During the last half of the twentieth century, with the trend toward globalization, there has been a dispersion of millions of English-speaking expatriates to the ends of the earth. In response to this people movement, hundreds of international churches were planted to reach out to internationals living and working abroad. Today it is estimated that there are as many as 1,000 international churches located mostly in the major cities of the world. Their primary mission has been to reach out to and to make disciples of English-speaking expatriates living in those cities. Many of these expatriates work with nationals from the middle and upper classes of the host country. Through their contact, thousands of English-speaking nationals have become involved in the worship and service of these churches. What is the missionary potential of international churches for reaching out to the indigenous people?

The dispersion of Christian expatriates abroad today, bears some similarity to the scattering of God’s Old Testament people among the nations of the world (Ezekiel 11:16). J. Christie Wilson suggested that this dispersion present a great opportunity for English-language churches to not only minister to expatriates, but also to reach out to the indigenous people. He suggested three main purposes for international churches: First, to provide fellowship, renewal, and growth for Christian workers serving abroad. Second, to bring a Gospel witness to the growing numbers of non-Christian expatriates. And third, to serve as a base for witness to the indigenous people. "In conjunction with the ministries of missionaries, these congregations can be stepping-stones to cross-cultural witness which must take place if the world is [to be] evangelized (emphasis added)." (1980, 120) This suggests a two-fold mission for international churches, to the expatriate community and also to the indigenous community.

The primary mission of international churches (IC’s) is to reach out to and to make disciples of the English-speaking expatriate community. Historically, some of the earliest missionary endeavors were directed to the English-speaking, expatriate community. During the colonial period, English-language churches were planted in North America and throughout the British Empire to minister to the spiritual needs of British settlers abroad and to evangelize indigenous peoples. A century later Henry Martyn went to India to minister to English-speaking civil servants of the British government. C.T. Studd served in South India from 1900 to 1906 in an English-language church as a minister to planters, soldiers and government officials. (Wilson 1980, 121)

After World War II, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) began planting international churches in Europe to minister to US military personnel. Now there are over one hundred English-language congregations on every continent that were established by the Foreign Mission Board of the SBC. Today most of these churches are self-supporting and are also able to help support missionary work to the indigenous people.

While some may question the validity of investing precious mission resources in international church ministry today, others believe that English-speaking expatriates should be targeted by mission agencies. In a study conducted in 1987 at Fuller Seminary entitled, "Unreached Peoples: Clarifying the Task," Americans living in Geneva were classified as an unreached people group. (Wagner 1993, 157)

Addressing the needs of expatriates living abroad in sensitive and stimulating ways will not only help them to grow spiritually, but it can also impart a vision for taking the Gospel to the peoples of the world on their next overseas assignment. For example, the faith of a Trinidadian family was rekindled through the ministry of the International Christian Fellowship of Caracas. As they grew in the Lord, the expatriate wife became burdened for other wives in her husband’s oil exploration company. She began a Bible study which ten women attended, and several professed faith in Christ. Also, the husband became involved in a ministry to street children in Caracas. When the family was transferred to Stavenger, Norway, in 2001, they left with a vision for outreach to both expatriates and nationals in their new location.

David Pederson believes that IC’s must move away from being "a haven for people out of their culture," and become vital congregations reaching out primarily to expatriates, but not limited to the expatriate community. "The IC is not the only means for mission . . . but a vital key in world evangelization." He cites the example of the three-phase strategy developed by Greater Europe Mission, of first planting international churches, then a daughter church for nationals, and finally a leadership development center for nationals. (1999, 30)

Linus Morris, founder and director of Christian Associates International (CAI), believes that the multiplication of English-language expatriate churches "can serve as a first step leading to the revitalization and growth of national churches in adjacent areas." In the 1980’s CAI began training and sending out "high-impact" leaders, to plant "high-impact" churches, with a goal of evangelizing the indigenous people. They have planted fifteen international churches, mostly in the cities of Western Europe, that are designed to reach nationals and to equip them to reach their countrymen with the Gospel. Although these are English-language churches, they intentionally seek to attract nationals through their worship and outreach. (Pederson 1999, 64)

The Union Church of San Jose is an example of an international church that is launching out to the indigenous people. They have been working to overcome a "rich gringo" impression by targeting Costa Ricans for outreach. This church has evolved from being a congregation of English speakers, mainly foreigners, into a bilingual church that ministers primarily to permanent residents. It functions as a bridge to the community by supporting activities and ministries for the indigenous people by partnering with nationals who reach out using literature evangelism and by rescuing prostitutes and feeding children. (Bowers 2003, 139)

A number of international churches share facilities with national churches and help support ministry to the indigenous people. An IC in Stockholm shares a building and finances with two other congregations, one Swedish and the other Korean. They work cooperatively to reach out to the community. This church has plans to plant another non-indigenous church that will be multi-cultural, using English and Swedish.

There are international churches in countries closed to missionaries that are having amazing opportunities to touch the indigenous people. J. Christie Wilson’s church in Afghanistan is an example. The Community Christian Church of Kabul was established in 1952 by teachers who were "tentmaker" missionaries. When Wilson was called to be the first pastor, services were held in a home in Kabul. With the growth of the expatriate community, homes were not large enough to hold worship services. Permission was sought and granted by the government for the construction of a church building in Kabul in 1970. God used the church to reach out to thousands of world travelers who flocked to Afghanistan in the sixties and seventies to get drugs and study eastern religions.

A funeral for a Canadian worker at a British military cemetery presented a unique opportunity to preach the Gospel before a largely Afghan congregation. Afterward, the church decided to start a work among the many blind people of Afghanistan. Christian teachers recruited by the church taught them Braille in the local language. A project was also started to bring eye doctors and nurses into the country to care for others with medically treatable eye problems. However, persecution began because of Afghan conversions. In 1973 the church building was destroyed, the work with the blind was ordered closed, and Christian teachers were given one week to leave the country. (1980, 121-124) However, since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, efforts have been made to re-establish an international church ministry in Kabul.

One of the concerns of international churches in reaching out to the indigenous people is the fear that the IC may lose its identity as an expatriate church. This happened recently with a former Southern Baptist church in Caracas. During the 1970’s missionaries of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptists had planted an expatriate church. The church struggled to become self-supporting, due to fluctuations in the expatriate population. After the missionary pastor left, an expatriate member became the lay pastor. As the number of Venezuelans attending increased, worship services were translated into Spanish. In time Spanish-speaking members outnumbered English-speaking members. When the lay pastor resigned, the congregation called a national as pastor. Today the ministry is entirely in Spanish and is largely indigenous. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, the church has lost its identity as an expatriate ministry. Perhaps if this church had had a vision for planting a national church it might have been able to maintain its identity as an expatriate ministry.

Although they exist in the midst of a foreign mission field, many international churches continue to serve the original target group with little consideration given to launching out to the indigenous people. In order to impact nationals, IC’s must be intentional in their outreach by discovering a new sense of purpose and developing a plan for reaching out to the indigenous people. A new breed of international churches planted since 1980 are breaking new ground with their vision for outreach to English-speaking nationals and internationals in order to impact the host country by the planting of national churches.

It appears that most North American mission boards have not considered the missionary potential of international churches. Only a few have been involved in planting IC’s. In some cases mission boards have advised their missionaries against having contact with English-speaking expatriates. (Bowers 2003, 192) It is understandable that mission boards would require their personnel to be involved in national churches and cross-cultural ministry while on foreign assignment. However, in isolating them from expatriates and expatriate ministry, an opportunity may have been missed to partner with IC’s in launching out to the indigenous people.

1. Those involved in international church ministry must realize that as English-language congregations, they exist in a mission field with the potential for reaching nationals for Christ. Many IC’s have the potential to reach out and to plant churches among middle and upper class nationals. Most are located in world-class cities, and some are located in countries closed to traditional missions. All IC’s must consider the strategic position they may be in to become launching pads for mission to the indigenous people.

2. It is time for North American mission boards to re-examine their view of and their relationship to international churches. The forces of Globalization appear to be opening new opportunities for establishing English language ministry as launching pads to indigenous peoples. IC’s and mission boards could enter into strategic partnerships to targeting nationals in major cities of the world.

3. There is a need for better organization among the many international churches. While several such networking organizations exist (see below), there is a lack of interaction among them. Some are simply a listing of churches on the Internet, while others function as a denomination with staff and leadership. Because of the transient nature of expatriate life, IC’s are often desperate for pastors to serve overseas. Such organization would help with placement and with the training of pastors for international church ministry.