The fact that there are so many parachurch ministries now does not speak well of our local churches and denominations. The church is simply not stepping up in ministering to the spiritual, physical, and educational needs of a hurting world. These ministries exist because they meet a need that established churches do not. If evangelists like Billy Graham did not reach out to large crowds of people and try to lead them to Christ, the job wouldn't get done. If Campus Crusade and Inter Varsity did not make a concerted effort to talk to students about Jesus, and about salvation, no one in the local churches in most places would step in to fill the gap.
The list goes on. Thousands of Internet ministries by individuals and organizations use innovative techniques to reach out to a lost world, while most church websites are self-congratulatory efforts to let everyone know how great their ministries are. Because churches don't band together to meet the needs of the poor and outcast through shelters and food pantries, parachurch ministries step in and collect donations from church members for that same purpose.
It is true that some of the tasks performed by parachurches do not lend themselves to the efforts of individual churches. Although some denominations possess the organizational muscle to minister to people around the world, most local churches do not/ There are economies of size, too; because the Gideons purchase scriptures in bulk from a single supplier, they can place them at a fraction of the cost a local church would incur trying to do the same thing.
Not having a denominational label has its own advantages. Although the beliefs expressed by an organization usually reflect the denominational links of its members, many people are more likely to respond to, say, to the Christian Children's Fund than to some agency of the United Methodist Church, or the Southern Baptist Convention. Unfairly or not, many assume that denominational agencies have a particular axe to grind.
Parachurch agencies:
Feed, clothe, and house millions of people around the world;
Bring hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of people to Christ every year;
Educate hundreds of thousands of young people in colleges and schools;
Publish millions of books, pamphlets, and tracts to instruct and inspire both believers and nonbelievers.
Provide avenues of fellowship for millions of Christians through social functions, online forums and chat rooms, and regular meetings.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it cannot be denied that parachurch organizations do a tremendous amount of good in the name of Christ. But -- is it all good?
Coming next: Problems with parachurch organizations