An Aspiring, But Frustrated Missionary

Never did the Lord intended that his mission assignment to the church be placed in some kind of holding pattern. It must be carried out "diligently" (or speedily, as the Greek insists in Titus 3:13). Jesus certainly never meant that the commission be ignored. He has not rescinded his mandate and does not want it placed on a "back burner" by those charged with its execution!

But it would be easy for today's aspiring missionary candidate to get an opposite impression. For in his quest for financial backing to send and sustain him on the field, he faces some of the most disheartening reasons for ignoring his plea. And those reasons are coming from the church that should eagerly grasp the opportunity to encourage and support him in his zeal for the lost. Not only do churches seem deaf to his plea, but also more often than not he is not even afforded the opportunity to present his plea! "And they all with one consent began to make excuse." (Luke 14:18). We know how the Lord reacted to the excuses offered in the context just cited: "I say unto you, that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper." (vs.24). But what of our excuses with which we dismiss the missionary without any evident grimace of pain or expression of sorrow? The man is not unauthorized in his quest; his mission bears the force of heaven's laws. The one with the "nail-scarred hands" sent him to ask for your help. So please do not treat him as an unwelcomed intruder at the doors of the church treasury!

ENEMIES OF MISSION WORK

Paul spoke of some who were "enemies of the cross." (Phil3:18). In somewhat of the same way our attitudes toward missionaries and mission support requests can be inimical ta mission work. Maybe we are not conscious of the negative influence our hasty rejection has on the missionary. Granted, we would not deliberately discourage any worthy candidate fot mission funds. But the practical result may be the same. Either hasty rejection withoth even hearing the plea, or wearisome delays in deliberation and decision on his request foz help in getting to the field can wear down the mission fervor of even the most hearty among us. Maybe if we could hear some of the excuses others make it might help us avoid the role of unintentional adversary to the missionary. Some of the following excuses belong to the same category as: "I have bought a field", or "I have bought five oxen", or even "I have married a wife."

There is a well prepared and highly motivated team of hopeful missionaries planning to take the gospel to a city of three million lost souls. The following are some of the “reasons” churches have given them for rejecting their plea for a hearing.

1. "There is no room in our budget." Now that sounds legitimate enough to justify rejection. But if they who offer that excuse were themselves the lost, instead of the ones refusing a man wanting to teach them the Gospel, that would be the last excuse they would want anyone to offer. A lost world is a crisis situation facing the church. And crisis situations demand sacrificial response on our part. Budgets must give way before urgent needs. The church can ill afford to reject any qualified man who is willing to go to the field!
2. “We are considering two options. Either we put another man on our local staff, or we take the same money and send a missionary family abroad.” Generally the other man on the staff will minister to the already saved. But the missionary loses out in the competition with the wishes of local membership. But SO DO THE MILLIONS OF LOST SOULS WHO LOSE OUT ON THEIR CHANCE OF EVER HEARING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST!
3. "Your financial requests are above what we think you need. Can't you do without a car?" One could get the impression that such thinking would allow the missionary to live under a bridge in his target city, if that would save the supporting church a little money. In relation to this sample excuse, it was stated: "We have to be good stewards of our money." Of course that is true. But it is more important that we be good stewards of our missionary candidates! It would be better to "waste" a little money in over paying a missionary, than to try to under pay him and "waste" a missionary. Why send a man to the field, and then deprive him of the equipment needed to enhance his effectiveness?
4. "Our members are already giving all they can afford." With this statement elders do not let the missionary get past them to the ears of the members. The members are somehow "protected" from exposure to the over zealous missionary. But the Lord's people always rise to the urgent challenges they hear about. The call comes because of an earthquake, a hurricane, a famine or various local emergencies. And none of these distress calls are programmed in our budgets, but the members always respond anyway. But the elders - and sometimes the preachers assume a protective stance over the brethren's resources, and decide FOR them that they do not want to give to the missionary cause. Thus they are deprived of the opportunity of sharing their legacy in Christ. And in the final analysis the members also are robbed of the greater blessing of giving.

Such "reasons" could be multiplied, but those above should help us see the problems the prospective missionary faces. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect related in trying to raise support for the field comes from the almost endless delays in getting decisions. Sometimes the decision is needed concerning an opportunity to present the mission plea. Some times the man is granted a hearing. And then the answer he receives is an indecisive: "We'll see. We will contact  you." So he waits for some news, and he waits! He does not know if he is still somewhere "in the mill" of the slow-grinding policy making processes of the local leadership. Maybe he has been turned over to a mission committee, then from them back to the elders - and this doubles the decision time. Maybe his plea has been completely lost in the "shuffle" of many other requests laid before the church. Or maybe they have been forgotten or rejected by the church. But they were not informed one way or the other. So they wait. And they pray that someone, somewhere, sometime soon will give their request for a hearing the serious attention it deserves. Maybe tomorrow some church will call. Or maybe he should call them again tomorrow. Or maybe not, for it may appear that he is too insistent. The elders might get the impression that he is trying to put undue pressure on them. What should he do? Shall he quit hoping? It has been made clear to him before that elders do not like for someone whose name they vaguely remember to be "pushy" in their seeking an answer.

So what should the missionary do? Surely after months of seeking for support with little response, he could begin to have second thoughts as to whether he should keep trying. Maybe the Lord is trying to tell them something???? But surely the Lord wants them to go! Satan doesn't, but the Lord does for sure.

If you were in their place, what would you do? It is a settled matter for most missionaries. They will keep trying. The Lord's assignment cannot be ignored. The lost of the world are too much of a burden on their heart. Their Bible training and mission preparation cannot have been in vain? No, it is clear: the aspiring but frustrated missionary will keep on trying, asking and waiting. Wouldn't you?

Gerald Paden
Sunset School of Missions Lubbock, Texas