Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?

by Dr. Gerry Baughman, Founder and Director

Don´t you just love those little plaques that are nailed to the end of the church pew in memory of someone in days gone by?

Or the stained glass window with Grandma whomever’s name encased in lead and beautiful rose colored glass. They never seem to bother anyone until the church decides to renovate. I remember Pastor Orland Reynolds from West Virginia talking with a deacon of a former church. The congregation was quite upset because the new young pastor wanted to update the auditorium. The problem? The old tongue and groove pine wood that had graced the sides of the sanctuary since the church"s inception had yellowed and some of the scratches were deep. Heel marks graced the bottom, as did pen and pencil marks. Can you believe that the new pastor wanted to paint that wood white?! The men said, "Pastor Reynolds put that up and we don´t want to CHANGE things!" Pastor Reynolds´ response to those well meaning deacons was, "Gentlemen, that old wood has served its´ purpose. Let the pastor paint the yellow stuff!" They painted it and, in the end, everyone was satisfied.

It´s important that missionaries learn to culturally adjust, but too often we are not willing to do that in these changing times. This past summer, the SMART team was privileged to go to the site in Zambia, Africa where the heart of David Livingstone is buried. Just a short way from that monument, a little plaque also marked the spot where he died. You might ask, “What do change and David Livingstone have to do with each other?” We rode to the very spot where Dr. Livingstone walked. For us, it was only a six hour trip in an air conditioned van, albeit extremely bumpy! Although we were there for just a few moments, he spent years traversing Africa on foot, suffering hardship, illness, loneliness and personal depravation while exploring the Dark Continent and propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

How privileged we are to live during this time in history. In a moment, we can send an e-mail around the world, whereas it took Dr. Stanley months to locate Dr. Livingstone. A plane flight can put us on the other side of the world in just hours complete with luggage … hopefully. The Gospel has spread around the world in ways that David Livingstone could never imagine. Yet, missionary commitment is falling well behind the world population growth rate. Why?

There are some things that should never change: the infallible Word of God, your love for the Lord, your standards of personal and ecclesiastical separation, and your love for others. When we learn to think Biblically and judge changes from a Biblical perspective, it is so much easier to make adjustments. Then change is measured by the doctrine and principles of the Word. When we leave the Word of God out of the equation, change will lead to a downward spiral.

Yes, accepting change is a vital factor in a missionary’s willingness to culturally adapt, learn a new language and love a people that are so much different than you. Don’t be too concerned about the pew plaque, or the pine wood painted white. Be more concerned about the changes you must make so that you can impact a world that needs Jesus Christ before it is eternally too late.

" … I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." I Corinthians 9:22b