{"id":2376,"date":"2024-02-26T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-26T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/collegiatedisciplemaker.com\/?p=2376"},"modified":"2024-03-08T12:42:34","modified_gmt":"2024-03-08T18:42:34","slug":"reconciling-the-local-church-with-parachurch-campus-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegiatedisciplemaker.com\/reconciling-the-local-church-with-parachurch-campus-ministry\/","title":{"rendered":"Reconciling the Local Church with Parachurch Campus Ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Parachurch<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those in the ministry world have a variety of responses to that one, ever-complicated word. Some love it; some hate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like it or not, most campus ministries are parachurch. That is, they exist alongside the local church without being tied or attached to one congregation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many local churches are hesitant or skeptical about Christian groups that meet together weekly without local church oversight. They see them as competition or replacement for the local church, or simply outside its doctrinal wings of protection. Some folks even believe that no other ministries should exist outside of the Sunday gathering because Scripture doesn\u2019t articulate the need, benefit, or, anything about these parachurch <\/em>ministries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As someone who was heavily influenced by the youth ministries I attended (places where I grew in my faith, had the opportunity to be a spiritual leader, and recognized my calling to ministry), I have even heard arguments that youth ministry shouldn\u2019t exist because Scripture doesn\u2019t say, \u201cY\u2019all should have a youth ministry in your church.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That topic is best addressed in a passionate, 20-page essay that I\u2019ll save for another day. But for today, let\u2019s talk about the discouraging reality of the all-too-frequent disconnect between our campus ministries and the local church. Let\u2019s acknowledge just how disheartening this is, not only for personal reasons, but for the sake of the Kingdom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But there\u2019s good news. There is a way to reconcile campus ministry and the local church, and it starts with understanding what we are, what we aren\u2019t, and why we need each other. When we do, we will be stronger and better able to advance God\u2019s Kingdom\u2014on college campuses, in the next generation, and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s make sure the local church hears this\u2013in fact, maybe we ought to put this in parenthesis under the name of our campus ministries\u2013our campus ministry is not a local church. <\/em><\/strong>We would also add that it\u2019s not <\/em><\/strong>a replacement for the local church. We encourage <\/em><\/strong>our students to attend local churches. Many of us even require <\/em><\/strong>our student leaders to be members of them and serve accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It Looks Like a Church\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The global Church Body, made up of all believers (past, present, and future) in all places is not to be confused with what Scripture has clearly defined as the institution of the local church. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Those definitions are exposited in the Baptist Faith & Message 2000. Skimming over \u201cArticle VI: The Church\u201d might lead some to believe that a good and faithful campus ministry could <\/em>be a church. After all, these ministries are \u201clocal congregations of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel,\u201d and, notably, \u201cseeking to spread that gospel to the ends of the earth.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n It gets worse. Campus ministries have directors who operate in many of the same ways as a pastor does. Uh oh! Does that make them churches?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Campus ministries are almost, but not quite, the local church, and \u201calmost\u201d is not enough. \u2026But It Isn\u2019t a Church<\/em><\/strong> There are plenty of local congregations that only have certain ethnic groups; there are many all-Hispanic churches in my area. There are country churches in my area that don\u2019t have anyone under 60 in their pews. When I was in college, I met with two church plants that were only composed of people in their 20s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Campus ministries also aren\u2019t quite the local church because they often don\u2019t baptize believers or do Communion\u2014they partner with the local churches for those things. College ministries don\u2019t have a plurality of Elders, and are instead often under the leadership of an association.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat College Ministries Aren\u2019t <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It looks like it, doesn\u2019t it? But they aren\u2019t. Campus ministries are almost <\/em><\/strong>the local church because they are composed of a congregation of baptized Christ followers, gathering together for fellowship, worship, evangelism, service, and teaching, and are led by a director, who is a pastor-like figure.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Campus (college) ministries are not quite<\/em><\/strong> the local church because they are exclusive. <\/em>It\u2019s in the name, folks. Campus ministry is exclusively <\/em>for college-aged people. They are not exclusive because they arbitrarily draw in the same people; they are exclusive because they only accept college-aged congregants<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t these churches seem exclusive? Yes, they do, but seeming <\/em>and being <\/em>exclusive are very different. Campus ministries are exclusive because they are defined by their exclusivity\u2014they are exclusive on purpose<\/em>. Local churches that lack diversity seem exclusive, but they aren\u2019t exclusive by definition, desire, or choice. If a young adult couple walked into an old country church, they would be welcomed. If an Asian family walked into an all-American church, they would be welcomed. I have personally been invited to become a member of all-Hispanic churches. The exclusive-seeming local church would never reject anyone who doesn\u2019t fit into their current, coincidental club of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, go ask the nearest campus minister if the moody middle schooler can join their weekly gatherings. Ask them if the middle-aged couple, 20 years removed from college, can attend their next lesson: \u201cHow to Follow Christ in College.\u201d Ask them if a single 60-year-old widower can stay overnight at their fall retreat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unsurprisingly, they would tell these people, \u201cThis isn\u2019t the place for you; there is somewhere more appropriate\u201d (and that place would be a local church, wouldn\u2019t it?). Our campus ministries are for college students. We are exclusive by definition; the local church isn\u2019t. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What if campus ministries did these things? Could they not be considered a local church then? The answer is still no because of purposeful exclusivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What if campus ministries did these things, and weren\u2019t purposefully exclusive to college students? Then they wouldn\u2019t be a campus ministry anymore.
Our ministries can\u2019t be a local church because they aren’t trying to be. <\/em>They don\u2019t want to be a local church. <\/em>They exist to exclusively <\/em>reach college students, acting as an extension and tool of the local church, for the local church. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n