Missions as Usual or Missional?

Many churches and associations know where they have been, but have no sure vision for where they are going. Some questions come to mind:

•       Where is the Metro-East Baptist Association today….and where does God want MEBA to be?
•       Will MEBA be about associational missions or will it be a missional association?

What does missional mean? Bob Mayfield from the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma defines it as the mindset and action of living as a missionary in your neighborhood. Milford Minatrea would say it is seeing our communities, states, nation and world through God’s eyes and acting accordingly. Who is right? They both are.

My prayer for the association of churches called MEBA is that we will take on the mindset and action of living as a missionary in the communities of the Metro-East, that we will see the Metro-East through God’s eyes, and that we will act accordingly.

How will this look? I am not sure yet of all the particulars, but I have an idea we will be experiencing what Mayfield mentions: movements of God rather than simple battle cries for God. Our growth will be exponential rather than incremental. Our folks will be missionaries rather than members. Our practice will be planting rather than protecting. Our approach will be customized rather than cookie-cutter. We will be about transformation rather than self-preservation.

Indeed, I look forward to the day when every person from every people group from every community in the Metro- East has opportunity to hear and receive Christ and participate in a New Testament church.

Dennis E. Dawson, Executive Director
Metro-East Baptist Association
Illinois