Church and Parachurch: Friends or Foes

Are the church and parachurch friends or foes? The short answer is, they can be either. Healthy and accountable parachurch ministries strengthen local churches. Undiscerning and unaccountable parachurch ministries undermine them. The question we’d like to pose to you, if you’re a leader in a church or a parachurch, is whether you know what makes the difference. Every author in this 9Marks Journal is a fan of parachurch ministries. A majority of us work for one! But the first order of business is determining what’s unique about each and how the two should relate to one another. Mack Stiles, Carl Trueman, and Aaron Menikoff help us answer these questions by establishing a vision.
Next, we need some practical advice for both the parachurch worker and the church leader on how to pursue a wise and fruitful partnership. Byron Straughn addresses the parachurch worker, Andy Johnson and Jeramie Rinne the church leader, D. A. Carson and I everyone.
What’s the ideal partnership? It’s one where the parachurch exists to protect the local church, says Mack Stiles. It pursues its good agenda thereby enabling the church to focus on its unique Christ-given mission. In Jeramie Rinne’s words, it’s one where the parachurch gives church members a venue for fulfilling all the godly ambitions that godly preaching inspires within them.