARE an “Effective Missionary Exit Plan.”

Pray & Prepare Yourself to Work With God to Build His Church

1. It is Right & Wise to ask God to use you to plant a church for Him.

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?”  And I said,  “Here am I.  Send me!” (Isa 6:8)

You should pray to God to bless and to help you to start HIS church.  You need to pray as well as asking other people to pray for you.

There are two reasons for this:  

1) The works of evangelism and church planting are not your work, but His work.  So you need to ask God how HE wants you to help build HIS house.    

2) You need to pray and ask for HIS help to prepare yourself for the task because you are too small to do HIS great work by yourself.

“ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,”      (Eph. 6:18-19)

2. You will also need to ask these questions as you endeavor to plant a church:

1) Who is my target group?

2) What do they believe?

3) What are their needs?

4) How can I reach them?

3. You will need to: 

1) increase your knowledge and skills; 

2) prepare the necessary equipment and materials; and 

3) to exercise your gifts so that you are ready for God to use you to build His Church.

Recruit the Right People to form your Church Planting Team.

I want to say it again, God's work is too big for you to do by yourself.  You need to pray and to ask God to give you a team.  Then, you have to look for the right persons or organization or church and to recruit them to be your partners in ministry and missions.  You must always remind yourself that the right team from God is the key to success!

In the past, it was hard for missionaries to find good partners or team members.  So, they would start a church with their own hands and often they ran it like it was their personal property.  They loved it so much and worked as if they would never leave it. That was a tragedy! These missionaries never trained team members to carry on the ministry of the church after God moved them on to another work!  This was the reason that many of their churches died quickly or became weak after they left that field or returned home.

Therefore, it is essential to have a good team before you start a church or ministry!

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself set the standard of building a team before launching His ministry:

“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,  and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” (Matt.4.18-22)

“ While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”  So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”   (Acts.13:2-3)

Example of New Vision Baptist Church 

This year New Vision Baptist Church will celebrate 30 years of ministry.  The church was started by a team of four families that included: two Thai families and two IMB missionary families.   By working together and sharing church planting responsibilities among the team, the church has grown from four families to nearly 300 believers in attendance. 

Example of Jack Martin 

Jack Martin, an IMB missionary and former Baptist Student Center (BSC) Director, realized that for the ministry to grow and expand he would have to partner with Thai nationals.  So in 1982, Martin made the bold decision to recruit A. Thongchai to be the new director of the Baptist Student Center (BSC). Under the partnership of Thongchai and Martin, the Baptist Student Center (BSC)  enrollment soon mushroomed from hundreds to thousands of students.

Embrace God’s Vision & then Help Team Members to See It Clearly

1. You must always have a clear vision in front of you of what God wants you to do! 

2. You must help your team members and your partners to see the big picture from day one.  You should not focus on your own agenda and plans, but instead keep your eyes on what God Himself wants to do through you and through them.

3. From the beginning, you need to make it clear to them that one day they will have to run that church or ministry without you.  Therefore, they need to prepare themselves for that day.  And, you should help them in every way to prepare themselves for that task--teaching them to obey a vision from God.

The Apostle Paul gives us examples of this:

“ During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to  Macedonia and help us.”  After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”    (Acts.16:9-10)

“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.”    (Act.26:19)

They have to be prepared to run a church without you! 

In the past, missionaries didn’t have this picture in mind.  When they came to Thailand, they had the conviction that the Lord had called them onto the mission field permanently. They made the decision to plant their lives here.  They came with great zeal, but they did not plan far enough into the future. So, although they worked hard to reach, preach and teach people about Christ, they never developed an exit plan.

As a missionary serving the Lord today, you need to develop and exit plan from the very beginning.

Example of Baptist Student Center (BSC) Ministry

Under the IMB New Directions Ministry Strategy of the1990’s the focus of missions shifted from working with established ministries to being involved in pioneer work to engage the unreached people groups of the world, so BSC personnel and resources provided by the IMB would be greatly reduced.  As a result of the IMB change of direction, the BSC was forced to embrace God’s vision for the ministry and move forward, or face the possibility of ending the BSC ministry altogether. Thongchai called the staff together for a time of prayer and planning.  During this critical period of change, the BSC was able to launch new programs like Summer Course, Mini Course, and BMA that not only reached new urban people groups with the gospel, but it also provided support to the BSC program. Although the measures taken by the IMB under the New Directions ministry strategy did much to touch unreached people groups nationwide with the gospel.  It was a ministry plan that exercised a poor exit strategy.

Promote Potential & Faithful Leaders to Lead & Multiply Churches

Not everyone is spiritually gifted to be a leader and not everyone has the spiritual gift of evangelism.  But if you can find someone who has these gifts, you should encourage and challenge them to take the bold step of faith to start a church (or a ministry).  They have to be trained to lead a church and to plant new churches (or organizations).

You should encourage and prepare potential leaders to faithfully lead and multiply churches through their own methods and gifts.

You should avoid causing them to depend on you -- not running the church like a business in which you are the owner.  It would be so sad for you to leave the field one day, not having prepared future leaders to carry on the ministry.

“ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”  (Acts.11:25-26)

Example of Jack Martin

Soon after A. Thongchai assumed the position of Director of the Baptist Student Center (BSC), Martin requested that the IMB transfer him to a city outside of Bangkok to serve as a church planter. Martin had the wisdom to realize that the ministry of the Baptist Student Center (BSC) would only survive and thrive if he would relinquish his responsibilities totally to his Thai partners.

Arrange And Advocate for Funds to Maintain & Multiply The Work

In order to see the national church grow, you will need to train leaders on how to raise funds from church members, and within their own country -- funds which will support existing church planting ministries, as well as future works.

Initially, you may want to help them raise funds in cases where it would take them too long to raise funds in their own country for a particular ministry.  But you will need to be careful to avoid making them financially dependent upon you. Instead, help them to stand on their own feet as soon as possible!

Example of Baptist Student Center (BSC)  60th Anniversary

The Baptist Student Center (BSC)  will celebrate 60 years of ministry in 2012 because of the grace of God and the ability to raise funds to maintain the work.  In 1966, the Baptist Student Center (BSC)  was blessed to receive a gift of $60,000 from the IMB to purchase property to have a dedicated facility.  

From that time, the Baptist Student Center (BSC)  ministry grew and later expanded the facility in 2005. This was a time that saw the ministry grow in maturity because nearly 90% of the funds raised for the new facility was given by Thai national supporters. Today, the Baptist Student Center (BSC) continues to be a blessing financially by giving disaster relief funds to various nations like: USA and Japan. Also, the Baptist Student Center (BSC) is now able to support missionaries, like Jack & Gladys Martin, who come to serve at the BSC as teachers and volunteers. The Baptist Student Center (BSC) is also able to regularly give to support other Baptist work through the Thailand Baptist Foundation and the Thailand Baptist Convention (TBC) annually.

“During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.  One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)  The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.“ (Acts.11:27-30)

“Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.”  (1Cor.16:1-4)

Reassign Yourself and Transfer Authority to Equipped  Leaders in God’s Time.

When the time is ripe...

... after you have modeled a sacrificial life and hard work up front,

... after you have demonstrated the humility of a servant leader,

... after you have assisted them in their work as God’s representatives on earth,

... after you have walked alongside them with your Christ-like life,

... after you have seen them learn to depend upon the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit,

... after they have proven and demonstrated that they can get the job done....

This is the moment for the missionary to leave the work in the hands of the national believers.

At this point, the missionary must actively begin searching for a new place to serve. Remember though that you only leave the place, but not the relationship!  Although will no longer be physically present at that location, you can still encourage the leaders from afar from time to time. 

“For though absent in body, I am present in spirit.” (1 Cor. 5:3a)

“ Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.”  (Acts.14:23)

“ When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.  They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.  What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”   (Acts.20:36-38)

Equip & Encourage Team Members to Multiply New Churches by Working With Proper Partners!

You have to always cast a vision in front of your team members’ eyes of fulfilling Christ’s great commission. At the same time, you must equip and encourage them to do the work of evangelism so churches can be multiplied.  You should be available in time of need, but you must not take control.  You must equip them to fulfill their ministry callings.  Give them a chance to try and even to fail.  Be optimistic, having faith in God and in them.  Let them do their job and fulfill the vision they’ve received.

Encourage them have the “DNA” of “Multiplying Churches” from the start.

Take them with you to do evangelism and let them see how you share the Gospel.  Let them see how you start a group or how you start and lead a church.  Let them help you.  Let them practice.  Let them do it. Help them to start a new church.  And, if this happens, it will be a clear sign telling you that it is the time for you to think about starting new work elsewhere!  This activity will have prepared local believers to carry on your assignment from God even after you have gone!

“Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.  He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.  He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah. ” (Acts.18:24-28)

Example of K. Surattanawee (Bo) 

K. Surattanawee was a former pop singer who became a believer and member of Church of Joy.  After her conversion, I discipled her for seven years and encouraged her to use her talents and gifts to bring many people to Christ.   At the dismay of her family and friends, she decided to serve the Lord at the Baptist Student Center (BSC) as the Special Events and Activities Coordinator.  In this role, she organizes evangelistic programs where thousands of students can hear the gospel throughout the year. I believe the amazing life change in K. Surattanawee would not have been possible if I did not try to encourage and equip her to use her gifts for the Lord.

Example of Church of Joy and New Vision Baptist Church

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to have Bible study with many celebrities and people of influence in the city, who eventually became believers.  I equipped the new believers to start a new kind of church to reach new people in Bangkok for the Lord.  They started Church of Joy that now meets in a restaurant.  

Later, I encouraged Church of Joy, New Vision Baptist Church, and Lifepoint Church to team together as churches that plant new churches throughout Bangkok.   They came together to start a new church called Agape Church that meets in a large video shop.

Now I’m encouraging New Vision Baptist Church, Church of Joy, Lifepoint Church, and Agape Church to team together to start multiple new churches all over the nation. They are now intending to start a new church in the Northeastern part of Thailand in a city called Sisaket.

I also believe that the progress we are seeing in our church planting ministry would not be possible if I did not encourage our partner churches to do what they have never done, to go where they have never gone, and to give what they have never gave.

Conclusion:

I believe Paul's word to Titus is also a word for you and me.   As believers and missionaries we need to be prepared to do every good work for God.  And, one of the best ways to be prepared is to have an effective exit plan.   An effective exit plan is a prepared plan! A plan that PRAY, RECRUIT, EMBRACE, PROMOTE, ARRANGE, REASSIGN, and EQUIP is a plan that will ultimately lead to an effective Exit Plan.

God bless you!