What is a ChangeMaker?

by Dr. John David Smith

BMA Global Missions values multiplication and considers what God is doing in the nations as its highest goal. The New Testament pattern of multiplication is encouraged and evidenced in the primary areas of disciples, leaders, and churches. For those who have obeyed the command of Christ to practice Great Commission missions, there is no greater personal joy and no more accurate measure of ministry than when we pour our lives into others and they repeat the process! In missions lingo, this is called “indigenous missions.” The word indigenous simply means that something originates and belongs locally. 

In BMA Global Missions we call these leaders ChangeMakers. A ChangeMaker is an indigenous believer who, most of the time, has been won and discipled by a BMA missionary or another ChangeMaker and now carries out the ministry of go, disciple, plant, and repeat in their own country. Currently we partner with over 400 ChangeMakers globally. 

The biblical examples of “ChangeMaker missions” fill the pages of the New Testament and are especially visible with Jesus and his earthly ministry with the twelve and Paul in his church planting efforts. Some of the principles for ChangeMaker missions can be found from Paul’s words in Colossians 4:7-15: 

⁷ Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. ⁸ I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, ⁹ with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.

¹⁰ Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), ¹¹ and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.

¹² Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. ¹³ For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. ¹⁴ Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you. ¹⁵ Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.

Paul is in prison and concluding his letter to the churches in and around Colossae. This passage is the ending of that letter, and he is greeting many in the Colossian churches in the name of some on his missionary team. It is in the names of these team members that we have a great opportunity to look into Paul’s multiplication ministry and see foundations for ChangeMaker missions.

ChangeMaker missions is based on outside partnerships that are the scaffolding, not the building. We certainly seek to enter partnerships with indigenous believers who are doing Great Commission ministry and especially those who are the fruit of our own missionary efforts. However, we do recognize that these outside partnerships are temporary, like scaffolding. They are intended to give support and structure until the permanent building (ongoing local ministry) is ready, then we take our scaffolding and go build in another place. Paul was a great leader, not because he got things done, but because he got things done through others! He had no intention of building his own private empire in any place; it was all about building the kingdom of God through the multiplication of disciples, leaders, and churches. 

ChangeMaker missions is based on passing the baton, not paternalism. Historically, many involved in global missions talked much about passing the baton of ministry to indigenous leaders but rarely followed through. Paternalistic actions where one “partner” dominates the other was more of the norm. In Colossians 4, Tychicus, Onesimus, Epaphras, Luke, and Demas were all Gentiles while Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus were Jews. These men were from a myriad of places and backgrounds, but Paul’s aim was always the same: win, disciple, equip, and release into ministry around the known world. Paul really did not have to “pass” the baton because he included them from the beginning. 

ChangeMaker missions is about lives changed by the gospel who are now repeating the process. Tychicus was the missionary mailman who delivered many of Paul’s epistles. He did this in spite of great personal peril in travel and deep personal sacrifice. Onesimus was the thieving runaway slave from Colossae who, according to history, later became the pastor of the church at Colossae. Epaphras started the church in Colossae; Luke was the beloved physician who wrote the books of Luke and Acts; Aristarchus was with Paul in riots, imprisonments, and shipwrecks. 

Their stories were altered by Jesus and they were sharing the story to the known world. That is ChangeMaker missions.