President’s Blog- SYNERGY 11/10/09

SYNERGY  (11/10/09)

 synergy n. , pl. , -gies . The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

I grew up in Independent Baptist circles.  I have met people along the way who were so independent that they were suspicious of almost everyone and never seemed to try to get along with anybody.  I understand the desire for autonomy and recognize its value in the Baptist heritage and tradition.  Not all Baptists view autonomy the same way and not everyone we work with is a Baptist or considers themselves to be Independent with a capital I. Baptist principles teach that the individual believer answers to the Holy Spirit and not to a church hierarchy and the local church is not the servant of the State or of an overseeing power that does not carry the same interests as the local body of believers.  These are principles that I feel can be defended from Scripture as long as they are interpreted and applied correctly.  After almost 30 years of ministry, I am convinced of two things: 1) you can’t work with everybody; and, 2) the people who won’t work with anybody don’t seem to get very much done.

 I lived for 15 years in a country where the word “collaboration” became a four-letter word.  To the French, independence became synonymous with strength and power.  Charles DeGaulle epitomized the desire to be free of all allegiance or dependence on anyone else.  The French refer to this way of life as “Gaullism.”  I am afraid a lot of Christians have been led to believe that the greatest sign of power comes when we are able to say, “We don’t need anyone else to survive.”  However, the New Testament model does not support this kind of independence.  The New Testament doesn’t describe as clearly as one might hope how to discern which partners we should work with, but it assumes that everyone will have partners.

 In fact, there is a great word in the Greek language, συνεργεω, a combination of two words,συν, “together,” and, εργεω, “work.” We get our word, “synergy,” from it.  Synergy describes the combining of two forces to increase the potential impact that each would have individually.  Here are a few of the uses in the New Testament of this word. 

 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers . . .

 2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

2 Corinthians 1:24 . . . Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.  (Rom. 16:9, 21; 1 Cor. 16:16; 2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25; Col. 4:11)

Philemon 1:24 . . . as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

3 John 1:8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

Some translations use the word “partner” to translate the noun form of sunergew, (sunergeo/synergy).  You may prefer “co-worker,” “fellow-worker,” or even “co-laborer,” but the end result is a combining of effort to accomplish more than what one person could do alone.  Paul even describes himself as God’s partner in the ministry.  It is obvious that we can’t partner with everyone.  Too many partners will water down our ability to be effective and hinder our ability to adjust and respond to specific needs.  The wrong partners can cause us to lose our identity or even weaken us or frustrate us.  Amos asked, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3)  It is always best to choose your partners wisely and to develop strategic partnerships with those who can bring to the table a strength that you or your organization may be lacking.  In a fast-paced world, it is becoming harder and harder to survive, let alone be effective, without synergy, partnerships with those who can help you be more effective. 

 I was reflecting recently on the strengths of Bible Basics International as a mission organization.  One of the things that kept coming back to me was the way in which God had provided partners for us in every ministry that we have undertaken.  When we entered Honduras, it was in partnership with the Bay Island Baptist Association of Roatán.  They have helped us and we have also been a great help to them.  When God opened up an opportunity to do ministry in India, it was in partnership with Dr. George Cherian and his vision for Missions India.  We have helped them, even though they have become much bigger than BBI with over 500 church planting missionaries, schools, orphanages, homes for the elderly, etc.  We developed the STAR team short term evangelistic ministry.  The very concept requires that we partner with local national churches to help them accomplish the work of evangelism in their community.  We help them do what they may not have undertaken all by themselves.  Finally, we were recently asked by another mission board, ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism) to come alongside and help them in a new missionary outreach in the predominately Muslim Northern Togo in West Africa.  ABWE will be sending a church planting team, accompanied by medical and educational personnel in one of their largest projects that they have done in their 80 year history.  They determined that radio evangelism could be a very strategic part of their outreach to Muslims.  However, they had never done radio.  That’s when they turned to BBI and said, “We don’t do radio.  That’s your thing. Would you be willing to work beside us and build a radio ministry in West Africa that will allow us to accomplish our goals to reach West Africa with the gospel?”  We have agreed to come alongside our “co-workers” at ABWE with one of our strengths, radio ministry, so that the overall goal of reaching West Africa with the gospel can be accomplished.  I call that good old New Testament SYNERGY.  In reality, everybody needs a partner, especially when it can make you stronger and help you accomplish more effectively what you have been called by God to do.

Evan Drake

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