Why All Missionaries Are Environmentalists (or Should Be)

Steve Dresslhaus • Jun 24, 2014

Far from a political posture, caring for the earth was God's first command to man. Photo by Robert Johnson / TEAM


Steve Dresselhaus, a senior director at TEAM, shares about the vision behind TEAM’s creation care initiatives.


Whether or not he or she knows it, every missionary is an environmentalist. Perhaps not the tree-hugging, Gaia-worshiping, organic-brown-rice-eating style of environmentalist caricatured by the media, but a practicing one, nonetheless.


Obviously, some of us are more specialized and intentional in creation care than others, and we could all do a bit better at it. But each of us is somewhere to be found on the caring-for-the planet continuum.


Anyone who has fed a poor person, been involved in healthcare, helped in disaster relief, taught a child to use a trash can, fixed a leaky faucet, car pooled, enjoyed a sunset or a day at the beach, preached against predatory greed and accumulation, or turned off a light in an empty room is playing a part, tiny though it be, in obeying the first command given by God.


This command, which precedes all others and cannot be ignored if we say we are followers of Jesus, is the Genesis 1 mandate for us to reign over all life on the planet. We cannot love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength without loving what he loves, nor can we love our neighbor as ourselves without protecting where our neighbor lives, nor can we be holy as he is holy while ignoring what he told us to care for.


Caring for the planet is all about love, obedience and compassion. It has nothing to do with a political agenda, at least not for Jesus followers.


Somewhere in our history, we Westerners adopted an ancient Greek way of looking at the cosmos which separates the spiritual and physical into two worlds, one of which became more important than the other. The material, physical world was deemed less important than the spiritual world, a sad and unbiblical way of seeing things in light of God having created the cosmos and declaring the whole thing good.


The goodness of the world was challenged, and imbalance and chaos rushed in, when the first couple, in an act of accumulative greed, took the first thing they did not need and which they had specifically been told not to consume. This first sin, this pursuit of human divinity, was compounded by being an act of sinful accumulation. It gave birth to the entire environmental problem we face today. The selfish accumulation of resources, whether they are stored in over-stuffed garages, in rented self-storage units, or hoarded around our waist, remains the source of environmental degradation and the injustice that always accompanies it.


When Jesus died and reconciled to God everything he created, he also brought back together the material world and the spiritual world. In this reconciled world, it is no longer possible to view loving our neighbor as ourself as somehow not involving the physical world. It is no longer acceptable to think of telling someone to be clothed and fed without actually feeding and clothing that person. Feeding the poor is part of caring for the environment.


In Jackson, Wyoming, they dump hay during the harsh winters to help the elk population in the U.S. National Elk Refuge, a last resort for these animals whose natural migratory routes and food sources were cut off long ago by construction projects, tourism and urban development. Feeding elk is different from feeding the poor only in that the hungry person we care for is created in the image of God and thus enjoys a privileged status far beyond that of the elk. The root cause of hunger for both elk and man, however, is the same; it is sin and, in this case, the sin of misusing the environment.


The environment always has been and always will be God’s tool for providing for every creature he created. The God who cares for sparrows, who tells us not to mistreat animals, and who promises to meet our every need would never have created a system incapable of caring for the creatures he placed in it. It is impossible to love people without loving the creation God placed them in. It is impossible to love someone but do nothing to rescue them from dangerous living conditions. Love can never turn a blind eye to anything that harms anyone.


The cosmos was created in absolute perfection and will someday return to that perfection, because our God is the God who reconciles all things to himself through the blood of his Son. Until Jesus, the resurrected one, returns as the physical reigning king, we who follow him must obey him. Until Jesus returns, TEAM missionaries will continue making and gathering disciples of Jesus who possess a comprehensive world view that includes caring for the environment as a privileged opportunity to serve and to love.

By Suzanne Pearson 19 Mar, 2024
Previously on the TEAM blog, we sat down with Justin Burkholder (pictured above at left, with TEAM's Executive Director of Communications, Aaron Catlin). Justin will become TEAM’s next International Director on July 1, 2024. Justin shared about his background, family, and the journey that led him to TEAM. Check out that interview here . Today, we pick up the conversation as Justin shares how God called him to the role of International Director, and what he sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church. Q: How and when did you first consider applying for the position of International Director? How did the Lord reveal Himself to you as this opportunity presented itself? A: For some time, I have been evaluating how God wants me to use the gifts He has given me. Jenny and I have had a fruitful ministry in church planting in Guatemala and would happily continue doing so as God leads. However, as God blessed my efforts in TEAM leadership, there were friends and family who expressed that I should consider using my gifts in the International Director role. I don’t believe that everything necessarily rises and falls on leadership, but I do believe that it is a core component in the body of Christ. Using the gifts God has given me is a way that I want to bless the body of Christ in TEAM, making my contribution to the global purposes of God’s mission. Jenny and I spent a lot of time praying about this and decided that I should put my name in for consideration, trusting God’s guidance. We had a tremendous amount of peace throughout the entire process and were blessed by the prayer-filled process that the board undertook. Q: This is a key role in a large and complex organization, and I’m sure this was a big decision for you and your family. What were your fears or concerns? Why did you ultimately decide to accept the position? A: You say “were” like the fears have passed! I still am quite aware of my youth and inexperience - of the responsibility and weight of this role. Mostly, I’m afraid of leading an organization like TEAM in the flesh. Many of the fears that I have faced have been fears rooted in fleshly desires and concerns. I have no desire to succeed in the world’s eyes and fail in the Kingdom of Jesus. Why did I ultimately decide to accept the position? I’m convinced that the Good News about Jesus is true. The tomb is empty, Jesus is King, and the world needs to know, because Jesus is coming back. He will put things in order. He will establish righteousness, peace, and justice for all mankind, and He has commissioned His Church to proclaim and demonstrate His rule and reign. I want to use my gifts to do whatever I can to amplify the proclamation of this message and the multiplication of His Church around the world. Q: What are your goals and vision for the future of TEAM? A: This is something that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I’m certainly not ready to present a fully-shaped vision and goals for TEAM’s future without the input of other people in different contexts in TEAM. But, I will share a few things that I think are important: First, we need to model God-Dependence . I am hopeful that as leaders in TEAM, we can continue to model God-Dependence. As Hudson Taylor said years ago “…God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies.” I am hopeful that we can increase our sense of faith in God, prayer, and seeking direction from the Spirit. Secondly, we must strengthen our relational fabric . Due to the changes that we have experienced by decentralizing our home office functions, and the challenges from the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of relationships. It is imperative that we intentionally prioritize the building of relationships with one another. I plan to visit our workers and staff, and I am expectant that other key leaders and staff will be doing the same. Third, we must pursue the greater presence of the global Church. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ doesn’t look like any single geopolitical, ethnic, or racial culture. If we want to truly see the Kingdom of Jesus come on earth as it is in heaven, then we as citizens of this Kingdom must learn from one another, submit to one another, and grow with one another. The missional potential of the global Church has been unleashed by God’s Spirit since Acts 1, and we have an opportunity to learn from many brothers and sisters in Christ who can help us to better model and proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus to those who have yet to believe. Lastly, we must increase our Gospel boldness . There are still many places of great spiritual blindness and spiritual brokenness around the world. The apostolic impulse of cross-cultural organizations should call us to the to the edges of where the Kingdom of Jesus is not penetrating. Whether spiritual blindness and brokenness exists because of lack of access, idolatry, injustice, or any other myriad of reasons, I prayerfully hope to see more and more TEAM workers continue to move into spaces of great Gospel need.
By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
Share by: