Failures, part 2: Miraculous/discipleship/leadership
by Justin D. Long
Here is our continuation of our survey of failures. In this Part 2, we examine reasons and causes for failure related to signs, wonders, miracles, healings, discipleship, personalities and leadership. Remember, every single one of these reasons has been a contributing factor ALREADY to the downfall of at least one of the 534 global plans that have failed. Use this list as a "checklist"; any single one of these problems can prove fatal to your plan, so you must work hard to avoid all of them. All have simple cures that have been implemented by successful plans--those that have learned from failure and have gone on to be stellar successes.
We are not giving ALL the reasons in this particular survey, as some are very similar and/or related. I will list all 340 at the end of the sequence. One person wrote to suggest a more positive tone would be helpful (dealing with failures all the time is disheartening). I appreciate this, and in this issue and futures I will be attempting to give not only examples of failure, but also examples of organizations that have successfully dealt with the problems presented.
- absence of commitment
When a man put a cross on his shoulder in Roman times, he was never coming back. He had already said goodbye to his family, his friends, his career, his future. WIth perfect knowledge of that Jesus told us, "If any man wishes to follow me, let him take up his cross and follow me." The symbolism, and the meaning, is clear. Yet I find people who go into a missionary deployment into a country as if it were a short-term career option--we'll go, but if it doesn't work out, in 2 or 3 years we'll leave. Many of the 18th century missionaries who departed for Africa packed their belongings in a pine box--their coffin. They knew they would only be there for 2 or 3 years--but they wouldn't be leaving. They'd be dead. On their graves, the great penetration of Africa with the Gospel was accomplished. Where is that level of commitment today? A lack of commitment means we run home at the first sign of trouble. - absence of risk-taking
Some missions and missionaries have had a problem with "playing it safe." They don't want to take risks on untried and unproven programs. Scientists who are deeply involved in research and development have a great deal to teach us, but one of the greatest lessons is this: experimentation is often required. One current example is the usage of distance education programs in universities. Many Christian educational institutions right now seem to loathe the concept of teaching courses via electronic mail outside the Internet. Yet experimenting with this could very well open the classroom doors of the educational institution to thousands of students--many in the developing world, some of whom might be the next African or Asian "Billy Graham"--who otherwise would not be accessible. Playing it safe means we simply stay where we are now, doing what we have traditionally done, and leaves no room for expansion. - absence of sacrifice
Martyrs are not the only ones who make sacrifices. A sacrifice does not have to involve giving up one's life. It can involve giving up your chance at gaining that million-dollar career, giving up your chance at that high-ranking position in that medical institution. A sacrifice means giving up what could be termed "success" in your life in order to have a successful impact on thousands of others in World A. An absence of sacrifice means we are unwilling to sacrifice our own idea for our lives and choose instead a life of ministry. The result is 1.2 billion nominal Christians who are disinterested in world evangelization. - advertising mode
- affluent life-styles of leadership
Flaunting one's wealth is a good way to cause problems in the developing world. Wealth separates the "haves" from the "have-nots," and is a constant source of trouble. Wealthy church leaders can attract church members who think that, by joining the church, they too will become wealthy. Wealthy church leaders can distance themselves from earnest and effective evangelists who are repelled by the flaunting of wealth. Wealthy church leaders can attract men and women interested in stealing wealth. The trouble is not having money, but rather flaunting it. An affluent life-style spends money on things that have no evangelistic impact--most of the time on frivolous things that are basically a waste of time and energy. - altered states of conciousness
- anti-intellectualism
This hearkens back to previous problems with research, but here we refer to a mindset which is intentionally hostile to the idea of intellectual exploration of the process of evangelization. Most anti-intellectuals are those who think that nothing can be known unless it is known and experienced personally (i.e. "How do you KNOW George Washington crossed the Delaware" or some such question); or that intellectual pursuits are a waste of time which should be spent in evangelism; or that Christianity is a spiritual thing which cannot be examined, grappled with, or understood intellectually. This post-modern anti-intellectualism is dangerous, because in refusing to examine things intellectually we fail to understand the mistakes and failures from the past, and fail to see new, creative ministry options. - apathy and complacency in the churches
This is another great problem, particularly in so-called First World or Western nations. A great many of those who line the pews are totally disinterested in evangelism and mission. I have been at one megachurch (1,000+ members) who turned out about 50 for its annual missions conference. The use of new global mobilization campaigns (30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim world, Praying through the Window, and the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church) have been somewhat successful in mobilizing new interest, but they have barely begun to tap the total power of the Christian church. When one considers that out of 1.9 billion Christians only 700 million are interested in mission and only 400,000 actually serve as cross-cultural missionaries, we see that these mobilization campaigns have a long way to go. Apathy is a problem for every missionary on deputation. - appealing to the human sense of wonder
People have promoted plans based on a sense of wonder--"Look at all the miracles being accomplished." Yet when projects go into a specific area and miracles and wonders fail to follow, those interested in supporting the project lose heart. God doesn't do miracles on command. As C. S. Lewis put it, "He is not a tame lion." Of course we ought to report things which God has done. However, we ought to educate and encourage our supporters to be involved in missionary projects because they present the Gospel, not miracles. - appointing uncommitted persons to key posts
It's difficult to avoid doing this, and yet having someone leave a key post at a crisis point can mean the difference between success and failure. Having someone at a post who is uncommitted for the long haul can be fatal for any missionary program. - assorted scandals and outcries
- attrition among foreign missionaries
Attrition happens when a missionary returns from the field, for any reason, and is not either replaced or redeployed. In this instance the total number of missionaries declines. It may be a good thing at the micro-level (in the case of a mission which accomplishes its established goal for evangelism in a particular area) but on global level it is not so good. Missions which accomplish their goals in one area ought to change their sights to another, hopefully adjacent, unevangelized area. - avoidance of risk and insecure situations
This is again an issue of commitment and risk-taking, but it is more specific. The formula is simple: if we avoid going where it is dangerous, then we avoid World A. If we avoid World A, then hundreds of millions of people will remain unevangelized. If they remain unevangelized then the task will remain unfinished. Thus, we must go to places that are dangerous if we are to fulfill our Lord's last command. - bogus signs and wonders
"If God doesn't provide a miracle, fake one." Dangerous business! Not only do bogus signs and wonders insult and anger God, and break the Commandment against lying, they can blow up in your face when people find out about them. Credibility is lost with supporters; credibility is lost with those the plan seeks to evangelize. Ministries shouldn't be built on the miraculous, but rather on mercy, which is miracle enough. - cheap marvels shown on TV
Such things place us in the ranks of the snake-oil salesmen and rainmakers of old. People know when it is sincere, and when it's cheap showmanship. The latter turns people off to the Gospel. We mustn't cheapen the gospel by putting on a good show. - demonic activity **
This is not under the control of the mission, of course. However, if it is not properly responded to it will certainly lead to failure. Proper responses require a fully fleshed out theological position and training for the missionary. - disease **
The mission has very little control over this, either. All missionaries must be taught about diseases that are problems in their targeted area, and steps to take to prevent contracting them. Whole programs have been curtailed in the past when disease wiped out all of the missionaries. - dislike of criticism
People dislike criticism because it can sting and hurt. Failing to listen to criticism and examine its appropriateness can be fatal. Sometimes the critique is well-meant; sometimes not. The original motive of the critic seldom matters; the critique ought to be examined and dealt with if true and applicable. Harsh words from an enemy can, if listened to, shore up a plan's weaknesses far more than the smooth encouragement from a friend. - domineering by inflexible executives
A mission shouldn't be an empire, but sometimes it is. If a key executive dominates the mission with his/her own ideas and refuses to hear any suggestions, then the mission will be trapped in a rut, unable to use new creative ministry options. This domination can quickly lead to ruin and ought to be addressed by the ministry's board of directors. - cheap grace, downplaying the cost of discipleship
When we downplay the cost we receive a "cheaper" convert. By this I mean that those who have not counted the cost before becoming Christians are forced to pay an unknown sum when persecution comes to call. Sometimes such a convert will refuse to pay and instead recant. In such instances I find the original evangelizer more to blame than the convert himself, since the convert was inadequately prepared to face the possible future. The cost of discipleship is one of the key reasons why believers North Africa, the Middle East and Asia all seem more committed to Christianity--they have more to lose, so when they make the decision it is often the equivalent of putting a cross on their shoulders. - drug addiction
It might be hard to believe, and yet it has happened. The best thing is for management to be trained in the various "structures of sin" that can assault an agency (e.g. drugs, immorality, embezzlement, etc.), keep a watch [without being paranoid], and deal quickly and correctly with situations that arise. - false claims of healings
(See "bogus claims of signs & wonders" above) - false/unjustified optimism, hypocritical claims of progress
False optimism can blind executives; if things are actually going badly, they ought to be corrected before the whole mission falls apart. False optimism prevents this correction. It can be caused by any number of problems: pride and a desire to fix it ourselves before anyone else knows is only one example. The solution is to reassure workers that management is there to serve them and help them, and problems should be brought up and solved +BEFORE+ they become disasters. - false predictions/alarms
False predictions and alarms can cause missions to be withdrawn when they didn't need to be. On the other side of the coin, a false prediction can lead to a mission being left in-country when it ought to have been withdrawn. Although when looking back on a situation you see with perfect clarity, it's hard to know which way to call it when you're in the midst of it. The only solution is extensive experience, a knowledge of the culture, and a lot of prayer. - faltering zeal for missions
This is a problem particularly in the more developed, Christianized world. The unevangelized of World A are not in front of us every day, and our zeal for missions among them falters. In our new, media-driven image-conscious world, I still think a joint media campaign involving advertizing, education, and the arts is necessary to revitalize our faltering zeal. Such a campaign could infiltrate our youth and young adults with a vision for missions abroad. Compassion International is an excellent example of an organization that uses media spokesmen and spokeswomen to make people aware of the need for humanitarian relief. The Bible League is another similar example in its use of Michael Card's tours. - fear of failure
A fear of failure can lead to an absence of commitment and risk-taking. Yes, we can fail; but the sure way to failure is not to try. - fickleness of Christians
To be fickle is to be "Characterized by erratic changeableness or instability, especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious" (American Heritage dictionary). Another synonym for fickleness is "transient", which can be read "fair-weather friend." Christian supporters of missions, especially in America (and I think in Europe), are irregular in their support. Right now I know several missions that are behind in their General Fund, due to the fickleness of Christian support. People make pledges in the heat of the moment... and then don't honor them. The promise broken leads to the mission withdrawn. - hostility towards charismata
This is another of those great problems on the mission field. Even though this writer personally approves of the charismatic movement and is himself within it, I can't think of any other movement that has caused more schisms within the Christian church. Unfortunately this hostility can lead to the division of missions and churches on the field. - human failings
Perhaps all of the failures here can be summed up in this single entry, but then that would be too simplistic. Nevertheless it deserves its own category: human failings, selfishness, pride, anger, impatience... these can all easily lead to the failure of a mission. - ignoring of prophets and prophecies
Not all prophecies are true. Not all prophets are real. Ignoring a prophecy -- basically, a statement of truth, perhaps of rebuke -- is dangerous nonetheless. Whenever a prophecy or a critique is given, it ought to be considered, weighed carefully, prayed over and discussed. Not all prophecies may be true, but some are, and the one ignored very well may be. - ill-advised date-setting
Not setting dates can mean not having the motivation to reach our goals. Setting dates which are too close can mean establishing unrealistic expectations. For anyone to launch a NEW plan at this date (nearly 1998) with a goal of evangelizing the world by AD 2000, for example, would be foolhardy and very likely doom the plan from the outset. - illnesses of key workers
It doesn't take an unexpected death to incapacitate a plan. The illness of a key worker can set a plan back by weeks--and sometimes months, depending on the type of illness. Having backup personnel designated can go a long way toward preventing this obstacle from becoming a stumbling block. - incompetent administrators
How many plans have failed because they have been poorly implemented? It is a fact of life that not all would-be administrators are competent. This doesn't mean a particular individual isn't gifted; it's just that he/she doesn't have a gift of administration. Initial interviews and job screening for gifts and talents can help prevent this failure. - insufficient vision
"I tell kids, 'It's not that your dreams are too big; it's that they're too small.'" (Winkie Pratney). A message that's good for the kids is good for the parents, too. We should not try to take on the whole world, but we SHOULD keep the whole world in view. Otherwise, we risk forgetting that we are part of an incredible mosaic of evangelistic effort. There is a reason why we are in World A. It's not a question of need--people in World C need the Church just as much as people in World A and B. Sin is sin. No, it's rather a question of resources--World C has far and away more than World A. Keeping the whole world in view reminds us of this. - jurisdictional disputes
In "Sum of all Fears," author Tom Clancy's fictional character, a Catholic priest, laments the in-fighting between the various traditions of the Christian faith over who will have access to the holy sites at Christmas & Easter: "We actually get along better with the Muslims than we do with each other." If we're too busy fighting with each other, we have little time or energy to spare to consider evangelism among non-Christians. If we let someone else fight the jurisdictional battles and give ourselves over to considering the issue of evangelism among non-Christians, we could see a quantum leap forward in missionary effort. - lack of spiritual fervor
Hearkening back to Zwemer's famous quote: "All the world could have been evangelized were it not for the wicked selfishness of Christians." A lack of spiritual fervor in the church is one of the key reasons why out of 1.9 billion Christians we have just under half a million missionaries. - lavish lifestyle of leaders
Lifestyles have brought low several ministries. Is it right for leaders to live richly when half the world lives in abject poverty? What sort of example does it give followers when leaders hoard riches? - low levels of discipleship
Superficial evangelism without following respondents up with in-depth discipleship is a recipe for catastrophic losses when persecution inevitably comes. The solution is to partner mass evangelism campaigns with local churches so that respondents are directed toward indigenous worship centers where they can receive discipleship and community. - overblown claims
Claiming too much as accomplished will cause people to think the task complete when it is really not, and can result in a loss of support. The solution is to be honest and frank in all assessments of progress. - overemphasis on the miraculous
Overemphasis on the miraculous and healings can lead to a lack of emphasis on essentials and lead to disciples who look for a "performing God." Healings aren't necessarily the norm, as the hundreds of millions of sick people in the world can testify. - overrating own ability to impact the world
No single agency contains within itself the capacity to evangelize the whole of the world. Trying to do everything will result in gaps. The solution is to segment and carefully target evangelistic energy. - pandering to the fear of death
I've been told that on the eve of the communist revolution, Lenin told his followers, "You're all dead men--now go out in the world and prove it." Even if the citation is inaccurate, the sentiment bears repeating to ourselves. It is a thoroughly Biblical sentiment: we must die to our own desires, fears, and failures. We can fear death--but we do not have to give in to the fear. - paying lip-service to the Great Commission
Lip-service means saying missionary activity is important, but doing nothing about it. The solution is to balance talk with action. - permitting free rides in top level posts
Laziness on the part of leaders at the top can result in indecision and ineffectiveness by the mission as a whole. Leaders cannot rest on their laurels; if they do, we can be sure the whole of the mission will follow their example. - personal aggrandizement
Glory-hunting has brought more than one ministry leader down. Our attitude should be the same as John the Baptist's: "He must increase, and I must decrease." - personal bigotry
It's a shame, but racial bigotry can be found even in mission agencies. Perhaps the most common is the idea that indigenous missionaries cannot possibly do the job as well as expatriates, because of their race and racial heritage. There may be reasons why an expatriate is a better tool for the job, but within this statement there is a seed if bigotry. The solution is a constant re-examination of our motives. - personal moral lapses
Sin poisons everything it touches, and personal moral lapses if left unchallenged and undealt with can kill a mission just as surely as any outside force. The solution is a constant guard on our actions, coupled with personal accountability and mentorship. - personal rivalries & jealousies
Most of us are, at some time, tempted to build an empire. All of us are tempted to compare our own organization with someone else's. Rivalry and jealousy between organizations--who will be the biggest--can keep an organization from focusing on the core task. One solution can be found in a case study of organizations that moved beyond rivalry. FEBC, TWR, HCJB and AWR are four radio broadcast organizations who in their own testimonies have admitted to rivalries between themselves over who had the most coverage. Finally leaders of the four met and formed a partnership--World by 2000--which has significantly curtailed the rivalries and forged a world-spanning alliance to see the gospel broadcast in every major language. Reaching out to one's brother and admitting one's faults can lead to great new initiatives on behalf of the Kingdom. - premature claims of success
Like overblown claims, a premature claim can reduce an agency's support at a critical time. As always, REAL "truth in advertising" should be our goal. - public-relations mentality and approach
Our job is not to simply present the Gospel as if it were a product, like Coca-Cola. Jesus doesn't need a P.R. manager--He needs witnesses. The solution is to present an effective witness to the world using every tool at our disposal, not to simply present a message. - resistance to megaministry as depersonalizing
Just as some have resisted research as depersonalizing ("talking about billions eliminates the personality of the single individual"), some have resisted ministry to large groups of people because "individuals get lost in the crowd." Megaministries are one of the only ways of reaching large blocs of people. Jesus Himself preached to crowds of several thousand. - rigid church/mission structures
Church and mission structures which work in one country or world region will not necessarily work in another. The solution is flexibility and a willingness to adapt church structures to a new culture. - sex scandals
These aren't just to be found in the West. It's amazing how many earnest church leaders have been tripped up by the lust of the eyes. Strong accountability structures and mentorships can help to guard against this. So would, I think, better prayer lives--both by leaders, and by church members for their leaders. - spiritual flabbiness
One church leader wrote in to us with this extremely witty suggestion for why plans fail. A spiritually flabby plan, or leader, is one that could do with more prayer, more devotion, more commitment--more of everything, really. Is spiritual flabbiness the reason so many great plans just drop through the cracks? - success-story mind-set
The leader who wrote this was concerned about a trend which has concerned us as well--that we promote the success stories and ignore the stories of failures. It is true that many people seem to learn better from successes (positives) than from failures (negatives). Yet, this in its own way can be dangerous: when we overlook failures we fail to prevent their causes. To use another industry as an analogy, if a doctor only examined the patients who got well, and failed to analyze the patients who died, we'd still be in the dark ages in medicine. - syncretistic tendencies
This is another problem, one which I think arises from Christians who are trying desperately to contextualize the Christian faith. Contextualization is a very important process. Expressions of Christianity =must= be diverse--just as diverse as the 12,000 cultures on our planet. At the same time, Christianity must redeem and reclaim. Contextualization can be taken too far, particularly when we permit syncretistic practices to come into the church. The extent of this is measured by our "Christo-spiritism" variable in the forthcoming WCE-2. - 'the wicked selfishness of Christians'
I'm sure we all remember Zwemer's famous statement about why the world hasn't been evangelized. It's not the only barrier, but it certainly is one of the largest. - tinkering with inefficient machinery
How much time has been lost to inefficient, broken-down machinery--computers, printing presses, planes, boats and the like? We ought not to be materialistic in our claims: for instance, why buy Rolls-Royces for a mission when a Dodge or a Toyota will meet the need? On the other hand, why buy a broken down, used Volkswagon Bug with 120,000 miles on it when a new or slightly new Jeep would be best? There is a fine line to be walked, and broken down machinery often forces us to a halt. - top leaders ceasing to believe in the original goal
"Without a vision, the people perish." When leaders lose the vision, it all too easily slips away. Leaders must be standard-bearers. - trances, ecstasies, dreams
A friend wrote me recently to tell me about a fellow laborer who had little belief in absolutes, who believed in mystery more than anything else. It's one thing to be in awe of the supernatural presence of God; it's another to be lost to the supernatural itself. When we lose the balance we lose our effectiveness. - underestimating human frailty and failings
This was another restatement of the old problem of sin which was sent in to us. Again, structures of accountability, both personal and corporate, are strong guards against this. - underrating real miracles required to impact world
Our world is desperately in need of some miracles--not just "big" miracles (like healings, resurrections, and the like) but "small" miracles (like efficient bureacracies). We need intercessors who will pray for God to accomplish the miracles, big and small, which lead to the biggest miracle of all: the reclamation of our world. - undue emphasis on miracles
On the other hand, we have to keep ourselves from an undue emphasis on miracles. Our personal responsibilities to evangelize the world cannot depend on God performing miracles. We must do everything we can to surmount the barriers before us, depending on God to do what we cannot. - unexpected prophets and seers
There's nothing more unexpected, I find, than a prophet. Someone who shows up to tell you, usually, what you're doing wrong is unexpected, and can be undesirable. Please, take one piece of advice: if a prophet shows up on your doorstep and tells you a truth, take it to heart and change your life--don't wait for him to prophecy against you publicly! If only the Kings of Israel had listened to Samuel, Jeremiah and Isaiah! - universalism
This is another great problem facing especially those who recruit for mission workers. One group I found prevalent among GenX'ers is the group that thinks "all gates lead to God." I have occasionally responded that "all ROADS may lead to one GATE, but only one GATE leads to God." Even that can be misunderstood. Earnest seekers can find a way to God, but only earnest repentance, earnest acceptance of the Lordship of Christ, and earnest obedience tendered to the King of Kings can bring grace. - unrealistic rhetoric
Another restatement of the unrealistic expectations failure: where a visionary's rhetoric doesn't match his organization's ability. A $100,000-a-year organization cannot hope to evangelize the world in 10 years time on its own. We must keep our plans firmly in line with what we can accomplish; and if we want to accomplish more than the organization must be firmly committed to growth. - wrong theology
Another complaint often leveled about existing and past plans is bad theology. If a foundation has cracks one can't hope to build a building on top of it.
