Lausanne World Pulse – Church/Parachurch Relations: The Body of Christ at Work
By John Pellowe
It Is a New Day
The Canadian Council of Christian Charities survey shows a widespread improvement in relations. Pastors are open to parachurch ministries that fit their needs, and vice-versa.
John Wilkinson, executive director of Toronto Youth For Christ, was asked to preview the results of this study and comment. “This study,” he says, “helps dispel many of the falsehoods existing on both sides of the debate and brings to the forefront the need for new definitions and working relationships. I couldn’t agree more that there is a lot of dissatisfaction with the conventional terms. During the past five years, there has been a growing dissatisfaction amongst parachurch bodies over the word ‘parachurch’ and that angst is only going to increase. They see themselves as viable expressions of the Church and want to be identified as such.”
This survey suggests that it is time to put the old stereotypes behind us and move on as churches and ministry organizations to see what we can do together for the Kingdom of God.
Driedger, in his current role as director of church relations for Campus Crusade, wants to bless pastors as he was blessed, he says. Certainly he is not alone in believing that parachurches are offering local churches the ability to more effectively carry out the Great Commission locally and globally.