You, Missionary to the Nations
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“Shall we stand by and allow these millions to
continue under the curse and snare of a false
religion, with no knowledge of the saving love
and power of Christ? Of course it will cost life.
It is not an expedition of ease nor a picnic
excursion to which we are called....It is going to
cost many a life, and not lives only, but prayers
and tears and blood.”
—Samuel Zwemer
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(See the Welcoming unit if your niche is cross-cultural ministry within your own culture. If your interest in cross-cultural ministry is only in short-term involvement, note the “Different Settings” discussion in Find Your Niche and then just go! —Since the following pertains to those considering at least a 4-year commitment to a missionary role.)
FIRST, THE DISCLAIMER
We Perspectives alumni are all grownups here, so we don’t need to coddle each other with platitudes and noble inspiration about going beyond your own culture as a missionary. There are too many topics, too much urban-legend lore (See the irreverent list of Missionary Myths.) to cover on this huge topic in this format.
Yet there are also too many disturbing facts about becoming a missionary from North America to take it all lightly:
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It’s usually 7-10 years from a point of commitment to missions until deployment.
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The threat of terrorism against American missionaries is very real in most regions of the spiritually destitute 10/40 Window. Many family members and friends ask, “But is it safe out there?” and the answer is “No.”
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70% of North American missionaries must raise their own support. It now takes an average of 2-3 years for missionaries to raise support to go.
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Supporting missionaries is such a rare discipline in our churches today that even among those exploring mission service, only about 5% personally support a missionary!
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Each year, one of every 20 North American missionaries quit. (For several years, the Korean annual attrition rate was one of every two missionaries quit.) So a typical mission agency loses almost half its people every decade.
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Nearly 3/4 of the reasons for quitting are preventable—which accentuates the importance of training-preparation and missionary care.
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In the past few years, perhaps 40,000 North Americans have made a commitment to go. Yet, says Perspectives developer Dr. Ralph Winter, “They will never make it to the field due to ignorance, indifference..., detachment, school debts, etc.”
Sobering facts. Why be so negative as we launch into our post-Perspectives look at the wonderful adventure of becoming a missionary? Because in most circles, it’s impolite to remind each other that such a career, like all radical discipleship, carries a cost:
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.”
Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. —Luke 14:28-32
Frankly, the last thing the Kingdom needs are missionaries who are naive about the cost—who will quit or in some way surrender to the enemy when the going gets tough.
So that’s our upfront disclaimer: This is going to be tough. But eternally worth it.
The next consideration, of course, is how do I get there from here?
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