“Who is responsible for what?” Few questions expose the gaps in our Great Commission effectiveness as this one. Though recent history and experience would indicate that this is the task of the denomination, the para-church organization, or the individual believer, the biblical data indicates that the local church deserves prime of place in God’s redemptive plan for humanity. To see this in the Scriptures, let’s consider the key question above but break into two and reverse the order. For what are we responsible? Who is responsible for it?
For What are We Responsible?
Scripture reveals that Christ commissioned His followers to make disciples of all nations through the preaching of the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20). This work was to start in Greek and Aramaic speaking Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria then extend out into every corner of the earth (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8). Of course, these corners of the earth extended through and beyond the geographical borders of the expansive Roman Empire. So, Jesus at least intended the gospel to do its dynamic work among all lands; but, both Paul’s declaration of intent in Romans and John’s apocalyptic vision clarify that the this gospel would produce disciples among all languages and lineages as well (Rom 1:5, 14; Rev 5:9; 7:9).
Furthermore, Paul’s missionary strategy reflected this, as he aimed to preach Christ where He had not yet been proclaimed (Romans 15:20). With thousands of unreached people groups remaining today, the church must prioritize reaching them. This work often requires sending missionaries to dangerous and challenging places, learning new languages, and committing to long-term labor in regions where the gospel has yet to take root. Sending missionaries to these people groups is not optional but a matter of obedience to the Great Commission.
So the gospel should spread and disciples should be made among all lands, lineages, and languages. But, how did the apostles understand and interpret the method for making these disciples? Jesus explicitly told them to preach the gospel and then to mark these disciples through baptism in the name of the Triune God and to mature them to obey in everything Jesus’ command, not the least of which was to partake regularly of the Lord’s Supper and to gather together for the teaching of sound doctrine. And where would these essential activities take place? These things would take place as believers in Christ regularly gathered for the preaching of the Word and the right practice of Christ’s ordinances (see Paul’s example in Acts 14:23). These churches became centers of worship, discipleship, and further evangelistic outreach. The establishment of local churches among unreached people groups is, therefore, a central goal of missions.
Who is Responsible for It?
The Great Commission was not merely given to the original apostles but to the entire church; thus, the church was accountable for sending, supporting, and overseeing the work.
Sending. The book of Acts provides a pattern for the fulfillment of this mission, as the early church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, began to send missionaries to regions and peoples where Christ was not yet known. A clear example of this is found in Acts 13:1-3, where the church in Antioch, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, set apart Paul and Barnabas for missionary work. After fasting, praying, and laying hands on them, the church sent them out. This pattern remains relevant today. Missionaries should not act as independent agents but as representatives of their local church. Thus, Paul reasons in his missionary support letter to the church at Rome that salvation depends upon people believing which depends upon people hearing the gospel which depends upon people being sent to preach (Rom 10:14–15).
Supporting. The local church’s responsibility extends beyond sending missionaries; it must also provide ongoing support and accountability. In Philippians 4:15-16, Paul commended the church in Philippi for their partnership in the gospel through financial support. This partnership model applies to the entire church as every member participates in missions through prayer, encouragement, and sacrificial giving.
Overseeing. Additionally, missionaries are accountable to the sending church. The church must ensure that those it sends remain faithful to the gospel and to the biblical model of church planting. In Acts 14:26-27, Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch to report on all that God had done through them. This mutual accountability helps maintain doctrinal integrity and ensures that the mission work aligns with biblical principles.
So, from the example of the early church and the argument of the apostle Paul, the Scriptures place the impetus for the Great Commission upon the local church. Churches, then—more clearly than agencies, denominations, or individuals—are responsible recognizing, equipping, and sending workers to proclaim the gospel and establish churches among every tribe, tongue, and nation. And it is churches who play the most pivotal role in the life of the missionary, offering spiritual and practical support. While various organizations may assist with logistics, the authority and responsibility for sending missionaries ultimately rests with the church.
Conclusion
The local church has a clear and compelling responsibility to send missionaries. The Great Commission calls the church to reach all nations, including unreached language groups that have yet to hear the gospel. This responsibility is carried out through the church’s direct involvement in sending and supporting missionaries, whose ultimate goal is to plant self-sustaining churches among these people groups. Though the task is great, the church has been equipped by the Holy Spirit and given Christ's promise that He will be with His people until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). As the church embraces its role, it participates in the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan for all peoples. And so we pray the timeless words of Isaac Watts early 18th century hymn,
“How Sweet and Awful is the Place":
Pity the nations, O our God
Constrain the earth to come
Send Thy victorious Word abroad
And bring the strangers home
We long to see Thy churches full
That all the chosen race
May with one voice and heart and soul
Sing Thy redeeming grace