MissionaryZealandAbility:ItTakesBothJimElliff

Whilereadingamodernmissionary'sbook,I'mstruckagainwiththephenomenonthatsomanybecomemissionarieswithadangerouslylowlevelofinsightintoScripturecoupledwithextraordinaryromanticzeal.Ahandfulofversesguidethem,aboutwhichmosthavelittletrueunderstanding.Theirexperienceofchurchlifeislimitedandoftenbuiltonpoormodels,eventhoughtheirlaborsaretobeallaboutplantingchurches,makingleaders(evenifthey'veneverbeenleadersbefore),andsettingchurchesinbiblicalorder.And,sadly,theyhavelikelyneverbeeninstrumentalintheconversionofanyperson.Buttheywanttogo.TheywishtopayanypricetoserveChrist.Theyarereadyemotionally,evenifnotequipped.Personally,Ilovetheirzeal.Wemustbringthesetworealitiestogether—zealandability.Partoftheanswerison-the-groundtrainingbeforetheyleave.Educationalpossibilitiesexistinourseminaries,Bibleschoolsandmissionarytrainingcenters.Butcoupledwiththis,andperhapsevenmoresignificant,istheneedfortrainingintheirchurches.ChurchesMaketheDifferenceFirst,churchesshouldtakeseriouslytheconceptofmakinginternsoutofeveryyoungmanwhothinkshemightserveinanyspecialwayinthefuture.Beyondthis,makingpastoralassistantsandevenpastorsoutofsomeofthesemenbeforetheygoisamajorstepintherightdirection,whenpossible,evenwithnopay.Also,shorttermmissionexperienceissohelpful.Amanwhohaspastoralexperiencewilllikelyunderstandmissionaryresponsibilitymuchbetter,andwillcomeclosertobeingabletobeamissionarymuchsoonerthanapersonwithlittleornoexperience.ModifyingtheAssignmentThesecondpartoftheansweristomodifytheassignmentofrecruitsonthefield.

WeshouldfollowthemodeloftheApostlePaulbymakingmostnewrecruits"workers"ratherthanmissionaries,connectingthemwithproven,establishedmissionariestoextendtheirwork.Paulhad30-40suchworkersonvariouslevels,whosenamesareseenintheNewTestament.Somewerelocal;otherstraveledtemporarilywithhim;someweresentbychurchestoassisthim;andsomespenttheirlivesextendinghiswork.Paulwasn'tmerelyamissionary—hewasamissionenterprise!Someofthestrategichelperswerewomen,especiallyonthelocallevel.ItappearsthatEuodiaandSyntycheareexamples(Phil4:2-3).Inmyview,womenshouldnotbemissionariespersebutshouldcarryonavitalworkofhelpingmissionariesonthemissionaryteam.ThisisbecausemissionaryworkisauthoritativeovermenandPaulteachesusthatwomenarenot“toteachexerciseauthorityovermen”(1Tim2:9-15).Missionaryworkalsoincludesappointingeldersinnewchurches,andisallaboutteachingandtrainingmaleandfemaleleaders.Somemayhaveapowerfulministryassistinginevangelismandmentoringandcounselingwomen,aswellasnumerousotherservices,accordingtotheirgifts.Someofthemenwilldosuchthingsalso,whileothersmaybecomeestablishedmissionarieseventuallythemselves,delegatingresponsibilitiestoworkersoftheirown.Concerningthemissionforcethatiscurrentlyonthefield,weneedfewermissionaries,andmorewhoreassignasfaithfulworkersforthosemissionaries.Then,concerningwhatliesahead,weshouldprayformoremissionariesofthekindIhavejustdescribed—andmanymoreshortandlongtermworkers.Ihavenoauthoritytobringthisaboutonanysignificantscale,nordomanyofyou.However,whatI'vewrittenheremayprovideapathforwardtoconsiderwhenyoungmenandwomenwishtoserveChristoverseas.Thatmaybeyou,oritmaybethoseoverwhomyouhavesomeinfluence.Havingseenfirsthandmuchmissionworkovermanyyearsoftravel,Icanassureyouthatthismorebiblicalmodelwouldserveuswell.

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