I recently ran across a blog entitled “West Port Experiment”. It’s by a young missioner in Rhode Island, Rev. Michael Ives, as he attempts to live out the ministry vision of the famed Thomas Chalmers of Scotland.
Here is Rev. Ives research paper Parish Evangelism which I’m enjoying reading.
Chalmers – a “Celt” by his very geography – also had quite a “Celtic” view of ministry. Like the Celts of old, he believed in GOING. His vision of evangelism was to go into a chosen field and plant a local church.
From that base of worship, evangelism would “emanate” outward from the center seeking to link pastoral ministry to the flock with evangelistic ministry to those in proximity to the flock.
Though Chalmers envisioned having “outsiders” in the local church at the beginning, the plan was to replace them with local converts. Finally thriving parish churches would cover the land with or without “state patronage”. For Chalmers, the idea of “parish” – contra many moderns – was a product of Christ’s universal Lordship, not a “Constantinian” construct.
Thanks to many works on “Celtic” mission, we have come to think of the Celtic pattern as a missional base called the monasterium or minster from which evangelistic and pastoral forays are made. Somehow the minster is considered at odds with Chalmers’ “Parish”. In reality, though, they are not. The “Parish” as conceived and implemented by Chalmers is a mission base. The Scottish and British “parishes” that are today in disrepair are the fruit of successful reproduction of Christian evangelists in prior centuries.
We cannot replicate the parish structure at this point in history because no church is “established” per se. But as the name of Ives’ blog (“West Port Experiment”) reminds us, at one point in Chalmers’ ministry he too left the “established church”. The experiment in ministry that occupied the last days of his life was his effort to operate with a strategic parish vision whether he was “recognized” or not. He simply considered it the most economic and Christ-glorifying method of ministry avaialable to a pastor.
What an amazingly successful and “holistic” ministry! He had left the “established” church in 1843! In just a few years, dramatic results were seen!
Reform minded Baptist pastor Eric Redmond probably did what Chalmers would have us do: stake out our territory and get started! His church’s goal has become to evangelize the 20,000 people within a one mile radius of their complex.
Presbyterian Rev. Ives is attempting something similar in Rhode Island. (Perhaps visitors will leave comments telling us of other similarly “parish minded men”).
It’s wise to note that Rev. Redmond spend some time reforming his congregation before adopting a vision to reach 20,000 people. Likewise, Rev. Ives operates as a home missionary in a parish with a senior pastor.
The minister new to a church would be wise to see this as part of a long term vision to be accomplished when the Lord has raised up co-workers for the task!
Pastors new to their work would do well, I believe, to help their existing members use T. M. Moore’s “Personal Mission Field” concepts to identify those who can be most economically reached from the “launch” pad of an existing ministry. Once the Lord has provided laborers for His harvest. a territory encompassing the majority of them can be mapped out and approached.
Read Rev. Ives’ paper for yourself. May the Lord use it to encourage you in the work of Parish Evangelism.
Note: Use this form to request a “Personal Mission Field” tract from Rev. Moore…
