EMQ » January–March 2018 » Vol. 54 Issue 1
by Atul Y. Aghamkar, PhD
The words partnership, cooperation, coalition, alliances, networking, and interdependence have become buzzwords and have taken on greater significance in mission circles in recent years. Although the issue of partnership is discussed, reflected upon and responded to at various levels, the Church’s mission, especially in our globalized world, is far from being involved in real and meaningful partnerships that are biblically grounded and theologically appropriate. In an increasingly globalized world, it is imperative that we develop a sound Biblical Theology of partnership.
In general terms, partnership is understood to be an arrangement where two or more parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interest, objectives, and goals. Cooperation between two or more parties to pursue a set of agreed upon goals while remaining independent organizations, is at the heart of any partnership. It is neither a merger nor losing one’s identity; rather it is a mutual commitment to accomplish a common goal with each party’s distinct contributions. Most partnerships are aimed at amplifying mutual interest and success though they pose equally delicate challenges.
A Christian Imperative of Partnership
Scripture is filled with images, symbols, and practices of partnership and even extols it. Luis Bush and Lorry Lutz succinctly point out, “The Christian faith is replete with models of partnership.” They argue that “Our partnership with Christ is a fellowship which demonstrates his life and reality to a watching world.”[i] There is a strong biblical imperative for partnership in mission. The very fact that the scope of the Great Commission is global demands global partnership. The very fact that the Christian faith is not a solitary faith implies the necessity of partnership at every level.
Obviously, numerous complications arise with regard to understanding partnership let alone applying it to Christian mission and ministry contexts. This is partly due to the fact that the issue of partnership is vast, complex, and multi-dimensional. Since partnership has different connotations for different people in different contexts, the application of partnership in real mission and ministry situations is never easy. And yet the need of partnership at every level of Christian mission and ministry is evident.
Biblical Insights for Partnership
We can derive insights on the significance of unity, partnership, and trust from the various perspectives that the Bible offers. With a general overview of the biblical understanding and guidelines for partnership, I highlight the significance of the Pauline model as a paradigm for today’s partnership initiatives.
Creational Perspective
It is of interest to gain some insights about partnership and stewardship from the very first book of the Bible. The creation account in Genesis, that delineates God’s original intention for men and women, is a natural starting point for developing a theology of partnership that indicates that God made all humankind in his own image—both male and female. They were jointly to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, and share dominion over all things.
Trinitarian Perspective
The doctrine of trinity is another important dimension of the mutuality of the helper/partner relationship between women and men results from the innate qualities of our Triune God—mutuality, harmony, and unity! It is important to note that God’s character, person, and function as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, are uniquely and distinctly three yet also always one. Likewise, even though men and women may be different in person and function, they too can experience mutuality, harmony, and unity in service and leadership within the Kingdom of God.
Unity in Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer
The prayer of Jesus found in John 17:20-23 is perhaps the most compelling passage of Scripture that addresses the subjects of unity and mission together. During this extended time of prayer, Jesus prays for himself, his disciples, and for future believers. It is within this prayer we find Jesus’ prayer for the future believers. Jesus prayed for unity among the believers of the future. The unity that He prayed for was modeled after the inter-relationship, or community, within the Godhead. The unity that he prayed for was not a state of unity for unity’s sake. On the contrary, this unity would have a purpose. The unity was intended to provide a convincing testimony, a believable platform upon which the gospel might be preached, so that the world would believe that the Father sent the Son.
Unity in the Body
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul exhorts the believers to practice a lifestyle of unity. Ephesians chapter 4 is a principal transition of his letter to them.[ii] In the first three chapters of the epistle, Paul emphasizes the theology and truth of what it means to be a child of God. In chapter 4, he begins to teach the Ephesian believers how to act like children of God.[iii] The starting point for this lifestyle of Christ-centered action is unity. Eph. 4:1-5 describes that so vividly. The church in Ephesus was a church of enormous ethnic and regional diversities. Jews and Gentiles came to faith in Christ had been united by God in Him. We have within this early church a potential model for unity and partnership in our current mission contexts.
Koinonia – A Unique Expression of Partnership
The Greek noun, koinonia, is most often translated and understood to mean “fellowship.” For Paul, this was the most appropriate term to be used to describe the unity and bond between Christians.[iv] It is a Greek word that has found a common usage even in English-speaking churches in the West. Fellowship is a common principle, even recognized by many today as one of the fundamental purposes of the church.[v]
Interestingly, this noun, which is commonly translated as “fellowship,” may also be translated as “participation” or “partnership.” In texts such as Philippians 1:3-5 (NASB), it is translated as follows: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.” The New International Version (NIV) renders the same passage as follows: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”
It seems that koinonia is the New Testament word that is nearest in meaning to the English word “partnership.”[vi] Warren concurs with this translation, stating that koinonia indicates both partnership and intimate fellowship. The term expresses a two-sided connection, and it assumes that a brotherly relationship exists among believers. This connection includes purpose and results—such as giving, sharing property, and breaking bread.[vii] If we share the same Lord, claim the same faith, and are indwelled by the same Holy Spirit, then we must be open both to partnership as well as fellowship. They are two sides of the same coin. This is the very heart of biblical koinonia. As such, we cannot ignore the biblical mandate to serve in partnership with other believers, even across great geographic and cultural distances, within the mission of God.
Paul’s Model of Partnership
Although a number of principles can be drawn from the Bible for partnership in missions, Paul’s ministry is relevant because most of it was undertaken in the context of comprehensive partnership in mission and ministry. Paul demonstrated a keen sense of partnership with God, since he was fully aware that his work involved fulfilling God’s plan of salvation for all mankind. Therefore, he always considered himself as “God’s co-worker.” This collaboration at the vertical level does not denote an equal partnership. At best, it indicates the bipolarity of ministry.[viii] However, he implied that as a co-worker with God, he had the authority of God himself. Because of this sense of partnering with God, Paul developed a strong commitment to partnership which was evident in various aspects of his life and ministry.
Partnership with the Church
Paul’s life and ministry clearly demonstrate significant partnership with the Church. He was initially associated with the churches in Jerusalem and Antioch and then eventually with those churches that he was instrumental in planting. He maintained strong links with the church in Jerusalem, without whose blessing his mission to the Gentiles might have been in jeopardy because Paul preached about the righteousness that comes from Christ (and not from the Law). Although he wanted to be in good relationship with Jerusalem church, Paul’s preaching of the gospel wasn’t entirely dependent on the blessing of the mother church; he preached regardless of their blessings. Paul remained committed to the church throughout his ministry. He was committed to the church, even when the church was not understanding and appreciative of his ministry initiatives. That’s the beauty of Paul’s partnership, without whose blessings his mission to the Gentiles might have been in jeopardy. For at least two decades, the Jerusalem church was regarded as the ‘mother church’ and Paul was wise enough to recognize the importance of keeping in touch with this influential church. Even when he moved out of Jerusalem and went as a missionary from Antioch to Asia Minor, Paul kept his commitment to the mother Church in Jerusalem.
After moving to Antioch and being sent from there as a missionary, again Paul’s basic approach to missions was strongly Church-centered. He planted churches and established meaningful networks and partnership between them (Acts 11:30; 21:19). Roland Allen’s comments on this are worth noting: “Paul did not set out on his missionary journey as a solitary prophet, the teacher of a solitary individualistic religion. He was sent forth as the messenger of a Church, to bring men into fellowship with that body.”[ix] According to Allen, Paul’s mission was strongly anchored in the Church and he never forgot the central place of the Church even as he went on his missionary journeys. Paul maintained a strong sense of commitment and accountability to the sending church while working as a missionary to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). Such commitment to the churches enabled him to develop meaningful partnerships for his ongoing mission and ministry to Jews and Gentiles in Asia Minor and beyond. Consequently, Paul’s partnership with the sending Church, as well as with the churches that he was instrumental in planting, proved to be vital to his overall ministry.
Partnership with Fellow-Ministers
While being keen on partnership with the church, Paul made every effort to team up with fellow ministers. These included various kinds of people who were available for partnership in the ministry with Paul. Indeed, the whole foundation for partnership stemmed from Paul’s conviction that the ministry of the gospel is a God-given ministry to all and hence all of God’s people should be involved. Being a very able and educated person, the natural temptation for him would have been to be on his own, but Paul consciously developed a deep sense of partnership with other ministers even when most of his co-workers were below par.
Paul’s ministry required a lot of networking and partnering with fellow ministers. His approach was similar to that of Jesus Christ who demonstrated as well as taught the importance of togetherness. Paul knew that the task was too huge for him to accomplish it on his own. He depended on many co-workers who were supportive of his efforts and who rendered their wholehearted cooperation. At times it was not easy for him to work in a team but he resolutely kept his commitment to partnership.
Initially, he was called to partner with Barnabas, who was his senior and an established leader of the Churches in Jerusalem and Antioch, but later he began selecting his fellow partners. His preference for them was not dictated solely by his desire for friendship or companionship, but was part of his strategy as an expert builder (1 Cor. 3:10). There are a range of fellow workers with different gifts and commitments playing their parts in fulfilling the task. Many times he chose people as he ministered in various contexts and allowed them to work with him for a while before they were entrusted with the responsibility of carrying on their own. Different team members were added all the time in his ministry and occasionally some were dropped, but Paul’s commitment to team ministry and partnership did not diminish.
Recognizing that each member of the team had different gifts and abilities, Paul mobilized them for the effective communication of the gospel. Acts 14:21-23 describes the sequence of activities of Paul’s teams. These teams were mobile and very much on their own. They were economically self-sufficient, although not unwilling to receive funds from local congregations.[x] The composition of his team itself shows how clearly he was committed to multi-ethnic and multi-cultural and multi-lingual ministries.
Paul did not feel threatened by senior Christians but found them useful for the kind of ministry he was developing. So he engaged comfortably with some prominent senior co-workers like Barnabas. But he also had a series of other co-workers who functioned as partners. There are Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:2-3), who were already Christians before Paul met them at Corinth. Though they had begun their work independently of Paul, they became his close associates.[xi] This is a testament to Paul’s wisdom in using the experience and gifts of seasoned believers.
Paul also did not ignore or hesitate to recruit new converts onto his team. Many of these were ordinary people who were committed and willing to partner in the ministry with Paul and included Philemon, Phoebe, Lydia, Epaphroditus and others. Another interesting point is that Paul’s networking included prominent women who proved to be a great source of encouragement and support. Besides Lydia and Prisca, there were Junia, Euodia and Syntyche, as well as Chloe who were actively involved in the ministry under the direction of Paul and his associates.
Partnership with Families
Paul worked mostly in the urban contexts where individualism tended to be elevated above the family or community. But he quickly recognized that the individual was inevitably a family member and cannot be regarded as an isolated person. He rightly perceived that every individual has a strong relationship with and commitment to the family. Therefore, to reach an individual with the gospel, Paul on numerous occasions went through the family network, since isolating an individual from the family was almost impossible, even in urban society. Paul strategically worked with this reality to reach out to families and tap their natural potential for networking with extended families. It is evident that Paul established churches that were clearly centered on family networks.
Since homes were probably the most neutral places for people of different ethnicities to gather for the purpose of instruction and worship, Paul saw the importance of families in building bridges with contemporary society. “The households of newly converted believers were important centers of Paul’s missionary work, and they were centers of the life of the newly established communities of believers, who met in ‘house churches’.”[xii] Paul appointed elders and deacons within these house churches to enable them to be strong witnesses to and beyond their own households. Most of his letters were written to the house churches, functioning almost as an instruction manual for the Christian families that met in the houses to live their faith out in daily life and be a witness for Christ among their own people. The attention of these early Christian home churches was directed toward their internal as well as external functioning. To Paul, the house church did not remain only as a worshipping group of families, but was an important means of spreading the gospel. It is hardly surprising that the ‘church in the house’ became a crucial factor in the spread of the Christian faith.[xiii] Partnership with families in communicating the gospel was a significant aspect of Paul’s strategy.
Conclusion
Just as the secular sector has made great strides by adopting partnerships and collaborative ventures, Christian workers must seriously practice partnerships. The Pauline model of partnership provides significant and comprehensive insights into how such partnerships should be initiated, put into practice and nurtured so as to make a missional difference in contemporary missions. Paul’s ability to acknowledge the centrality of the Church, pick appropriate people to accompany him on missionary journeys, get support from unexpected people like women, and working within the reality of the family unit as centers to spread witness, are all relevant today. By adopting the methodology of Paul and the Scriptures, the global church will succeed in the all-important area of partnerships while doing mission.
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Dr. Atul Y. Aghamkar, PhD is Director of the National Centre for Urban Transformation, Bangalore, India.
[i] Luis Bush and Lorry Lutz, Partnering in Ministry: The Direction of World Evangelism. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1990, 21.
[ii] A. Skevington Wood, Ephesians, in vol. 11 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), 54.
[iii] Max Anders, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians, in vol. 8 of the Holman New Testament Commentary, ed. Max Anders (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999), 147.
[iv] Bradley Chance, “Fellowship,” in the Holman Bible Dictionary, ed. Trent C. Butler (Nashville: Holman, 1991), 483.
[v] Rick Warren, The Purpose Drive Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 105.
[vi] Samuel Cueva, “A Missionary Paradigm of Partnerships Between the North and the South,” <http://www.globalconnections.co.uk/OneStopCMS/Core/CrawlerResourceServer.aspx?resource=6c63f1e62f7c 4285b3a5e8b878e37157&mode=link&guid=34731240b9f94baca2c71bb0060bbca5>, accessed June 17, 2009.
[vii] Max Warren, 48.
[viii] Thomas Manjaly, Collaborative Ministry: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Synergos in Paul (Bangalore: Asia Trading Corporation, 2001), 109.
[ix] Roland Allen, Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s our Ours? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962), 126.
[x] Arthur Glasser, “The Apostle Paul and the Missionary Task: A Study in Perspective”, in Arthur Glasser, Paul Hiebert, C. Peter Wagner and Ralph Winter eds., Crucial Dimensions in World Evangelization (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1976), 27.
[xi] Manjaly, Collaborative Ministry…339.
[xii] Schnabel, Early Christian Mission …1303.
[xiii] Michael Green, Evangelism in the Early Church (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1970), 207.
