Before men go to the mission field, they need character development, theological convictions, church examples, and ministry experience.
By Joshua Bowman
Faithful church pastors and members regularly ask God to send more laborers into His harvest (Matthew 9:37–38). So, when God answers our request and sends those laborers from within our congregation, what then? Most of us aren’t experts on cross-cultural church planting, language acquisition, or the logistics necessary to move a family across the globe.
Still, your church can do much more than direct missionary candidates to the nearest seminary or sending agency. Faithful members—even those who’ve never traveled internationally—have a vital part to play in equipping men and women for effective missionary service.
The church is the primary agent of God’s global mission to redeem lost sinners from every nation. Therefore, the church can’t merely outsource the assessment, preparation, and sending of missionaries, because the church’s role is legitimate and essential.
“The church is the primary agent of God’s global mission to redeem lost sinners from every nation.” — Joshua Bowman Share on XMissionaries have at least four categories of needs local churches can faithfully meet. Before men go to the mission field, they need personal character development, sound theological convictions, healthy church examples, and practical ministry experience.
1. Personal character development
Faithfulness in Christian ministry and missions requires a life characterized by victory over sin and personal holiness. It’s unwise and unbiblical for a local church to send one of its members to herald the gospel and guide churches in faraway places if they have not demonstrated a vibrant walk with Christ at home. The challenges of spiritual darkness and cross-cultural stresses will not lessen temptation and challenges, but instead, bring shallow faith and hidden sin to the light.
Therefore, local churches can disciple men in their churches for many years. Older men and elders can provide accountability where men are prone to wander and walk with them as they pursue holiness. Before reaching tribes on the mission field who’ve never heard of Jesus, men need to hear Scripture from the pulpit, in small groups, and through personal prayer with men of faith.
Character isn’t forged overnight nor automatically attained by passing through immigration in a foreign country. It’s forged in Word-based relationships over many years as faithful brothers do life together. Missionaries need farmers, businessmen, teachers, and accountants––ordinary people who walk with God and influence the character of those going to places they may never go—to shape their love and obedience.
“Before reaching tribes on the mission field who’ve never heard of Jesus, men need to hear Scripture from the pulpit, in small groups, and through personal prayer with men of faith.” — Joshua Bowman Share on X2. Sound theological convictions
The mission field is obviously not the place for men to begin forming core biblical and theological convictions. Seminary isn’t the primary place for this either. While formal theological training sharpens convictions, the local church is central and foundational in doctrinal development. Pastors and members of local churches should model a love for Christ and Scripture, which should lead to concern and precision in theology.
Men going as missionaries should know where they stand regarding ecclesiology and have settled convictions about elders, baptism, church membership, and the Lord’s Supper. Missionaries should also learn to divide and communicate the Word of God from the pulpit and other teaching ministries. Finally, systematic and biblical theology should be lived out and applied in real life with real people––this applied theology is the culmination of doctrine.
I pray local churches will not assume correct doctrine and practice automatically happen because a young person has a soft heart toward the lost. Raising disciples and planting churches according to Scripture results from theology put into practice. This theology is the product of faithful churches that produce faithful disciples they can send to distant lands to propagate the gospel.
3. Healthy church examples
Recently, I fumbled around unsuccessfully trying to attach a simple phone holder to my car’s dashboard—until I finally consulted the directions. Unfortunately, too many missionaries entering international church planting can think of more things to avoid than emulate. It’s hard to plant a healthy church when the most memorable examples are negative ones. Before missionaries go, participating in healthy local churches that model evangelism, prayer, discipleship, and preaching is a tremendous blessing. Like attaching the phone holder, it’s hard to reproduce what you’ve never seen done before.
“Unfortunately, too many missionaries entering international church planting can think of more things to avoid than emulate.” — Joshua Bowman Share on XWhile missionaries will do more than transplant the culture and context of their church of origin to a foreign place, there are fundamental biblical patterns that are translatable through healthy contextualization. Therefore, local churches and leaders can provide models for life, family, marriage, and parenting that missionaries can appreciate.
Furthermore, they can learn from the vision, teaching, theology, and practice of church leaders. Don’t undervalue the prayer warrior, the faithful workplace evangelist, and the childcare worker in your church, as they participate in modeling for and equipping future missionaries.
4. Practical ministry experience
The local church is the best place to begin ministry and hone personal skills. It’s where a missionary is known, and relationships enable friends and mentors to provide meaningful feedback that leads to growth. Confrontation can be done in love in a way that builds up instead of discourages. Growth happens in a church family, which should stimulate development because of the safe and nurturing environment of a community of believers.
Because of a lack of opportunity and practice, a missionary candidate might be on either end of the confidence spectrum––arrogant about perceived strengths or discouraged about untried skills. Church leaders get to observe, guide, and help develop missionary candidates into useful instruments who will be a blessing as they make disciples among the nations. Without the opportunity for practical ministry experiencing in their local church, they may be ineffective or unaware of ways they can be more faithful and fruitful in their cross-cultural ministry.
Pastor and church member, you have a fantastic opportunity right where you are to impact the nations by being a vital part of missionary preparation. This doesn’t fulfill all your local church’s obligations as you participate in the Great Commission, but it’s a joyous privilege to help a missionary before they go.
For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.
