Sometimes I receive inquiries from pastors in developing countries about whether men’s team ministry will work in their church. The first question to ask, however, is whether men’s team ministry in the form that we practice it in our developed culture it is even needed in their situation.
I’ve written in another post about how men’s team ministry is culture specific. There’s nothing in the Word of God that says their widowed and single parents must be served by teams of four men. Rather, men’s team ministry is an adaptation to our culture. Our urbanized, mobile, individualistic and isolated society makes maintaining long term relationships with people we’re not related to difficult – and sometimes even difficult with people we are related to. Men’s team ministry compensates for our culture’s relational shortcomings by utilizing the long term relationships that teams of men provide to meet the long term needs that their widowed and single parents have.
On the other hand, there are universal biblical principles in men’s team ministry that apply to all cultures at all times. Let’s review these universal principles and then cover the cultural differences between developing and developed cultures.
Some biblical principles in men’s team ministry that apply to all cultures.
- The practice of the love of Christ has special application for the neediest members in a church.
- Believers are responsible for the well being of the neediest members of their church.
- Every church should keep a list of who these members are.
- The church must meet these needs in practical ways.
- Long term needs must have long term solutions.
- Men, and not just women, should be trained to meet these needs.
Circumstances affecting men’s team ministry that developing countries may not have and developed countries generally do have.
- Developing countries may not have some form of social security for the elderly.
- Developing countries may not have other social services.
- Developing countries may not have a large middle class with disposable income.
- Developing countries may not have widespread home ownership.
- Developing countries may not be urbanized and highly mobile.
From this second list, we see that cultures in developing countries tend to be much closer to what we find in the New Testament than cultures in developed countries. In developing countries, people are more rural and less mobile. They generally live in smaller communities and walk instead of drive. Therefore, their relationships are usually more stable, spontaneous and long term. Thus, the needs of their widowed and single parents can often be met in the course of a Church’s daily life.
In addition, developing countries usually have few social services and lack funds for social security for the elderly. Therefore, the church fills a much more important role in developing countries when providing for the needs of the widowed and single parents.
And finally, developing countries generally do not have a large middle class. Home ownership is limited to the upper class. Often the majority of people are poor and live in basic shelter that requires little upkeep. Their primary needs are food and medical care. They don’t need four men showing up once a month to work around their home.
So the question of whether men’s team ministry will work in developing countries is really a question of whether the church is in a rural or urban situation. If the church is in a rural location, the answer is that it’s probably not needed in that form. If the church is in an urban location, the answer is maybe, depending on how “developed” their urban culture is.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
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Learn how to form teams of men for every widow, single mom
and fatherless child in your church at NewCommandment.org.
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