tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post5730802511081758682..comments2023-06-02T05:56:55.748-05:00Comments on Love Each Stone: "Desencuentro"David Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11701934251748260267noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-90929042177299736962007-04-26T11:25:00.000-05:002007-04-26T11:25:00.000-05:00Gary,Yeah, what you said.In other words, Amen!Gary,<BR/><BR/>Yeah, what you said.<BR/><BR/>In other words, Amen!David Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11701934251748260267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-6592552389424568872007-04-26T11:22:00.000-05:002007-04-26T11:22:00.000-05:00Strider,My guess is that in "Gondor" denominationa...Strider,<BR/><BR/>My guess is that in "Gondor" denominational structures are not as highly developed as in some other places of the world. If such is the case, you have a great opportunity to lay some foundations for working in unity that would require undoing some structures already in existence in other parts of the world. Sounds like you are doing a great job of "joining God where He is already at work" there in Gondor! I pray you see some great blessings and advances for the Kingdom through the initiative of the Theological Institute there.David Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11701934251748260267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-29870532255902235992007-04-26T09:08:00.000-05:002007-04-26T09:08:00.000-05:00David,I'm glad to hear that in at least some regio...David,<BR/><BR/>I'm glad to hear that in at least some regions the IMB is addressing in a positive way the question of relationships with national believers. My experience in Latin America with New Directions was that it was a major setback in terms of those relationships. Whereas previously missionaries had sat down with convention leadership to plan joint strategies and even to consider where new missionary personnel were needed, following New Directions the IMB took a much more unilateral approach to strategy planning and basically cut out the national convention from the process. Sadly, I have heard from too many other missionaries that a similar process occurred in their regions as well.<BR/><BR/>I too look with certain skepticism on Welch's ability to build (or perhaps to rebuild) relationships with national brethren. Without sacrificing a commitment to planting new churches and training leaders for these, I believe the IMB at every level of leadership needs to adopt a much more humble posture when it comes to relating to national Baptists and other Christians in order to work cooperatively with them. Clearly 5000+ missionaries cannot reach the world alone for Christ and we must engage with believers living among unreached people groups as co-equals, co-laborers in the harvest, rather than as their bosses, or equally incorrectly, by choosing to ignore them.Gary Snowdenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10157967748058707819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-13366142583571305952007-04-26T07:40:00.000-05:002007-04-26T07:40:00.000-05:00Sometimes I think the 'God-size task' is not reach...Sometimes I think the 'God-size task' is not reaching the world for Christ but just maintaining inter-denominational relationships. It is exhausting but we have no choice in the matter. If our brothers are in need, or in the neighborhood, or whatever they deserve our help, our hospitality, or whatever is needed for them to succeed in what God has called them to. The enemy is hard at work trying to divide us. This speaks volumes as to how important it is for us to continue as one body. I do not tie my ministry efforts to local groups or associations but we put in the time to make sure that we are all loving each other well. The fruit of this has been awesome. We have had several mutually beneficial ministries with other groups in different areas and now we are poised to start a single- note single- Theological Institute to serve all the churches of Gondor. This takes work but the time and money it saves in not duplicating efforts and the witness of our unity to a very divided society is more powerful than I can rightly portray in a short comment.Striderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07347436154893544535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-66803361485362413942007-04-25T12:41:00.000-05:002007-04-25T12:41:00.000-05:00Alan,Good points. Our regional leader, and regiona...Alan,<BR/><BR/>Good points. Our regional leader, and regional leadership team, are doing what they can to shore up relationships. I am sure other regions are as well. However, as you astutely observe, to really make this work will depend on "every IMB missionary functioning as an ambassador."<BR/><BR/>At the same time, the same "pioneering spirit" that makes some folks good missionaries also makes some not so good at networking and cooperating with others. Networking and strategic alliance building is indeed a skill that some are more adept at than others. There is some training on this at a team leader/strategy coordinator level. A lot of us could use some improvement in our skills in this area, though.David Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11701934251748260267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-41878363015954281282007-04-25T12:33:00.000-05:002007-04-25T12:33:00.000-05:00Guy,Thanks for the good news from S.A.I had the pr...Guy,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the good news from S.A.<BR/><BR/>I had the privilege of meeting several of your mobilizers at the COMIBAM congress here in Spain in November. Great folks!David Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11701934251748260267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-84588702930588199302007-04-25T11:31:00.000-05:002007-04-25T11:31:00.000-05:00Do we identify and train potential missionaries in...Do we identify and train potential missionaries in how to network and build relationships? In my experience, some are better at this than others. Some have an ability to identify those that are good relational soil, work through the networks, and build relationships that advance the Kingdom. Others do not. I think that we have a lot of missionaries and administrators on the field that are not very good at that.<BR/><BR/>I don't think that Bobby Welch will help very much, in my opinion. It is a top down approach. Instead, every IMB missionary should function as an ambassador, when practicable, and help to formulate those relationships. Aren't there regional heads that could do this more permanently in their regions? It is as though we are creating the equivalent of a Secretary of State for the SBC. I have no criticism of Dr. Welch, but I do wonder if this is the most strategic approach.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-88761068930925496622007-04-25T08:26:00.000-05:002007-04-25T08:26:00.000-05:00In regards to Bobby Welch being named Southern Bap...In regards to Bobby Welch being named Southern Baptist's ambassador to those leaders in other countries who are interested in building relationships as likeminded brothers and sisters in the Lord...<BR/><BR/>I too wish Bro. Bobby well. But I think some of the current things being done on a more local level will bear more permanent fruit than the idea of a roaming ambassador for S. Baptists at large. I don't know about other regions of the IMB world, but in our region, every country has an assigned IMB missionary who functions as a "missions mobilizer." Here in Ecuador this assignment includes being a link/contact person (ambassador) to the local convention. This past weekend our "mobilizer" travelled with convention leaders across the country making visits to a couple of associational meetings promoting our working closer together.<BR/><BR/>In addition to the "mobilizers", I have long sought to encourage our regional leadership team to be in closer personal contact with local leadership. This is being done now more than ever before and we are beginning to see the fruit of healing relationships coming from a more direct contact with current national leadership. There is now more involved interest in seeing what the convention/associations are doing and offering ways to help them achieve their goals that coincide with our own. For example, last weekend our regional leader and my strategy associate were invited to meet with convention leaders. One of the things our RLT offered was to provide them with our COSECHA materials tailored to convention specifications/modifications. In addition, the RLT also offered to be a channel for bringing in volunteer teams from the USA to work with <I>their</I> COSECHA projects. Again, this is just what I see happening locally, but would hope the same is taking place in other countries as well.J. Guy Musehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17751691713410311094noreply@blogger.com