Contributors
Jesus does not blame the sower for the lack of fruit, but instead shows that each person responds according to their inner disposition, context, and process. Imposing the gospel would ignore this human diversity, which the parable itself recognizes. If the goal were simply to ensure results, the sower
would act selectively or invasively, as when church leaders pressure pastors and evangelists for numbers. But Jesus’ model is opposed to religious imposition or institutional growth at any cost. Te fruitfulness of the gospel does not depend on pressure, but on receptivity.
Jesus did not preach a specific cultural way of dressing, speaking, or organizing social life; he preached universal principles such as love, justice, mercy, and reconciliation with God and with others.
Christ’s message is capable of being embodied in
every cultural context. Preaching without imposing implies listening, learning, and recognizing that God is already at work in each group of people before the arrival of the missionary! Authentic mission won’t erase identities. It will allow people to express their faith within their own worldview, language, and symbols. In this way, the church is enriched in its diversity and
the gospel is manifested more faithfully as a message panta ta ethnē—“to all ethnic groups.”
1 See “ἔθνος” in Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, eds. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida (1989). 2 Some of these characteristics can be seen in the history of Adventist missionaries in Latin America. See online version of this article for full footnote with bibliography. 3 See Merling Alomía, Breve Historia de la Educación Adventista en el Perú: 1898-1996 (1996).
REBECCA BARCELÓ is editor of Advent Innovate and serves as the associate pastor at Glendale City Church in California. In addition to a
communication degree, she completed an M.A. in Teological Studies at Andrews University.
NICOLE BROWN-DOMINGUEZ is the news editor for Adventist Today, the host and creator of the Adventist Learning Community podcast
Faith, Reconstructed, and a freelance writer. She lives in the Chicago suburbs, where she enjoys reading and finding new hobbies.
JOHN BRUNT, Ph.D., began his ministry as a youth pastor in 1965 but spent 31 years of his career in higher education at Walla Walla University.
He retired in 2015 aſter 13 years as senior pastor of the Azure Hills church in Grand Terrace, California, then in retirement he served for six years as pastor of the Adventist church in Edmonds, Washington. Currently he serves as vice- chair of the board of La Sierra University. He and his wife, Ione, celebrated 61 years of marriage before her passing in 2025.
JESSE CHURCHILL is a pastor in Southern California. He co-hosts a podcast called Seeking What Tey Sought and enjoys helping others
make spiritual sense out of life.
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