In January 2018 I had the privilege of teaching a class titled “Building the Heart of a Missionary” to 58 young adult students at the Dunkard Brethren Bible School. The introductory paragraphs on the course description stated:

“Many Christians have aspired to be a missionary in some capacity. Christ called his followers to go into all the world with the gospel. Unfortunately, one of the big hindrances to success on the mission field is the heart of the missionary himself. A missionary may indeed have a burden to go and he may feel the call of God upon his or her life. The question is, “Is his heart prepared?”

Prospective missionaries need to be encouraged to look deep into their own heart. Are there any hidden motives? Is the desire to go out about self-validation? Is he just fleeing troubles at home? Does he truly love people? Are there any attitudes of arrogance? Are there any desires to “control” others? Western Christians sometimes act like they “own” the gospel. The problem of a white man superiority attitude is very subtle, but very real and very damaging to the work.”

Because it was a class of young adults, we focused largely on short term mission trips. But the issues are much larger than those focused around short term mission trips.

There has been a growing awareness in the Christian community at-large that there are some serious issues demanding attention and some deeper thought needed regarding how we “do” mission work. Numerous books and pamphlets have been written to explore these issues.

In a series of blog posts, I would like to examine some of these issues. Missionary endeavors will have many different looks. It can be a local outreach. It may be a ministry in a city or another part of our own country. Or it may be a foreign ministry. The primary goal of a missionary is rooted in the Great Commission, that is, sharing the gospel with people all around the world.

But we all know that missionary work is more than telling the story of salvation. It involves discipleship of believers. And it brings us face-to-face with the heart-breaking brokenness of our world. Poverty, disease and all sorts of societal ills will be encountered that beg for a response.

Furthermore, we will be exposed to cultures with values and traditions radically different than our own. It is too easy for us to view our own culture as the superior one and attempt to change others in ways that robs people of their dignity and self-worth.

What does it take to be a good missionary? Those who have been long-term missionaries understand the difficulty, the deep discouragement, the loneliness and the failures. Mission boards learn that it takes much more than just a person or family willing to go. Many who are willing have not been adequately prepared.

I recognize that what I have to share will be lacking somewhat in insight and wisdom simply because I personally have not been a missionary. I have been privileged to get some glimpses of missionaries in their labors here and there. But for the most part, my thoughts have been shaped by observation, by discussions with those who are or have been missionaries and by reading the material available on the subject. There are some very good resources available to help us understand why and where missionary work has failed and how to develop a better approach to the task of ministering to other cultures particularly. Throughout this series I would encourage you to share your experiences and your observations.

DSJ