Here is a quote from Gary Corwin, on “Mission Hype.” “The presence of too many examples to cite of exaggeration and truth shading by leaders of mission organizations has troubled me for years. The hubris evident in the predictions and pronouncements concerning the year 2000, for example, was breathtaking. We should know better and do …
Category: Missions as Vocation
One Cross-cultural Minister’s Reflections on Legacy
I have been thinking on the term "Legacy." This is a case of thinking about it without reading other people's thoughts on it--- at least not in a long time. Because of this, anything I say here is a work in progress that perhaps needs to be bounced off the minds of others who have …
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I Still Kinda Want to Hold onto the Term “Missionary.”
There is a scene I like in the movie "Harvey" (1950) where Elwood P. Dowd, played by Jimmy Stewart, is talking to Dr. Sanderson, a psychologist played by Charles Drake. Dr. Sanderson is trying to psychoanalyze (insight-based psychology) Elwood as to his apparent delusions of an invisible creature he calls "Harvey." Sanderson seeks to explore …
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Missions is Often a Dead-end Job… Thankfully
The title above doesn't always apply... but often does. Usually does, I think. A missionary, as noted by others, is a person who works himself out of a job. He (I am going to use "he" although missionary is one of the most egalitarian roles in Evangelical Christianity, so feel free to substitute "she" or …
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Are Good Missionaries “Spiritual”?
I have often liked to surprise people by saying that Missionaries (or Cross-cultural ministers if you prefer) are FLEXIBLE and WILLING, but not particularly SPIRITUAL. And I upon reflection, I think most people kind of get what I mean by that. However spirituality is visualized in a faith tradition, missionaries within that faith tradition tend …
Does Video Communication and the Internet Make International Missions Unnecessary?
Most real-world "Yes/No" questions have three good answers (in my view): Yes, but... No, but... I don't know, but here are some of my thoughts... For the question above, the correct answer is "No, but..." and that answers fills out into 'No, but it is a helpful tool." Here are a few points in this. …
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How Involved Should Missionaries Be with Local Churches?
A friend of mine shared on Facebook a post expressing concern that many foreign missionaries are not actively involved in local churches-- that is, local churches in the area where they serve. He expressed it in terms of missionaries actively planting local churches should feel driven to "plant themselves" in local churches. In general I …
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Is Ministerial Calling a Path, a Destination, or a Vocation?
In recent years, especially in Christian missions at least, there has been a transition of view regarding divine calling. Traditionally, many mission organizations and churches expected a missions candidate to describe a clear, unambiguous call to ministry. Gary Friesen (in his book, "Decision Making and the Will of God") spoke of the challenge of entering …
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The Introverted Socially Awkward Missionary, Part 2
One presumption for missionaries, I can attest to anecdotally at least, is that they love to get out there and interact with people. I recall when my wife and I were looking to be missionaries under a specific mission board--- they said that they were looking for candidates who were passionately and enthusiastically evangelistic. I …
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The Introverted Socially Awkward Missionary— Part 1
Originally, I was going to be writing about being an Introvert as a missionary. The problem was that I was using a sort of folk understanding of introvert. Generally, introversion has to do with how one feels good and charged up. Extroverts want to go out and interact with other people. Introverts like to get …
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