What do you think when you hear a call for “sound doctrine”?
For many, this clarion summons rouses their spirit and stirs genuine affection for the things of God. But others may associate talk of doctrine and theology with dry, stuffy intellectualism—conjuring images of pastors too immersed in their study to meaningfully engage with the outside world. In this latter camp, many assume that a strong focus on doctrine conflicts with a passion for evangelism. Matters of doctrine are for those in ivory towers, while the real work of mission is for us everyday believers.
But we cannot engage in our Lord’s mission without understanding his message. To even consider questions like, “What is the gospel message?” is to engage in a doctrinal exercise. In short, without sound doctrine, there is no Christianity at all.
The word doctrine refers to a teaching; for instance, the doctrine of God is the sum of Scripture’s teachings concerning what and who God is. Theology, in turn, is the study of the things of God, and in particular, God himself. Anyone who professes faith in Christ must care deeply about doctrine and theology, if indeed they care to know the God they worship. To leave doctrine to the professionals overlooks the fact that, in some sense, every Christian is a theologian—if not by profession, at least in practice, because every Christian believes and speaks truth claims concerning God.
Doctrine in Practice
This reality is why we, at ABWE, take sound doctrine so seriously. If we could commission a million missionaries to plant tens of thousands of churches around the world, but those missionaries and churches lacked a biblical, theological foundation, we would have profoundly failed in our mission. We desire, pray, and labor not only that more laborers be sent into the global harvest but also that those laborers hold tightly to firm, biblical convictions and build their ministries upon an unshakable doctrinal foundation.
Robust Missionary Training
Our zealous commitment to theologically well-equipped missionaries animates our rigorous training program. We believe that to succeed in their call, all missionaries need a robust understanding of Scripture’s narrative, the whole counsel of biblical doctrine, and how to teach these truths both within and outside of the church.
Candidates for missionary service undergo a thorough doctrinal interview, with their sending church pastor present, during which they must give an account of their understanding of each locus of Christian doctrine. An additional online assessment helps gauge each potential field worker’s biblical understanding at a deeper level. Our mission leaders and training experts then work together to build customized training and educational requirements and recommendations for each prefield missionary, ensuring their readiness for global gospel work. This training may even include further formal education, such as enrollment in our Master of Arts in Cultural Apologetics and Missions program offered in partnership with Founders Seminary.
Theological Alignment
Along with this, as an association of like-minded churches sending missionaries together, ABWE maintains a high degree of doctrinal compatibility amongst our sending churches. Rather than supersede or supplant the authority of the local church over its sent workers, we come alongside those who have already been identified and called by their church to assist them in fulfilling their ministry. We take great care in knowing that our sending churches are gospel-centered and committed to historic, evangelical, and baptistic convictions.
These organizational commitments undergird our statement of faith, revised and strengthened by our team of theologians, pastors, and missionaries in 2024. While continuing to stand firmly on key Protestant and evangelical distinctives, the updated doctrinal statement also provides biblical answers to current matters of controversy—addressing human sexuality, the nature of God, and the definition of a church from an unapologetically biblical standpoint. Our aim in our doctrinal statement is to renew our emphasis on evangelism and the urgency of the Great Commission while promoting unity among missions-minded believers on matters of secondary or tertiary importance.
What Drives Our Passion
All followers of Christ—whether they be missionaries, senders, or supporters of gospel workers from afar—must recognize that our faith is built not upon a foundation of sentimentality or tribalism but upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets—of which Christ is the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). While apathy toward doctrine leads to a distorted Christ and false gospel, which cannot save, an unswerving commitment to sound teaching can ballast our missions efforts through the most tumultuous cultural seas. Our commitment to evangelism is always theologically precise, as without it, our efforts are futile.
The church’s responsibility to steward the gospel is paramount. We must deeply root ourselves in the Word of God, partnering with like-minded believers, churches, and organizations to bring Christ’s hope to the world.
