THE MESSENGER | SUMMER 2018
MISSIONARIES IN THE LOCAL CHURCH A PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE
A
t a recent missions meeting, a nationally known leader asked pastors to give missionaries ample time in their church services for their presentations. He explained that sometimes missionaries are given a paltry few minutes in a church service. I immediately thought of this from the pastoral side of things, but I was very sympathetic to the missionaries, as many pastors are. Yet there are several difficulties that mission-minded pastors face in this regard. It does not serve the missionary well if the church congregation resents him because they brought a guest to hear the pastor. It should not be so, but that is the way it often is…and the pastor hears about it. Another reason pastors face the dilemma is by having a plethora of missionaries. The congregation may get “missionary weary.” Now, I confess that I do not fully understand that because I love these foreign service laborers, but the actual truth is that the church family, even the most mission-minded church family, can get burnt out by too many missionaries. The fact is that most churches want their senior pastor to preach on Sunday morning. They expect it; they want it; and if that is not the case (at least most of the time), they resent it if it does not happen. So what is a way that is good for the church, gives the missionary the most
exposure to the congregation, and avoids the issues mentioned above? Here is a practical solution that accommodates all concerned. (I like win-win solutions!)
to the whole church family! Virtually all the age brackets are visited, giving the missionaries the broadest coverage available to them. It also keeps them busily connecting with the church family for the whole day. After a day of such broadbased interactions, the people know the missionaries, and the missionaries feel bonded with the people.
One can schedule the missionary for the teen Sunday school class. This gives him/ her contact with the young people and gives the missionary a great opportunity to focus on surrender to service for the most In my forty-five years of pastoral eligible age bracket in the church! I like experience with missionaries, a whole to also encourage a question-and-answer Lord’s Day is time that often results in minimally necessary a vibrant exchange for “After a day of such broadfor a church to teens on understanding based interactions, the people “connect” with the will of God. know the missionaries, and the a missionary and missionaries feel bonded with his family. If a Then schedule the missionary “blows in missionary to be in the people.” for a singular service children’s church in and blows out just as the morning worship quickly,” my churches (through the years) service. This gives the missionary contact did not even remember them six weeks with the little people of the church and later! The “connection factor,” therefore, allows seeds to be planted for missionary is integrally necessary for the effective understanding. Often the most prayer missionary visit. That is why I suggest as support to be raised by a missionary is in this class, where a child makes them a many connection points as possible during prayer project for years to come! the day. Then, by having the missionary couple or single meet with the missions committee in the hour before the evening service for intimate questioning and personal contact, they meet with the very people who make the recommendations to the church family about financial support. These are crucial contacts for the missionary with the people who “keep missions hot” for their local church family. Finally, scheduling the missionaries for the evening service, where they give a full presentation to the whole church family (including an audio-visual presentation and a challenging message from the Word of God), rounds out a full day. This allows the missionaries great coverage
This suggestion allows for adaptation to any church in various ways, but it gives some ideas for a pastor to adapt to his own people to make missions as effectual as possible for a very special and memorable Lord’s Day with some of the greatest servants on earth. ABOUT THE AUTHOR A native of Canton, Ohio, Dr. David Stertzbach pastors Bethel Baptist Church of Tucson, Arizona, and is also on the board of Baptist World Mission. He and his wife Diane have been married for 46 years and have three sons and seven grandchildren.