America Marcet

            Is America Losing Its Edge as a Leader in Missions?.
             Whether it be a ball game, money in the stock market, a court case or an election, our competitive spirit, ingrained in each of us from childhood, pushes us to want not only to excel but to dominate. When it comes to the global sphere, we are even more intent. In the economic, intellectual, cultural and military realms, Americans have not only striven to dominate but have not rested content until finding ourselves as the last remaining superpower. We are a domineering-centered nation, believing that our ways are the best "not only for us but also for the rest of the world. .
             We evangelical Christians are conditioned by this competitive, ethno-centric environment in which we are immersed. It is no wonder, then, that the American church has taken upon itself a spirit of global dominance. In some instances, American churches' motivations for mission have been less than pure. Indeed, some have been characterized by cultural triumphalism and a sense of technological or intellectual Western superiority. .
             Much of this mindset is an outworking of our place in history since winning the last Great War. Over the past 50 years, just as American military might and commercial culture have come to dominate the globe, the American church has come to dominate the world of missions. Granted, European missions continue to exist and make their impact. However, by sheer strength of numbers, American missions has taken a superior place in the global missionary enterprise. We have sent more missionaries, spent more money, offered more prayers, developed more programs, utilized more technology, and opened more people groups to the gospel than any previous generation of believers in the history of the Church! .
             In the secular world, a feeling of smugness comes over those who find themselves at the top of the competition pile.