here has hardly been any translation work done in very small languages and . . . there is not not likely T to be much more.

Additional Perspectives Insider Movements: Honoring God-Given Identity and Community

by Rebecca Lewis

All movements to Christ are amazing works of God! But not all movements are the same. How Is an “Insider Movement” Different from Other Movements to Christ? Three distinct types of movements to Christ among unreached peoples have been described in the last century: “insider movements,” “people movements,” and “church planting movements.”

Insider movements can be defined as movements to obedient faith in Christ that remain integrated with or inside their natural community. In any insider movement there are two distinct elements: 1. The gospel takes root within pre-existing communities or social networks, which become the main expression of “church” in that context. Believers are not gathered from diverse social networks to create a “church.” New paral- lel social structures are not invented or introduced. 2. Believers retain their identity as members of their socio-religious community while living under the Lordship of Christ and the authority of the .1

In contrast, people movements—identified by J. Waskom Pickett (1933), then analyzed by Donald McGavran (1950)—are mass movements in which whole communities decide as a group to leave their former religious affiliation in order to become Christians. People movements, like insider movements, keep the com- munity intact, but unlike insider movements, the community’s religious affilia- tion and identity are changed. Believers in the third type of movements, church planting movements (CPMs), as described by David Garrison, also “make a clean break with their former and redefine themselves with a distinctly Christian c identity.” 2 CPMs promote movements by simplifying church structure and empowering local leaders, but they do not require3 either of the two key elements of Rebecca Lewis has worked with her insider movements. Usually CPMs consist of newly created fellowships with a clear husband in Muslim ministries for 15 years, eight of which were spent Christian identity, which tends to associate them with Western Christianity. in North Africa. She has also taught history at the university level for the In all three types of movements, those coming to Christ share a new spiritual last 8 years. identity as members of the kingdom of God and disciples of Jesus Christ. But International Journal of Frontier Missiology 26:1 Spring 2009•16 Rebecca Lewis 17 in the case of insider movements alone, pre-existing community and, like yeast, 2. Believers Retain Their Socio- this new spiritual identity is not com- spreads within that community. No Religious Identity bined with a change of socio-political- longer does a new group try to become In many countries today, it is almost religious identity. The Scriptures seem like a family; instead, the God-given impossible for a new follower of Christ to indicate that this identity, and the family or social group becomes the to remain in vital relationship with their community a person is born into, were church. The strong relational bonds community without also retaining their determined in advance by God. For already exist; what is new is their com- socio-religious identity. In these places, example, Paul declares to the Athenians mitment to Jesus Christ. Believers within the term “Christian” does not mean a that God “made every nation of men the pre-existing family or community sincere believer in Jesus Christ. In India, . . . and determined the times set for network gradually learn how to provide for example, “Christian” has become a them and the exact places they should spiritual fellowship for each other and socio-religious-political category (like live” (Acts 17:26). When we encour- testimonies and praise arise within their Muslim, Hindu, Tribal, etc.) written age believers to remain in their families everyday interactions (as in Deuteronomy on one’s identity card at birth. Though and networks, and to retain their birth 6:6-9). The joy of the believers begins to the categories may vary, similar prac- identities, we honor these God-given infect the whole group. tices exist in other countries as well. relationships. Let us examine more Changing one’s identity from “Muslim” closely the two elements of an insider or “Hindu” to “Christian” is often illegal movement, as well as their biblical basis. or is viewed as betrayal by one’s family and friends. However, the gospel can 1. Pre-existing Communities still spread freely in such places when Become the Church Let’s contrast insider believers gain a new spiritual iden- How can the gospel take root within tity, living under the Lordship of Jesus pre-existing communities, in such a planting a church with Christ and the authority of the Bible, but way that the community or network retain their socio-religious identity. becomes the main expression of “church” in implanting a church. that context? To understand why this Retaining Identity: Is It Biblical? factor is important in insider move- Does one have to go through ments, let’s contrast planting a church Christianity to enter God’s family? The with implanting a church.4 New Testament addresses a nearly iden- Typically, when people “plant a tical question: “Do all believers in Jesus This type of church (also termed church” they create a new social group. Christ have to go through in the “transformational model” 7) was Individual believers, often strangers to order to enter God’s family?” It is impor- birthed in many households in Acts, one another, are gathered together into tant to realize that, for both questions, such as those of Cornelius, Lydia and new fellowship groups. Church plant- the nature of the gospel itself is at stake. the Philippian jailer. The redemption ers try to help these individual believers The woman at the well in John 4 at of pre-existing communities is a fulfill- become like a family or a community. first refused Jesus’ offer of eternal life ment of God’s promise to Abraham This pattern of “aggregate church” because, as a Samaritan, she followed that all the families of the earth would planting (also termed the “attractional an Abrahamic religion that the Jews be blessed (Genesis 12:3, 28:14). model” 5) can work in individualistic reviled as corrupt. As a result, she could When the gospel is implanted in this Western societies. However, in societies not go to the temple or become a Jew. manner, the families and clans that with tightly-knit communities, the com- But Jesus distinguished true faith from God created are redeemed and trans- munity is undermined when believers religious affiliation, saying God was formed, instead of broken apart. The are taken out of their families into new seeking “true worshipers who wor- larger community and society are also authority structures. The affected fami- ship the Father in spirit and truth” blessed in significant ways, as believ- lies frequently perceive the new group (v. 19-24). Realizing that Jesus was “the ers mature spiritually while remaining as having “stolen” their relative, and the Savior of the world” (v. 42), not just of within their relational networks. The spread of the gospel is understandably the Jews, many Samaritans in her town gospel is not seen as a threat to the opposed. Even if the new fellowship believed. Later in Acts we see that community, and an insider movement group is very contextualized to the Samaritan believers remained in their develops as the gospel flows into neigh- culture, the community feels threatened own communities and retained their boring relational networks. Because and the believers feel torn between their Samaritan identity (Acts 8:14-17). But believers remain in their families and family and the group.6 at first the disciples did not understand networks, insider movements honor that just as they could remain Jews and By contrast, a church is “implanted” God-given community. when the Gospel takes root within a follow Jesus, the Samaritans could also remain Samaritan. 26:1 Spring 2009 18 Insider Movements: Honoring God-Given Identity and Community

Then the Holy Spirit revealed to the Christ, and the guidance of Scripture that God promised Abraham that all apostles that even the Gentile believers (Acts 15:5-19). First, they heard that people groups would receive the Spirit from pagan backgrounds did not have the Holy Spirit had descended on through faith in Jesus Christ alone to go through Judaism in order to enter believers from a pagan background (Galatians 3:8-26). As a result, Paul God’s family (Acts 15). In Antioch, who were not practicing the Jewish publicly rebuked Peter and Barnabas Jewish believers were telling Gentile religion. Second, they realized the for “not acting in line with the truth believers they must become Jews to be Scriptures had predicted that this of the Gospel” when they “forced fully acceptable to God. Paul disagreed would happen. These two criteria Gentiles to follow Jewish customs” and brought the issue to the lead apos- were sufficient for the apostles to (Galatians 2:11-21). Paul warned that tles in Jerusalem. The issue was hotly conclude that God was behind this new to add religious conversion to following debated because the Jews had believed movement of believers who were remain- Christ would nullify the gospel. He also for centuries that conversion to the ing Gentile. Therefore, they did not affirmed that not through any religion Jewish religion was required to become oppose it or add on demands for reli- but “through the gospel the Gentiles are part of the people of God. But the Holy gious conversion. If we use the same made heirs together in the promise of Spirit showed the Jewish apostles they two criteria today, insider movements Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6). should not “burden” Gentile followers of affirm that people do not even have to Thus, the gospel reveals that a person Christ with their religious traditions and go through the religion of Christianity, can gain a new spiritual identity forms (Acts 15:19, 28). but only through Jesus Christ, to enter without leaving one’s birth identity, and God’s family. Two Criteria without taking on a new socio-reli- To make this decision, the apostles Paul wanted people to understand that gious label or going through the reli- used two criteria: the giving of the this truth has been part of the gospel gion of either Judaism or Christianity. Holy Spirit to the Gentiles coming to from the beginning. He pointed out The “Kingdom Circles” sidebar below

Kingdom Circles This diagram distinguishes between two kinds of identity: spiritual and socio-religious. The center circle represents the Kingdom of God. 9 Kingdom People gain a new spiritual identity by entering God’s Kingdom through Figure 1 8 Al[X`jd transforming faith in Jesus Christ. The other circles represent various of God socio-religious identities. Figure 1 shows that many Jews in the book of Acts followed Jesus as Lord and thus entered the Kingdom of God (A). These early disciples gained a new spiritual identity but retained their Jewish socio-religious identity, continuing to follow the Jewish law and worship at the temple alongside non-believing Jews (B). < K_ifl^_A\n`j_ Figure 2 likewise shows that many Gentiles in Acts followed Jesus Al[X`jd Zlckli\6 as Lord and entered the Kingdom (C), though most Gentiles remained non-believers (D). In Acts 15, some Jewish believers insisted that non- Jews had to join the socio-religious system of Judaism to be saved (E). ; Paul disagreed and brought the issue before the apostles in Jerusalem. : Kingdom >\ek`c\j The apostles became convinced, by both the Scriptures and the fact that Figure 2 God gave the Holy Spirit to these Gentile believers, that non-Jews did of God not have to “go through” Judaism to enter the Kingdom of God. Figure 3 shows the situation we face today. Over the centuries, “Christianity” has become a socio-religious system encompassing much more than simply faith in Christ. It involves various cultural traditions, religious forms, and ethnic or political associations. While many »:_i`jk`Xe`kp¼ people who call themselves Christians have truly believed in Christ and >Al[X`jd ? K_ifl^_:_i`jk`Xe entered the Kingdom of God (F), others have not, though they may Zlckli\6 attend church (G). The Acts 15 question is still relevant today: Must Al[X`jd = people with a distinctly non-Christian (especially non-Western) identity “go through” the socio-religious systems of “Christianity” in order to Kingdom become part of God’s Kingdom (H)? Or can they enter the Kingdom @ Efe$ Figure 3 of God of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and gain a new :_i`jk`Xe spiritual identity while retaining their own community and socio- religious identity (I)? International Journal of Frontier Missiology Rebecca Lewis 19 illustrates this issue. Because believ- 4. When discipling, encourage movements. For an insider movement to ers retain their birth identity, insider believers to remain within occur, C5 believers must remain genuine members of their family and community movements honor God-given identity. their God-given communities. Show them that Jesus said networks, not creating odd or competing they will be like “yeast in the religious institutions or events. A New Creation 7 in an Old Environment dough” or “a light that illu- See Gray and Gray, p. 20, this issue. mines the whole household.” 8 Frequently in insider movements, an So, what do we do when working Help them become the church individual will believe first and then invite in unreached people groups with within their own pre-existing the “outsider” witness into their commu- strong community structures? Can communities, instead of nity, as happened in John 4. Sometimes, we see that the Muslims are like our isolating themselves by joining however, the insider believer will spread Samaritans, with their Abrahamic a group outside their commu- the gospel through their networks by nity for fellowship. Encourage religion, and the Hindus are like themselves, and the outsider will never believers to study the Word enter their communities. our Gentiles, with their idols and together within their com- temples? Yet, like the Samaritans munities and to seek guidance and the Gentiles, through the from the Holy Spirit (John gospel alone they can be made heirs 16:14, Acts 20:32). Trust the together with us in the promise Holy Spirit, as the apostles of Christ Jesus. So how can we did, to guide the new believers emphasize the gospel, not religious and to redeem their pagan or conversion? How can we encourage heretical religious practices as He chooses, which may vary the gospel to take root within their from one insider movement God-given communities, redeeming to another. and transforming them? Here are Let the nations be glad that they too some suggestions: have direct access to God through 1. When entering a community, Jesus Christ! This is the power of look for a person seeking God the gospel! IJFM who wants to invite you into their family or community Endnotes to talk about Jesus. Invest in 1 those people as a group. “Do Lewis 2007, “Promoting Move- ments to Christ within Natural Communi- not move around from house ties,” p. 75, IJFM 24:2 to house.” (Luke 10:7)8 2 2. When witnessing, tell people Garrison 2004, Church Planting they do not have to join a Movements vs. Insider Movements, p. 154, “Christian people group” in IJFM 21:4 3 order to be saved. Instead, Garrison points out that using point them directly to a rela- family networks to spread the gospel is tionship with God through a common, but not universal, factor in Christ. Many have been CPMs. See Garrison (2000), Church taught that Jesus is only the Planting Movements booklet, Office of Savior of the “Christians,” Overeseas Operations, International instead of the Savior of the Mission Board of the Southern Baptist world. Help them understand Convention, pp. 37-38. Note however that this idea is not true, like Jesus in CPMs, the formation of new structures did in John 4:23. is assumed. 4 3. If well-meaning Christians In both cases, the assumption tell seekers that they must is being made that “a church” is not a come to God not just through building, institution, or meeting, but a Christ but also through functional local community of mutually Christianity, help the supportive believers under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Christians understand this 5 requirement is “not in line See Andrea Gray and Leith Gray, “Paradigms and Praxis: Part I: Social with the truth of the Gospel” Networks and Fruitfulness in Church (Galatians 2:14-21, 3:6-9,14, Planting,” p. 20, this issue of IJFM. 5:6, 6:12-16; Ephesians 6 3:6; I Corinthians 7:17-19; Some people equate C5 churches Colossians 2:16-23, Acts 10 with insider movements. However, not and 15). all C5 communities result in insider 26:1 Spring 2009