We have stated on these pages that the Missouri Synod from early on did “mission work” through a mission committee or a mission board. From the very beginning the church as an organization felt that the whole church through elected representatives should move the mission onward. Remember the opening of Selke’s article from a few days ago? She opened an article on mission among the Chippewa’s with these words – “Five pioneer Lutheran pastors went to Minnesota from the East with the immigration into the ” Suland,” that extensive domain west of the Mississippi that was opened to settlement In 1851 by the treaties of Traverse des Sioux and Mendota. A sixth, a missionary among the Indians, was the only one who was placed in his work by the definite action of a German Lutheran synodical body”.
Why was the Missouri synod focused on mission committees and boards representing the whole church in the area of sending missionaries? We are going to try and explain and to do that we will be exploring how missionary enterprise has degenerated to where as Paul Washer has written, “missionary activity has become something of a contradiction, even an absurdity……”. Washer has 4 examples. Here is number 2.
Secondly, it has become popular opinion that Christians should lay aside their
doctrine and unite around their common faith in Christ. However, the harsh reality
is that there are many different versions of Christ being proclaimed on the earth
today by those who claim to be His followers. How can we distinguish the true Christ
from the multitude of false christs except through a careful study of the Scriptures
and a faithful application of its doctrine? Are we to preach a Christ to the nations
that is so general or vague that we fill the world and the church with countless
contradictory opinions regarding His person and work? Unity cannot logically be
founded upon our common confession of an undefined Christ and contradictory opinions
regarding the fundamentals of the Christian faith. (Paul Washer”Missions: A Theological Endeavor”.
