This year's North American Convention was unique for several reasons, one of which is the celebration of 100 years of global missions for the Church of God. This was evident in the overall theme and in the large number of foreign leaders and missionaries in attendance. We do have a rich missions heritage, and one that should be celebrated.
Since then I have wanted to offer some personal reflections on the some of the key issues facing us today concerning missions. This will end up being a two-part post.
My particular interest in this topic arises out of a very late night discussion that I had with several missionaries at the NAC. One evening I was invited to a private gathering in the missionary residences where a number of missionaries and their friends were gathered. It was great time to connect with several missionaries whom I know and to hear their heart for the ministries in which they serve.
What caught my attention that evening and during some other private conversations was the frustration I was hearing. While our missionaries are deeply committed to their calling and specific work there was a common thread of disgruntlement with what they consider the missions bureaucracy in Anderson. One told me of serious questioning as to whether they would continue past their current term because of this.
Certainly all is not negative, but it was obvious to me that the concerns I heard in that living room were ongoing, unresolved frustrations that were weighing heavily on their hearts and impacting their morale. I cannot be sure that all of their grievances are legitimate, but when I hear them expressed consistently by a number of missionaries the validity of their comments is increasingly confirmed.
In short, the frustrations seem to revolve around their impression that our national leadership is out of touch with what is really happening on the mission field and not really responsive to the input and perspectives of the missionaries. This impacts such things as strategic decisions and funding.
As we enter a second century of global missions, what are some of the issues we must deal with? I will attempt to address some of them in my next post.
Since then I have wanted to offer some personal reflections on the some of the key issues facing us today concerning missions. This will end up being a two-part post.
My particular interest in this topic arises out of a very late night discussion that I had with several missionaries at the NAC. One evening I was invited to a private gathering in the missionary residences where a number of missionaries and their friends were gathered. It was great time to connect with several missionaries whom I know and to hear their heart for the ministries in which they serve.
What caught my attention that evening and during some other private conversations was the frustration I was hearing. While our missionaries are deeply committed to their calling and specific work there was a common thread of disgruntlement with what they consider the missions bureaucracy in Anderson. One told me of serious questioning as to whether they would continue past their current term because of this.
Certainly all is not negative, but it was obvious to me that the concerns I heard in that living room were ongoing, unresolved frustrations that were weighing heavily on their hearts and impacting their morale. I cannot be sure that all of their grievances are legitimate, but when I hear them expressed consistently by a number of missionaries the validity of their comments is increasingly confirmed.
In short, the frustrations seem to revolve around their impression that our national leadership is out of touch with what is really happening on the mission field and not really responsive to the input and perspectives of the missionaries. This impacts such things as strategic decisions and funding.
As we enter a second century of global missions, what are some of the issues we must deal with? I will attempt to address some of them in my next post.
3 comments:
What you described is not new. On more than one furlough we heard and discussed the dissatisfaction with what we perceived as out-of-touch leadership. Sometimes there were legitimate issues, frustra-tions, what seemed to us a lack of candor, interest, communication, and focus. At other times we felt isolated and just needed an opportunity to vent.
We likely need to do what we are doing in a lot of other areas --- revise how we do missions... remember what it is and is not... study more deeply the cultural divides and more. Is our present structure the best for reaching the world?
Many issues we and others had (and have) boiled down to one desperate need: more and better communica-tion. In this age of technology, this should be a #1 priority.
I had a long conversation with a former missionary whom I had heard of but not known. I learned of some of this frustration.As a retired pastor, I believe we will never resolve these issues as long as as strategies are estalished in Anderson, since we hold the purse strings. I believe in missionaries but believe nationals are best able to reach nationals. I no longer accept that THEY should be accountable to us because WE control the purse strings.
Not sure I made my point clearly: As Americans we think just because we control purse strings, we can have all the say. That day in missions is long past.
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