A few weeks ago, I taught missionaries-in-training at Radius International. Bethlehem College and Seminary recently teamed up with Radius International to offer in-field training experience for students in our M.Div. Missions Concentration and M.A. in Theology & Global Studies. I love it.
My family and I drove over the border into Mexico to a compound that specializes in training missionaries who are planning to go to an E3 setting. E3 refers to the E-scale in which E stands for evangelism. Here’s what E1, E2, and E3 mean:
- E1 is making disciples of people who speak your own language. This is what we do in Minnesota.
- E2 is making disciples of people who speak a different language that is a majority language for a nation such as Mandarin, Arabic, or French. An example is an American missionary in Paris, France.
- E3 is making disciples of people who speak a different language that is a minority language. These missionaries minister to an unreached language group with a shared culture. There are about 3,100 unreached language groups left in the world today.
Radius International trains future missionaries to go to an unreached language group with a shared culture.
These missionaries seek to (1) learn that language and culture, (2) proclaim the gospel to that language group, (3) translate the Bible into that language, and (4) establish a healthy church for that language group. I agree with Brooks Buser, the president of Radius International, that the E1-E2-E3 categories are OK but that it’s better to think of missions as having four lanes or strategies:
Train national pastors.
Brooks Buser explains, “National pastors are those who pastor outside the English-speaking world, speak a national or minority language, and often understand English at an intermediate-high level.” An example of this strategy is Training Leaders International (TLI).
Plant English-speaking churches in cross-cultural contexts.
Brooks Buser explains that this strategy can “disciple missionaries and other English speaking-expats living abroad. Additionally, [it] can strengthen national churches, plant new churches in the local language, and generally serve as an in-country platform for further evangelistic and missions activity.” An example of this strategy is 9Marks, which partners with some English-speaking churches in international contexts.
Plant churches in national or majority languages.
Brooks Buser explains, “Planting churches among national or majority languages involves the church going where there simply aren’t enough churches. The country of India offers a great example of a country where the national languages remain in dire need of more good churches.” An example of this strategy is Reaching and Teaching.
Plant churches in minority languages.
Brooks Buser explains, “There are many languages in the world where there is no gospel witness and, consequently, no church among them. The missionary task has always included planting churches among those who have never had access to the gospel. Church planting among these language groups is distinctly ‘Pauline’ missions as it aims to go where no foundation has been laid. There are roughly 3,100 language groups who still have yet to hear the name of Christ. Church-planting in this category is often slow hard work due to the lack of translated materials, the need for language acquisition, harsh living circumstances, and governments hostile to Christianity.” An example of this strategy is Radius International.
It’s hard to get accepted into the program for Radius International. The Radius campus I teach at is in Mexico, and it has a nine-month intensive program. Currently, about thirty adults (some of whom are married with children) live in a simple, no-frills compound in Mexico in a highly disciplined and scheduled environment. Adjunct professors like me occasionally visit to teach. My role is to teach about theological method and the conscience—particularly as that relates to cross-cultural ministry.
I think of these missionaries-in-training as a Christian version of Navy SEALs. They are remarkable Christians who are focused on an important mission. That mission involves a calculated risk, and it requires a high level of training.
Let’s continue obeying what Jesus commands us in Matthew 9:38: “Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” In particular I pray for the men I train at Bethlehem Seminary that God would send them out into his harvest.
Andy Naselli, Ph.D.
Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament
Prayer Requests:
- Pray that our students would have heart to go to the nations.
- Pray for our students and faculty as midterms approach.
- Pray for the full-funding of The Serious Joy Scholarships needed to support this year’s students.