810. Who Pays the Missionary?

WHO PAYS THE MISSIONARY?

Shouldn’t the organizations that hire missionaries also pay them?

Who Pays the Missionary

Shouldn’t the organizations that hire missionaries also pay them?

Ask yourself: where do missionary organizations get their funds? A commercial company sells a product or a service. They are paid and so can pay their employees. A mission organization sells the gospel. But it’s free, so they don’t get any revenue. Where can they get it?

Denominations take offerings in their churches and pool the funds to support their missionaries. 

Interdenominational missions, (sometimes called faith missions) have to rely on the Christian public. Of course they rely on God too, but He puts it on the hearts of the Christian public to send in funds. If you wish to support a missionary and get a tax-deductible receipt, you must send the contribution to the mission agency. They are responsible to the IRS to exercise control over those funds. 

Some office workers may receive a salary, but most missionaries get paid from designated funds. Either way, missions do pay those who work for them.

830. What more can we do?

My church already send money to the missionaries. 
What More Can I do?

What More Can I do to Help Missionaries?

There are several things we can do—three while the missionary is on the field and three when he comes home.

A. What the Missionary Needs While on the Mission Field

1. Financial Support. 

This is the most obvious one, because he has to eat and sleep and do all those daily things we do. In addition, he has to purchase equipment to help him accomplish his task. Perhaps a four-wheel-drive vehicle, a PA system, a computer. Then he has to travel a lot. Contrary to what we may think, it is often more expensive than here.

2. Spiritual Support. 

The Bible tells us we are in a spiritual warfare. Missionaries are on the front line of the spiritual war. They need our prayers and spiritual support.

3. Emotional Support. 

He’s in a different culture, away from familiar things we all take for granted. He has to do things contrary to what he has been taught all his life. It’s not easy. He needs our support. He needs to hear from us. He needs to hear questions like, “How can I pray for you? What is the most difficult thing you are facing?”

B. What the Missionary Needs When he Returns Home.

Perhaps our missionary has been away five or ten years. What does he need now?

1. Practical Support. 

Before he left home, our missionary may have sold everything. When he returns, he needs a place to stay, a car to drive, clothes to wear. His clothes may be unsuitable or out-of-date in our culture.

2. Cultural Support. 

When people move to another country, they often experience cultural shock. If they stay away long enough, they experience reverse cultural shock on their return. They expect things to be the same, but it’s not. They need help to adapt. They need supportive advice about what to do and what not to do.

3. Aural Support. 

This pertains to listening rather than speaking (oral.) Imagine our missionary who comes home with many exciting stories and information about his time on the mission field. He has poured his life into a group of people who need the gospel. The first person he meets greets him with, “What do you think of those Dodgers?” People don’t seem to care about what he has done, or all his experiences. He needs somebody to listen, and opportunities to tell. Perhaps at a church, Sunday school, small group, or informal gathering of friends.

Allan Starling

35 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR MISSIONARIES
By Michele Phoenix

Some of them are obvious to us: prayer, partnership, support. Yet I’m finding that the strongest desire of many “international workers” isn’t for those basics—as important as they are. What they do crave is... Read More 

MIND THE GAPS

Mind the Gaps is the name of an organization engaged in missionary care. The say:

"Missionary Care, It’s What We Do. We value dependable care through grace-oriented relationships. We want to fill in the gaps of needs not met by the sending church or mission agency. We want to promote congregational awareness and involvement.... Read More

1050. Where Do I Start?

IF I WANT TO BE A MISSIONARY,
WHERE DO I START?

Let’s imagine someone who is called to be a missionary. That’s only the first step. There are multitudes of options that give rise to many questions.

Should our missionary go out alone?  Unless a person has a very specific calling, going alone is not the wisest choice. The apostle Paul took a team with him on his missionary journeys. In the early days of modern missions, pioneers like Hudson Taylor and William Carey were forced to initially go alone, but they worked hard to form societies and find others who would join them.

What are the advantages of joining a mission organization?  Among others are a sense of belonging to something greater that yourself, credibility among Christians who are considering supporting you, and a share in the combined wisdom gained by years of experience.

What types of organizations are there?  They are varied, but we can generally classify them as follows:

1. Denominational missions. They have a broad base of financial support and can usually pay their missionaries a regular salary.  
2. Inter-denominational missions. Missionaries often rely on a number individuals and churches for their support.
3.  Faith missions. These missions don’t generally solicit funds but rely on God to lead individuals and churches to support their work.
4.  Specialist mission organizations. 

 Can I work among a specific people group or in a specific country? Operation World has information under each country about the missions that serve there.

How much do missionaries get paid? Most missionaries are near the bottom of the pay scale, but closest to the top in job satisfaction.

Do missionary organizations work together? Everyone has the same ultimate goal so there is little competition. Agencies are increasingly partnering toward specific objectives. More than 190 missions and churches representing 35,000 evangelical missionaries deployed in every country have formed an association called Missio Nexus.

What else should our prospective missionary check out?

• The Internet. This is a good place to start. Practically every mission has a web site. 
• Check out Preparing to Go website. They cover subjects like "Get Guidance" "Assess Readiness" and "Explore Options." Click Here 
• Doctrinal Statement. Most evangelical missions have very similar statements. However prospective missionaries need to make sure that there isn’t something that they would be uncomfortable working under.
• Missionary-Blogs.com includes active blogs from 500 missionaries worldwide. Their website says, “See what God is doing first-hand, as these missionaries share their hearts.” 
• God’s calling. Even if everything seems to click, every step in the process should be covered in prayer.