Think missional is something new? Think again. It may be the fashionable new word of Christians striving for biblical authenticity but I was fortunate to have a Mom and Dad that were missional. They kept missional company like my Uncle Ed (image left) who, to me, is a missional icon.Uncle Ed just turned 90 years old last month. I was able to go back to Oklahoma and spend some time with him. While his vision has faded with age, he still has an amazing missional mindset. While he's been a missionary to Mexico for sixty years Uncle Ed began living a missional lifestyle before he ever decided to be a missionary. There's too many stories to tell so my conversation below will reflect the results of Edgar Stone's missional lifestyle.
Me: So Uncle Ed, exactly how long have you been doing mission work?
Uncle Ed: Fifty-nine years. It'll be sixty next year.
Me: How many churches have you planted?
Uncle Ed: I've planted eight-eight churches, but we have two missions we've started in the last couple of months. A couple of the buildings have been blown away by hurricanes over the years but the work is still going on there.
Me: That's amazing.
Uncle Ed: The hurricanes?
Me: No, that you're still planting churches at your age?
Uncle Ed: What am I supposed to do? I don't think you can retire from doing the Lord's work.
(I cracked a huge smile and got emotional. Bring it in, Ken...)
Me: I guess the Bible School that you built is going strong?
Uncle Ed: Yep. We've graduated 575 pastors.
Me: Do you know how many churches they've planted?
Uncle Ed: No, but plenty I guess. I don't keep track of that. I've got enough to say grace over.
Me: And the sewing school...how many ladies have gone through that?
Uncle Ed: Over 800 now. They get a certificate of completion that means something to the Mexicans. It gets them jobs that pay $7 or $9 dollars a day instead of $2 dollars a day. A lot of the pastor's wives have gone through so they can earn money so their husbands can do ministry and plant churches. Some of them go through just to start their own business or get a better paying job.
So here's a guy that's ninety years old that's lived a Great Commission life - a missional life. Of course, there were revival meetings and crusades and the typical evangelism events that were the norm for his generation. But I know from personal experience that his opportunities to persoanlly share the Gospel didn't center around holding meetings. It centered around relationships that he built with people every day. It happened because he practiced social justice and was a pioneer in "business as mission." Then there's the mentoring of 575 pastors and their personal impact and who knows how many churches have been planted as a result.
That's a missional lifestyle.
