The Archipelago Kingdom of God

/ Jamie McClanahan

Malaysia is one of the largest archipelago nations in the world. There are 879 islands in the country. The largest of these, Pulua Banggi, is 440 square Kilometers. The smallest is “Little Bakkungaan,” which is .085 square kilometers. Penang Island is the most densely populated island, with 794,313 people living on 114 square miles. The least populated is Kuruman Island, with 13,057 people living on just under one square mile. Among these islands, there are 137 living languages spoken.  

Overall, the nation is governed by 13 states and 3 federal territories. Each state has its own written constitution, legislative assembly, and executive council, which are responsible for the legislative assembly and are headed by a chief minister. The government has three branches (much like the U.S.)—executive, legislature, and judiciary. Additionally, a federal court system operates uniformly throughout the country.[1]  

You may be asking why I am writing about Malaysia. Why emphasize the island sizes and populations? Why consider the unifying governmental structures? The answer is that Malaysia, as an archipelago country, is a great picture of the Kingdom of God on earth. The body of Christ is made up of countless independent and yet interdependent local churches. These are connected by the blood of Jesus and the unifying power of the Holy Spirit. They are ruled by King Jesus and led by under-shepherds who facilitate a Great Commission. 

As church leaders, we must embrace a Kingdom vision that extends beyond our local church. We must consider the advantages of cooperation and coalition as we carry out the Great Commission together and advance the Gospel throughout the land. In this article, I would like to share four characteristics of God’s Archipelago Kingdom and four ways to apply them in your local church context. 

The first characteristic we must consider is that God’s archipelago Kingdom is ruled by a Sovereign Savior King. Jesus has been given the right to rule because of his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension (Matt. 28:19). He has authority over every local church that spreads across the globe. Jesus is indeed the unifying King of every island church and nation. It is essential for a Pastor to have this kind of Kingdom outlook. In his book, The Kingdom Minded Pastor, Joel Littlefield writes, “A kingdom vision begins with believing and knowing that Christ is the King. The Kingdom of Heaven has come to this earth in the person and work of Jesus. Having a kingdom vision means that we are confident in the authority and Kingship of Jesus in this world, over the universe, and over our ministries. It’s being confident in the success of our mission because of our confidence in our King, Jesus.”[2]

The second characteristic has to do with the unifying purpose of the Kingdom’s mission. The King has made it clear to all archipelago saints that they are to share the Gospel (Acts 1:8) and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19-20). The result is that the archipelago kingdom is diverse in nature, even though the mission of its citizens remains the same. In the BFM 2000, under section XIV—Cooperation, it reinforces this notion. It reads, “Christ’s people should, as occasion requires, organize such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches.” 

The third characteristic answers the question of who will lead these churches to carry out the Kingdom initiatives given by the Archipelago King. The Scriptures tell us they are to be led, fed, guided, and protected by a coalition of Under-Shepherds (I Peter 5:1-5). These are Holy Spirit-called men who are Scripturally qualified to preach the Word (I Tim. 3:1-7), shepherd the flock (I Peter 5:1-5), and defend against enemies (Acts 20:27-30). The most significant impact of these Pastors happens when they work together in a “coalition” to accomplish their God-given task. A coalition is very important to such archipelago shepherds. Pastors should consider working together with other Pastors to guide and protect their flocks. Joe Littleton writes, “A [Gospel-Centered] coalition is an alliance for joint action. There are pastors in your city or town that you can partner with. Intentional kingdom-minded relationships will, Lord willing, result in healthier pastors, healthier local churches, and kingdom multiplication.” 

Some Pastors tend to isolate and only focus on their island to the neglect of the greater Kingdom. The Biblical picture, as portrayed in the early church, did not operate in this way. In the IX Marks Journal, Jonathon Leeman answers the question, What is the relationship between your local church and every other church in the world? He asks, “Does your church cooperate with other local churches in evangelism and missions, in discipline, in counseling, in mercy ministry, in prayer?”[3]  He argues that the early church included other churches in there greetings (Rom. 16:16; I Cor. 16:9; II Cor. 13:13; Eph. 4:22), shared preachers and missionaries (II Cor. 8:18; 3 John 5-6a), supported one another financially  with joy and thanksgiving (Acts 15:25-26; II Cor. 9:12; II Cor. 8:1-2), imitated one another in how to live the Christian life (I Thess. 1:7; 2:14), and were exhorted to pray for other churches (Eph. 6:18). He concludes, “But wherever you come down on the question of authority between churches, it is important to recognize that our local congregations should in some measure be integrated with one another. And your church will best fulfill the Great Commission when its life is connected in relationship and awareness with other churches.” 

Finally, the last characteristic of God’s Archipelago Kingdom is that it is “glocal” and “diverse.”The Oxford Language Dictionary defines this glocal as, “reflecting or characterized by local and global considerations.”[4] This means the Kingdom of God includes but is not limited to Augusta County, VA, and the Shenandoah Valley. The church is not located in the same place or region but is everywhere. Additionally, the church consists of both large and small gatherings. In these gatherings, people will look different, dress in great variations, and speak any number of languages. God is building his Archipelago Kingdom so that someday, every tribe and tongue will gather and worship him (Rev. 7:9). 

How can you practically live out your role as a Kingdom-Oriented Archipelago Pastor? 

  1. Embrace a Kingdom-Vision of Coalition with other Brother-Pastors
  2. Regularly Attend a gathering of Pastors in 2025. (SBCV/Valley Shepherds). 
  3. Partner with another Church to do Gospel-Work in your Community. 
  4. Engage another brother-pastor for regular coffee and conversation. 

John Donne[5]

“No man is an island

Entire of itself

Every man is a piece of the continent

A part of the main.”

Pastoral Resources on Cooperation and Coalition

The Kingdom Minded Pastor: How Partnerships Advances the Kingdom by Joel Littlefield 

Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage by Gavin Ortlund 

Uncommon Unity: Wisdom for the Church in an Age of Division by Richard Lints 

Church and Churches: IX Marks Journal, May-June 2013 by Jonathon Leeman 

[1] https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/malaysia/51664.htm

[2] Joel Littlefield, The Kingdom–Minded Pastor: How Pastoral Partnership Advances the Kingdom (p. 26). Christian Focus Publications. Kindle Edition.

[3] Jonathon Leeman, “Church Cooperation”, IX Marks Journal, 2013.

[4] https://www.oed.com/dictionary/glocal_adj?tab=meaning_and_use

[5] https://allpoetry.com/No-man-is-an-island

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