;)
Power Encounter?
Posted by Geoff Baggett in Church & Missions
I encountered a fascinating woman on my most recent trip to Peru. Her name is Milca. I met her as I was serving in the Pachitea province as part of our ongoing missions strategy to reach the Panao Quechua people. I spent an entire afternoon with her, interviewing her about the history of the evangelical churches among the Panao Quechua people. During her interview she recounted an almost unbelievable story. This is what she described for me:
In 1948 a group of four North American missionaries from the Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches entered the area. Milca’s parents received them as honored guests in their home. They were “persons of peace” for the missionaries and they were the first converts in the region. (For many generations the native religion has been a syncretistic mixture of Roman Catholicism and the ancient animistic religion of the Incas.) The local priest in Panao incited the people against the missionaries, and a mob went after them with the intention of killing them. The team escaped to a higher elevation location. Three of the missionaries made their way over the mountains and out of the area. The fourth remained in the area … alone. And he decided to meet the priest face to face.
He began to make his way down to Panao and a throng of people followed. Word quickly reached the priest, and the two met in a public courtyard. In full view of hundreds of people, the missionary said to the priest (in Spanish), “I understand that you want to harm me.” Then he offered the priest his cheek. The priest struck him violently. The missionary recovered and turned, offering the priest his other cheek. Again the priest struck him … with all the power he could muster.
The missionary then turned to the priest and said, “I offered you my other cheek, and you struck me twice. That must mean that you want to fight with me.” But what the priest (and onlookers) did not know was that this missionary from the United States was a karate master. He then proceeded to fight the priest. When he first struck the man, pandemonium broke out in the village. the people all fled in terror. No one had ever stood up to a priest before, much less struck one! They fled to their homes and nearby shops in fear, then peeked through their doors and windows to watch this pale-skinned missionary unleash on the priest.
After the “battle,” the missionary was heard to say, “Sir, I am a Christian, but I am no fool.”
From that moment on neither that missionary, nor his companions, ever had any difficulty in and around Panao. Indeed, an evangelical church was planted there within a year’s time. That church exists to this day … I worshiped there while on my recent trip.
So tell me, how would you evaluate this event? Was it a “power encounter” between an able missionary and the proponent of a false gospel, or an unwise missionary who stepped way “out of line?”
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;){kind=logo}
;)
An appropriate power encounter is my vote. As far as I know, CMA does not insist on pacifism. The man was defending himself and even allowed himself to be hit twice. It seems to me he was quite patient. In addition, I am assuming that God used this encounter to further the spread of the gospel in this region.
Trey Atkins
IMB – Croatia
Trey,
I quite agree. And, yes, God did use this encounter to further the Gospel in that area. The missionaries were able to move about without physical resistance, which removed many barriers.
I left out a detail, though. Milca told me that the missionary whipped the priest so badly that he could not lead mass for two weeks.
Interestingly, most of the evangelical leaders that I have worked with in the area have never heard that story. The primary reason, I think, is that none of the pastors are actually from there … they are from other regions and people groups from throughout Peru. One of our primary tasks is to train and raise up indigenous leaders to plant and lead churches.
Let me tell you about another power encounter. This took place in the Arkansas delta area near Memphis, Tn. A Deacon was causing much strife and division with his lousy attitude and desire to rule the Church. So, the Pastor, a muscular type of fella, caught the Deacon downtown and asked him to get into the car with him. Then, the Pastor drove out to a secluded field, out in the country, and he preceded to whip the daylights out of this Deacon. Then, the Pastor told that Deacon that everytime he caused anymore trouble in the Church, that he was gonna give him another beating. That Deacon never caused anymore trouble from what I hear.
David
Interesting story. It’s not clear if this was an actual Catholic priest or some kind of rebel working on his own.
If the former, then I hope someone spoke to his bishop. I’m pretty sure inciting the congregation to riot breaks all kinds of Vatican rules.
Just for the record, if anyone ever tried that with a Muslim priest, they would be burned in their sleep.
I appreciate the focus on power encounters, but at least where we are, they come more in the form of triumphing over evil spirits and being alive when people have cast death curses on us. Not so much physically taking on the establishment. Yeah, if we did that, we’d get killed.
And Patrick, the syncrotistic Catholicism that exists in much of South America doesn’t really care that much about the Vatican.
Geoff,
.
I think the missionary was excessive and should only have made the man unable to work for one week rather than two
I don’t think there is a hard, fast rule about such things. One time we are to turn the other cheek and go the second mile, the next we should defend ourselves or others. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. And think of how it will sound when it comes out in the newspaper.
But it is true that some people perceive kindness as weakness. There comes a time when a man needs to say, “This stops here and I’m not going to put up with this any longer.” Even then, physical violence is seldom necessary.
I do believe that some have a wrong view of preachers being soft and un-masculine. That’s one reason it can help a preacher or minister to hunt, fish, garden, mow his yard, spend time in the outdoors. Some people are amazed to see a preacher getting his hands dirty.
David R. Brumbelow
Shadrach,
True dat.
David,
Not this preacher.
…the syncrotistic Catholicism that exists in much of South America doesn’t really care that much about the Vatican.
If this it true, then it’s not really Catholicism – a key doctrine of which is unity with the Pope & Vatican. It must be something else entirely, dressed up in catholic clothes. Maybe we need a new word to describe it.
Patrick,
It is vastly different where we work, and I understand it to be so in much of Latin America. In our area, there are places where the RC priest is also the local “witch doctor” of the ancient Inca animistic religion.
I don’t dispute that these things happen, and may even be common some places. My point is that the actions of these people are not consistent with RC teaching. That’s all.
By way of analogy, if an IMB missionary somewhere in South America began making it a regular practice to baptize infants while continuing to call himself a Southern Baptist, we would protest. And rightly so, since he is acting in a manner radically unlike real Southern Baptists. So it is with these so-called Catholics who dabble in native religions or start fights and riots.
volfan007,
I wonder if a pastor was causing much strife and division with his lousy attitude and desire to rule the Chuch, would the deacons be justified in taking him out whipping the daylights out of him?
I also wonder if this deacon was 70 years old and the muscular pastor was in his 30s just out of seminary where he was taught the pastor rules the church. I wonder if he would have done this if the deacon was the local football coach and in good shape.
The fact that you have heard this story implies the pastor is probably proud of what he did. Since I am from Arkansas and know some pastors in that area, how about sharing his name so I can congratulate him and give him the recognition he deserves.
Ron W.,
Chill out.
I didnt say that I agreed with what this Pastor did, but it is an interesting story. And, that Deacon never caused anymore trouble.
David
I’m chilled. Just thought it would be interesting to look at it from the other side. If I was a betting person I would be bet if this story is true there is more to the story than this pastor is sharing and probably not information that would make him sound very heroic. It is much like the stories some of the conservative resurgence heroes share about fighting liberals. You often find out they were not fighting liberals and what they did was usually spreading slandor behind someones back because they didn’t have the courage to face them.
Ron W.,
That’s ridiculous.
David
Ron and David,
Gently, guys. Remember this blog is an experiment in settling our differences WITHOUT fighting.
And by the way, when Ron mentioned conservative resurgence heroes, all I could think of was action figures. Anyone got a Paige Patterson cowboy figure with karate chop action?
Sorry guys. I thought I was being gentle. Isn’t this a place to share information and thoughts?
David you say that is ridiculous. Here are just three of many examples.
1. Ollin Collins and the trustees at SWBTS told Russell Dilday his job evaluation was fine there were no problems and then while he was out of the office they changed the locks and announced he had been fired. They did not have the courage to do it in front of him in an open trustee meeting.
2. IMB trustees Ron Wilson and Bill Hancock called our missionaries neo-orthodox, liberals and heretics. When I challenged Ron Wilson several times to give his proof or name names, so I could check his facts he told me he would not answer. He did not have the courage to back up his statements.
3. The conservative resurgence leaders in my home state of Arkansas several times claimed there was a pro-homosexual, pro-abortion, liberal, satanic organization about to take over our state convention and only they could save us from this happening. I challenged them privately and publicly several times to give us names of those leading this takeover and so we could warn people but they could never do that because the organization never existed. The only organization trying to take over our state convention and use it for their own political purposes was their own. They did not have the courage to admit their deceit.
I can give many more examples.
I wonder if the pastor who beat up the deacon is willing to fight in public?
Ron,
I believe we’ve already danced this dance before. I didnt particularly care for the music then, and I really dont care to dance to it again. But, when you have professors in SBC seminaries saying that believing in the physical resurrection of Jesus is crass, then it’s time for a CR. When you have women profs teaching doctrine to men, and starting the class praying to “Our Mother,” then it’s time for a CR. When you have whole OT departments at SBC seminaries believing the JEDP theory, and believing in evolution…Darwinian evolution to some degrees, then it’s time for a CR. When you have SS literature stating that there are two Devils, then it’s time for a CR. When you have SBC “scholars” stating that God changed from the OT to the NT…the God of the OT was harsh and the God of the NT was love, then it’s time for a CR.
And, Ron, I admit that some people involved in the CR went overboard. I admit that some innocent bystanders got hurt during the CR. I regret that. I sincerely do. But, the CR was needed…badly needed. And, to state otherwise means that someone has their head buried in the sand, or else they agreed with the moderate/liberal side, and were angry that the conservatives gained back control of the SBC. I dont know which one you are. But, Ron, I was at Atlanta and Dallas in the mid-80′s. I had friends in the SBC seminaries. I know SBC profs that were in the seminaries during the 70′s and 80′s. I lived in the CR, and I thank God for it. I regret that some conservatives went too far, and that some innocents got hurt, but I rejoice in the CR…that God brought the SBC back to the Bible.
And, with that, the dance is over as far as I’m concerned.
David