Do We Need the Western Missions Movement?

There continues to be a strategic role for Westerners in global missions

I am sometimes asked about the continued need for the Western missionary movement. This is a result of the “globalizing narrative” that suggests that Westerners are no longer necessary for the global Great Commission. This narrative has done great damage to the cause of global missions in the US.

I tend to agree with Robert Wuthnow’s 2010 book, Boundless Faith, The Global Outreach of American Churches, in which he criticizes this narrative as simplistic, poorly reported (the numbers are mostly based on the World Christian Database which are problematic because they count Catholics in most of their work), and triumphal. That book was published 15 years ago and the situation remains largely the same today.

Let’s not throw this narrative completely under the bus, though. The global church is rising. Today the percentage of people who are Evangelical is the world is slowly growing. Additionally, beachheads in many cultures have been established. Global South leaders are far ahead of their predecessors in many ways. There is much to be grateful for. At the same time, I do hear church leaders, ministry leaders, and funders question the need for the Western missions movement. We can just cut the Global South a check, right?

Not so fast.

While “mercenary missions” (hiring others to do the job for us) is attractive in many ways, we as Westerners need to have some skin in the game, too. Western missions has morphed. There is still a need for pioneering church planters who will penetrate new people groups. Some of these missionaries will be Westerners. Yet, we Westerners play a different role than we played even twenty years ago, let along over a longer time horizon. The new environment has also created new ways for Westerners to serve.

Here, in no particular order, is my list of 12 reasons Westerners can continue to engage in global missions.

12 Reasons Why Western Missions Are Relevant

1. UPGs - One third of the world’s population continues to live in unreached people groups. Western missionaries continue to deploy to these unreached people groups at a high rate and unreached people group missiology is promoted heavily by Western missionary sending organizations. Contrary to popular narratives, work among UPGs has not achieved a level which would make us consider drawing down our efforts in this key missions area. UPG missiology, by the way, is itself a uniquely Western missiology.

2. Funding - Western missionaries play leading roles in the funding of indigenous movements globally. For major donors from the West (who make up the largest portion of global giving by far) long-term field missionaries often play the role of “translators,” providing valuable insight and advice about projects and people that deserve funding. I recently heard a funder brag about how they only invest in indigenous movements. When I learned who their recipients were, I realized that the proposals were being written by a Western missionary, helping the indigenous church get that funding.

3. Generosity – Along with funding expertise, the Western church has the means, history and the will to be generous. Particularly now, with significant generational wealth being transferred in Western countries, there is great opportunity for Western Christians to be partners with the global church in generosity, including modeling generosity in places where there has not been a similar giving culture. We should recognize that these cultures often have other ways of expressing generosity (like hospitality). Yet, to fully participate in missions, they will need to learn to give money as well. In a recent conversation, a Global South leader asked me who could help their churches in this regard.

4. Technology - Technological innovation continues to be heavily sourced from the West. If you believe that digital ministry is important to the future of the global missions movement, now is the time to support Western ministries doing this sort of work. They are serving the entire global church through technology transfer, development, and the creation of new ministry paradigms. Yes, there are also indigenous examples of this, but it represents a small slice of this strategic type of ministry.

5. Global South Appeal - Global South leaders are asking Westerners to stay involved. For example, Sarah Breuel (a Brazilian missionary working in Italy) said at Lausanne in 2024, “We need you as fully at the table, do not retreat, stand up,” when referring to the Western missionary movement. This can be hard for us to believe, at times, because we get beat up by the anti-colonial argument so often. I would encourage you to directly ask Global South workers if Westerners are still needed. Almost always they say, “yes,” but also specify that the role needs to be different.

6. Culture – Westerners have a way of seeing the world that is different than others. By having a diverse representation of God’s people engaged in mission, these perspectives are brought to the table. Majority world leaders have mentioned systematic, strategic thinking as a contribution they appreciate from Western partners (it is also, I am sure, aggravating at times). Do we really believe that diversity is a strength? If we do, then let’s not limit ourselves in who gets to serve.

7. Obedience – All believers, regardless of national identity are commanded by Jesus to spread the Kingdom. Most will pray, give, and advocate for the Great Commission. But God is calling some of us to go, Westerners included. If the church desires to be obedient to Jesus’ command to disciple the nations, then we must behave like the early church and send our own. I do not believe that missionary sending is nothing more than a strategic option among many. To be obedient, some of us have to do what was modeled in the New Testament and go.

8. Church Health – If churches in the West do no more than send money and pray, they will lose out on the richness that direct cross-cultural engagement provides. The church will be poorer for this loss. Many influential Christian leaders have served the church upon return from missions work (Newbigin, McGavran, and Edwards are examples of this, and there are many others). What they brought home with them is a unique perspective that only comes from living among other cultures.

9. Theological Education – The Great Commission is not just about doing evangelism. Jesus commanded us to “teach them all that I have commanded you.” The scope is much larger than we tend to think when we consider missions. Western theological education is another area where there is a long history with much experience in the West. Western missiologists and theological educators can play a significant role in the development of theological education on a global basis.

10. Marketplace Ministry – The marketplace is a mission source, means, and field, all rolled up into one. Today, many more people are serving via this avenue. Economic development in the West opens doors that are vital to both the future of the Great Commission and human flourishing. Westerners have expertise that benefits the global missions movement when it comes to the marketplace. We are wealthy for many reasons and one of them is the culture we have around the marketplace. It is embedded into Western culture. We need to share that with the global church in appropriate ways.

11. Experience – The Western missionary movement has made mistakes and experienced success. It has been to school over the past 250 years of its existence, and that experience is vital for the future of missions. Contemporary missions agencies represent hundreds of years of combined field experience among the living staff that are currently serving globally. The Western missionary movement has experience that can be helpful to the rise of Christian movements around the world.

12. Being Outsiders – This does not apply only to Westerners, yet Westerners benefit from the “outsider effect.” Any outsider brings perspective into a situation. I recall a Croatian friend who walked into a black barber shop in Compton shortly after the Rodney King riots happened in LA. He was a pale, white man. The room fell silent and hard stares were directed his way. As soon as he spoke, the room relaxed. His heavy accent revealed that he was not from around here. He had a wonderful haircut and a lengthy conversation about the racial tensions in LA, hearing the feelings of these men in the barbershop in a way I never could. The outsider effect turned him from being an unsafe white man into a safe outsider. This effect happens in cross-cultural situations. Westerners benefit from this, and they can have conversations about difficult topics and open doors in ways that locals cannot. In doing so, they can introduce the local church to these new communities.

This is not a zero-sum game. We can support the involvement of the Western missionary movement while simultaneously doing so with the Global South movement. We live in an exciting time for the expansion of Jesus’ Kingdom. We need all hands-on deck.

If you have other reasons or want to dispute something above, feel free to do so in the comments.