Director's Web Blog

A few years before I became Executive Director I had a discussion with fellow Village Missionaries about the appropriateness of the term “Village Missionary” to describe our role. After all, doesn’t the title “pastor” better describe our role than the title “missionary?” In the past, I’ve explained to people that we are “pastors” in the true sense.  Pastors are shepherds looking for the lost sheep in a rural community and caring for their flock. The term “missionary” brings to mind someone with a pith helmet traveling long distances to reach a remote tribe.

However, I think the term missionary increasingly describes our role accurately. In fact, we need to embrace the role of missionary and strive to understand its implications. I especially think so after reading the recent resignation letter of one of our missionaries.

In his letter, he described all that was wrong with his church and community. His children were the object of threats at the local school and they didn’t have any Christian friends or activities such as Awana or youth group. After one year, his wife still had no friends. After not being served for several years by Village Missions, the church had declined doctrinally. He listed a litany of problems including doctrinal problems, opposition from the chairman of the board and his wife, an uninvolved board, and women in leadership.

I feel for this Village Missionary and family and the unbelievably tough conditions they encountered on their first field. Perhaps it was a poor placement on our part or perhaps we shouldn’t serve this field at all. We have pulled missionaries off fields that were uncooperative and antagonistic to missionaries.  There are places where regrettably we must, in the words of Jesus, “shake off the dust from your feet.”

Yet, would a missionary expect to encounter anything better than the reception this Village Missionary received? Does a missionary expect a reception with open arms? Do we expect to find correct doctrine and mature, godly leadership? I just met a New Tribes missionary whose co-worker was executed by Communist guerillas. Although extremely difficult for him and his family, he persevered because he knew that this was part of being a missionary.  No sacrifice was too great to advance the cause of Christ.

Missionaries tailor their expectations and approaches to the culture they serve. A missionary in a Muslim country will be very circumspect about sharing Christ. In Africa, he or she will be aware of the possibility of civil unrest and mob violence. In Japan, a missionary will be aware of the need for patience and very slow relationship building. In the United States and Canada, we must be aware of doctrinal decline and often extreme carnality even within the church. 

A missionary knows that he or she is in for a fight. We know that Satan does not relinquish territory easily. We must be “as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves” in addressing the problems we encounter. We take joy in the ability of God to conquer in the most difficult of situations. We know that we bring the only message that will rescue people from sin and hell. We persevere without tangible results. We are missionaries!

Are the United States and Canada mission fields? The experience of this missionary and family certainly suggests that our two countries are.  A recent article in USA Today began, “Olympics fans heading to Vancouver might want to visit a vanishing cultural treasure while they’re in Canada — local churches.”  The percentage of Christians is in decline in our two countries in contrast to Africa, Asia, and South America where the number of Christians is growing exponentially. The above mentioned field will now have no Gospel witness and that church will hasten its tumble into doctrinal confusion. The death of rural churches advances like a deadly plague across our land.

Only missionaries will be able to minister effectively in our post-Christian countries. They will embrace Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:11  

They will follow in the long and noble line of missionaries who traveled far from family, endured a hostile reception, risked their lives and often gave their lives for the cause of Christ. As they persevere in the most difficult of situations, they will manifest the life of Jesus.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 5:21 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.