This video from the Great Commission Council seeks to clarify the difference between an indigenous church and an international church. For many contexts around the world, it shouldn’t be an either/or, but a both/and. Healthy international churches and indigenous churches can work together to see a city reached. The difference is that one ministers in the indigenous language and culture and the other ministers in a globally or regionally dominant language and culture (such as English).
It is of crucial importance that both kinds of assemblies aim to fulfill the New Testament’s vision for a local church. International churches need to watch out for how transience and a “lowest common denominator for the sake of unity” posture can keep them from becoming healthy churches that exhibit all twelve needed characteristics. Indigenous churches likewise need to watch out for how local culture will be a barrier to their growth into full maturity.
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Entrusted to the Dirt 
This is great and so needed. We’ve found (while trying to raise support especially) communicating about international churches to be sometimes difficult because so many American Christians do not have a category for it and even question whether they are needed. We are so grateful to be a part of ours as we try to fight against the “lowest common denominator for the sake of unity” (or as I like to call it, “big tent philosophy”) that plagues the international churches in this country. May the Lord bless you in your work and we pray in ours as we aspire to be part of another CP like ours in another city here one day.
Grace and Peace, Ryan P
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