Itinerant ministries such as evangelists are not vagrants, they do have a home address. The Apostle Paul’s home church was in the coastal city of Antioch. Evangelists need a home church because their credibility is linked with accountability. After returning from their first mission, Paul and Barnabas reported back to the church leaders at Antioch who had sent them out prophetically. Three developments are affecting traveling ministries in Australia these days:
1. GEOFFREY BLAINEY’S “TYRANNY OF DISTANCE”
Australia, which is almost the size of the continental United States, has a population of only 27 million, compared to the USA’s 330 million. Vehicle fuel costs and air travel consume church offerings and makes travel uneconomical unless Sunday ministry is preceded by a Saturday seminar. Selling products can help also cover costs, but not every pastor likes a book table inside the entrance door.
The answer is a secular para-income that helps cover travel, food, and hotel accommodation, or a supportive church as dependable as the church at Philippi was to Paul’s apostolic ministry (Philippians 4:15-17).
2. THE “INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY”
This includes broadband access to podcasts and articles online, digital TV streaming, and downloads to laptops and hand-held devices. But information is not revelation. One effect of all this on evangelists can be performance pressure and discernment presented linked to in the form of personal prophecy.
The answer: A genuine prophetic edge that enables preachers to speak into local church conditions. Revelation is an effective “can opener”! The Apostle Paul’s traveling companions included at least one prophet (first Barnabas and then Silas).
3. DENOMINATIONAL CORPORATE IDENTITY
“In house” attitudes and policies push independent traveling ministries to the fringe, into smaller churches, house churches and nonconformist groups — peripheral people.
Mega churches are to independent ministries what Mega shopping malls are to local shopping strips. The answer: Networking that crosses organizational restrictions and denominational boundaries, and niche ministries that are particularly suited to local church needs and economies.