Partnerships Should
Mimic the Trinity
part six in a Faith Today series looking
ahead to the lausanne Congress on
World Evangelization this october in
Cape town, south Africa.
The first four principles in the chart below are structural or constitutive, and the last three are operational:
they become evident in practice.
Partnership has always been an important aspect of Christian ministry – and it has always been difficult and challenging. As we seek to work co-operatively today, we can be encouraged by reductions in some of the barriers of denominationalism and
interagency rivalry, and discouraged by new barriers
that emerge.
Churches and ministries will always be tempted to focus
on our own goals and our own people, with little to no
regard for other Christian groups, unless we increasingly
share God’s heart and allow
it to permeate and empower
our every thought, plan and
ministry action.
One of the best ways to
align our co-operative efforts
with God’s heart is to emulate
the Trinity. The Father, Son
and Holy Spirit together are a
perfect model and corrective
for ministerial partnership,
whether local or global.
Think of how the co-operation of the Trinity is evident
in salvation, for example (the Father sent the Son…), or
in redemption and sanctification (the Father and the Son
sent the Holy Spirit…), or even in creation.
How might these divine realities influence our human
practice of ministerial partnership? Well, first let’s define
ministerial partnership. It refers to serving God and others
by working with the Triune God and the Body of Christ to
accomplish the missio Dei under the power and direction
of the Holy Spirit.
6. Peace
7. Joy
PRINCIPLES
OF THE TRINITY
1. Relationship
2. Unity
3. Diversity
4. Interdependence
5. Love
relationship, unity, diversity and
Interdependence
The relational reality of the Triune God figures prominently in both the Old and New Testament scriptures.
God reveals Himself as essentially one but existentially
three in relationship. The theologian William Shedd helpfully listed out 12 ways that the Trinity relates together:
one person loves another, indwells another, suffers for
another, knows another, addresses another, is the way to
another, speaks of another, glorifies another, confers with
another, makes plans with another, sends another, and
rewards another (Dogmatic Theology, 2nd ed., Thomas
Nelson, 1980, p. 279). These 12 items are very informative and instructive for Christians to practically apply
them in ministerial partnership.
The Three Persons of the Trinity share in perfection and
glory. Thus there is unity
among them. In John 17
Jesus clearly states the
unity between the Father
and the Son in His prayer
while also focusing repeatedly on the “unity” of
believers (17: 20-23). This
same unity is expressed
in Ephesians 4: 3 as being
the unity of the Spirit. This
characteristic of unity is
not only central to who
God is, but it is vital for
witness and especially ministerial partnership.
Yet the Triune God exists in three distinct persons who
are different from one another. Their roles in all of the work
within the Trinity (e.g., creation, salvation, revelation, etc.)
led to the accomplishment of their common plan. In similar
fashion, ministerial partnership brings together those who
have different gifts, complementing one another. The distinct tasks and activities are to be undertaken by partners,
yet co-operatively accomplishing the shared goals with
God-honouring outcomes.
The interdependence of the three Persons of the Trinity
was especially evident as Jesus in His ministry was filled
by the Holy Spirit and led and empowered by the Holy
Spirit when fulfilling the will of the Father. More gen-
PrACTICE oF mINISTErIAl
PArTNErSHIP
Know, confer, plan with one another
Spiritual unity leading to unity of goal
Difference in gifting and distinct roles
Not self-sufficient
Self-sacrificial love within the Trinity
and beyond
Harmony; freedom from anxiety
and inner turmoil
Christians are to be joyful when
serving God and others
Seven Principles
Given this definition, let’s move on to some principles
for the practice of ministerial partnership, derived from
what the Bible teaches us about the Trinity.
