Doing it alone?

Do you ever get the impression that Adventists are evangelising the world completely on their own? That the burden of taking the gospel to the whole world is the task of Adventists all by themselves?

This issue struck me (again) yesterday as I was watching the latest Mission Spotlight. As I reflect on all the material we produce describing and praising the denomination's mission work, I find it hard to remember much talk at all about what other Christians are doing in spreading the gospel. Why is that?

Is it because we think we are the only ones who understand the true gospel?

Is it because we think that God is only using us to spread the gospel?

Is it because, deep down, we think that all other Christians are "Babylonians" and that we can't work with them?

Are we afraid that, if we worked with them — or at least saw ourselves as carrying out a similar task — we would have our uniqueness diluted and "the truth" contaminated?

I would love to see our Mission Spotlights referring to the work of other Christians in spreading the gospel. All groups are going to report on what they are doing themselves — that is entirely appropriate. But wouldn't it be good, just sometimes, to know that we are not out there alone? That other Christians are also spreading the gospel? That the burden is shared by others? And that, maybe together, we have a better chance of spreading the Good News of the kingdom throughout the world (see Matthew 24:14)?