Missionary for Life?
Let me begin by making a destinction. I believe that all Christians are missionaries. We are all called to go, and take up our cross, and follow Christ wherever that may be, and to share Jesus as our mission. But for this post, I am speaking specifically of the current day term “career missionary.” This can be defined as someone who is supported by individuals and churches to go and serve somewhere else: missions as a job.
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Historically, going into missions as a career missionary was for life because that was what modes of transportation allowed for, not because it was Biblically based. Financially, investing in a person moving abroad is only a good investment if it for a long time: why would you spend all that money and time to learn another language and culture and buy a house/car/furnishings, if it is only for 4 years of service? More than half that initial time was just the person adjusting: not doing ministry.
It also isn’t financially viable to send most missionary families. Not only does one parent have to do part or no time serving (or revisit boarding school, which I think we learned from the last generation or two was not the best idea), but the kids have their own issues, large issues, that are serious concerns. But do we only do things in missions because they are the best financial decision? I hope not.
We are really quick to forget that our missionary heritage includes colonialism. Many missionaries were the first to take a stand against colonialism, but it was deeply steeped, as well as capitalism, in how missions was formed and performed. Taking a look at the current demographic of missionaries, it is certainly true that they mostly “Pale, frail, and male.” (Taken from Overturning Tables, by Scott Bessenecker)
I think the “serving in missions for life” dream that I subconciously digested is seriously flawed. It fed into a lie that said, “If I stop (or quit) it means it wasn’t valid in the first place.” It was part of this whole “separate” lie that made missionaries to be some kind of superhuman, or cut above other Christians. It is also related to the idea that it is part of a missionaries job to suffer, so a happy, comfortable missionary must be doing something wrong.
This is a whole lot of mess to try to detangle.
Rethinking things for our time period, I think (this is not a hard, fast rule: just my opinion) career missions should be made up of people who are:
Single
Married with one partner who is local where you serve
Specialized in something that isn’t locally available, and then only serving there until you can train locals to take over
But what about the people who don’t fit into one of those catagories? What should you do? (Please remember this is all just my opinion, and I am still working through so many things about missions)
I think families should take vision trips (as families, once their kids are teens). Visit missionaries. Dip your toes in enough to know local workers that are really making a difference on the ground, and support them.
I think families should champion overseas work (and local work) they feel passionate about. To talk about it and make it a part of your life in supporting and living.
What do you think?