Yesterday when I went for an interview at a Baptist Christian school, the administrator was talking about all the missionaries they send out throughout the world. Then he began talking about the missionary in Vermont and how hard it is up there. I said, "wait a minute... you have missionaries here in America?" I became stunned, but in a good way. I've always thought about sending missionaries to a foreign land, but why send one here. What we send in America are church planters... Are church planters the American equivalent to Missionaries? I think we presume that they are, but then when investigated they have two very different purposes. The church planter's purpose it to build a church, and it is best built within a Christian context. On the other hand, a missionary's purpose is to bring Jesus to the area. Once that Jesus has been penetrated to a few people then the church begins to form.Vermont is not wildly known for being a spiritual hotbed, let alone a Christian hotbed such as North Carolina. If we send our church planters out there then no one will attend the church. On the other hand, if we send missionaries to plant the daisy seeds. Then the church can come and manage the garden.
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