Disciple-Making Movement as an Effective Operational Model for Christian Missions amid Insecurity

Abstract

While the global community was coming out of the havoc wrecked by the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigerians suddenly woke up to an upsurge in kidnappings, ritual killings, banditry, terrorism, rape, and other forms of criminality. As a result, the practice and proclamation of the Christian faith became difficult. This paper presented the disciplemaking movement (DMM) as an effective operational model for Christian missions amid insecurity. The writer posited that, given the increasing rate of insecurity and resultant
challenges to conventional religious practices in Nigeria, effective Christian missions would require a paradigm shift from the traditional approach to a creative and flexible but biblical model such as the DMM that takes the church to the people where insecurity has restricted or relocated them. Such a model would help the church remain faithful to its nature and mission despite the challenging context. Though Christians are expected to face suffering, persecution, and martyrdom they encounter as they carry
out the mission of the church; insecurity is not limited to persecutions of the Christian faith. Dwelling heavily on literature in the light of participant observations and reports of happenings in Nigeria, the writer identified four challenges: the reduction of the missionary workforce, hindrances to missionary activities, inadequate funding, and communication distortion. He used the elements and principles of DMM to establish that it is a missiological model that focuses on the rapid multiplication of disciples, churches and leaders through the Discovery Bible Study (DBS) or training the trainer (T4T) for obedience and self-replication. He also identified five dynamics for its operation in a situation of insecurity. These are strategic missions, integral missions, grassroots multiplication, comprehensive mission mechanism, and spiritual warfare.