- Feb 5, 2002
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When high-profile, Western-led ministries announce goals like “reaching every person on earth” by 2033 — the 2,000-year anniversary of the resurrection and Pentecost — it sounds bold and visionary in conference halls throughout America. Eastern missionaries in places like South Korea have expressed this goal as well.
But for our Christian brothers and sisters who are already a tiny minority in their nations, and who often face tremendous persecution, these public declarations are a recipe for trouble.
Every time a slogan like this goes viral, local churches face a new wave of attacks, from negative press and harassment to police raids and even dubious anti-conversion laws. We saw it in the late 1990s with the AD 2000 & Beyond Movement and the Joshua Project. The Joshua Project database was used as “proof” in the Indian Parliament of a foreign conspiracy to convert India by the year 2000. Politicians who feel threatened by the Gospel, and even those who don’t hold a strong opinion about it, were handed ammunition on a platter.
These date-specific, target-driven campaigns come straight out of a Manhattan-style management playbook — featuring SMART goals, KPIs, dashboards, and countdown clocks. They are backed by the economic muscle of a few Christian-majority nations and networks.
Evangelical Christians in relatively safe environments need to understand that this combination feels imperial, even when the intentions are sincere.
Continued below.
www.christianpost.com
But for our Christian brothers and sisters who are already a tiny minority in their nations, and who often face tremendous persecution, these public declarations are a recipe for trouble.
Every time a slogan like this goes viral, local churches face a new wave of attacks, from negative press and harassment to police raids and even dubious anti-conversion laws. We saw it in the late 1990s with the AD 2000 & Beyond Movement and the Joshua Project. The Joshua Project database was used as “proof” in the Indian Parliament of a foreign conspiracy to convert India by the year 2000. Politicians who feel threatened by the Gospel, and even those who don’t hold a strong opinion about it, were handed ammunition on a platter.
These date-specific, target-driven campaigns come straight out of a Manhattan-style management playbook — featuring SMART goals, KPIs, dashboards, and countdown clocks. They are backed by the economic muscle of a few Christian-majority nations and networks.
Evangelical Christians in relatively safe environments need to understand that this combination feels imperial, even when the intentions are sincere.
Continued below.
Why we shouldn't set a date to finish the Great Commission
People are not targets The kingdom is not a project
www.christianpost.com
