There are times that one has to challenge the leadership…. It honors those that the people have already honored. Seeking the help and guidance of the elders supports the societal structure.But if one doesn’t have a good and clear label, eventually one will be given less desirable labels like… “foreigner,” “stranger,” “alien,” or perhaps even “troublemaker.” A great label is “Welcome Guest,” especially if the welcomers are the leaders of the community. When entering a community, any community, people will label those who dwell with them. Entering the community with the blessing of the elders gives one immediate status.Get the elders involved with the ministry- even before they have chosen to follow Christ.Seek help and guidance from the elders.Enter a community with the blessing of the elders/leaders.It seems to me that this expresses an ideal way to bring an unreached group to faith. Early on they began teaching others what they’d learned about God from the Scriptures.” They were naturals to become a new kind of elder, elders in the Balangao church. In the course of helping with the translation, they ended up with an unusually solid knowledge of the Word of God. I usually sought these older people to work with me on translation their status and their experience were invaluable. “Balangaos had always had village elders, older men informally chosen by group consensus to guide them. Joanne Shetler, a Wycliffe Bible Translator, in her book “ And the Word Came with Power,” says on page 108
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