The TLDR is that my wife and I, as Evangelical/Baptist missionaries, often work with Catholic ministers (priests, nuns, chaplains) in the Philippines. So my answer to the question above is "Yes." Now, here is the longer answer. My wife and I don't get many questions about why we do certain things and not other things. …
Continue reading Can Evangelical Missionaries Work with Catholic Ministers?
Many years ago, my wife and I were involved in medical mission events in the Philippines. At these events, we would also evangelize. I would track the responses. Commonly, around half of the people who come would "say the Sinner's Prayer," which in Evangelical circles is often equated with converting from unsaved to saved. Should …
Continue reading In Missions, Awesome Stats Can Be a Big Problem
I was talking to a friend of mine. He was a missionary for many years and is still semi-active in that role. However, upon returning to the US, he looked into the possibility of serving as a Missions Pastor. That was something I had thought about at least on a couple of occasions. What he …
Tom Shaw was kind enough to put the Grady Toland concert held at Cedarville University (nee College) back in the 1980s onto YouTube. Grady was not a music professional. He was a missionary who was invited to do a bit of a music show at Cedarville. That may have been the first and last time …
Barry Phillips, a long-time friend of mine, interviewed me for his YouTube channel, "Not Finished Yet." Apparently, it will also be made available on his Podcast (of the same name) in a few days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVofodX7ay8
A friend of mine is a pastor of a church in Sierra Leone. He asked me to provide a video training on the topic of the importance of training for ministry. Video is not my strength, but I tried to provide something. https://player.vimeo.com/video/1125053019?h=00eada9d9c&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479
The above question has become more relevant to me of late as I have reached the traditional age for retirement in the Philippines, and my wife has reached the traditional age for retirement in the US. Some argue that there is "No retirement in the ministry." That may be motivational, but it is also not …
Continue reading Where Should One “Retire” After Serving as a Missionary in the Field?
A few years ago, one of my daughters was working as a caregiver for a Jewish family. This family treated her very well. But when they found out that her parents were "missionaries" their response was immediate and perhaps best described as "distaste." They gave a verbal response that I don't remember now, but it …
Continue reading If We Don’t Use the Term “Missionary,” What Should We Replace It With?
There is a well-known story of David Livingstone the missionary/explorer, that when he died, locals prepared his body and carried it a great distance, around 1500 kilometers, so that it could be shipped back to England. This was by the request of the British government. However, his heart did not go with the rest of …
Continue reading Should a Missionary Love their Ministry Home More than Their Homeland?
I have been reading a book on Southern Baptist missions history ("Make Disciples of All Nations," edited by Massey, Morris, and Grace. Review will be posted in a few days). In it, they quote from and summarize the characteristics sought for a missionary candidate drawn from the 1944 Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention. I …
Continue reading Character of a Missionary Candidate (In 1944)