Missionaries are Few but All are Missional

Missionaries are Few, but all are Missional

The Holy Spirit Unites Discipleship and Evangelism

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) view of "missionary" versus "missional" is rooted in its historic commitment to the Spirituality of the Church and the Ordinary Means of Grace. In the OPC, these terms are often seen as complementary rather than contradictory, though there is a strong emphasis on maintaining a distinct, church-centered definition of missions. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Missionary: The Church Sending and Planting

In the OPC, a "missionary" is a person officially sent by the church to fulfill the Great Commission through the preaching of the Word and the administration of the sacraments. [1, 2, 3, 4]

• Ecclesial Focus: Missions is the work of the church collectively, not just private individuals. The goal of an OP missionary is primarily to establish indigenous, self-governing churches rather than just performing humanitarian aid.
• Specific Roles: The OPC recognizes specific roles such as ordained missionaries, missionary-associates (short-term), and missionary-deacons for specialized support on the field.
• Spiritual Priority: Missions is viewed as a "supernatural business" where the message of reconciliation is the only power for salvation, often contrasted with purely "consumeristic" or "social gospel" approaches. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Missional: The Church as an Agent of the Gospel [1, 2]

While the term "missional" is more contemporary, OPC thinkers often frame it as a refocusing on the nature of God as a "sender" and the church’s identity in its local context. [1, 2]

• Sent Identity: Whereas a "missionary church" sends people out, a "missional church" sees itself as being sent into its own local community.
• Ordinary Life: The missional perspective emphasizes that the gospel should motivate every believer in their daily interactions—at the grocery store, with neighbors, or in the workplace—as "salt and light".
• Caution Against "Causes": OPC writers caution that being missional should not become a "cause" or program that replaces personal love for Christ. It must remain grounded in the Ordinary Means of Grace (Word, sacraments, and prayer). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Comparison of Perspectives

In the OPC, these two are viewed as "two aspects of the one body of Christ" that should labor harmoniously rather than in competition. [1]

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