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.

820. We send checks monthly

My church sends checks to missionaries every month. 
Isn’t that enough?

Isn't that Enough?

Let’s picture a serviceman who is sent on extended duty in a country like Afghanistan or Iraq. He is far from home in a hostile environment. Outside his comfort zone. Lonely. The mail arrives, and with it, a letter from his wife. He tears open the envelope and sees this note. “Your paycheck has been deposited in the bank.” No greetings. Nothing like, “How are you doing out there?” No family news or local gossip. Nothing, in fact, but a cold financial statement. Don’t you think he would be a little disappointed?

Transfer the picture to a missionary, who serves in a country overseas. He’s far from home, in a different culture, outside his comfort zone, lonely. At the end of the month, he receives a letter or email. It says, “These amounts were deposited in your account,” followed by a list of churches or individuals and the amounts they have donated.

Nothing else. Nothing like, “How are you doing out there? How can we help? We pray for you.” No local news. Just financial facts. Naturally, he needs the money. But don’t you think he would be a bit disappointed or discouraged? Don’t you think he would ask “Is that enough?”

What More Can We Do?

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

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

960. The Supply Line

THE SUPPLY LINE

By Allan Starling

The Front Line

The Supply Line.

Think of a soldier on the front line. He’s in direct contact with the enemy. But he is not alone. There is a whole supply line of logistics, food, ammunition, intelligence, and guidance stretching behind him far back to his home country. Without that, he couldn’t do his job. It’s the same with missions.

When you think of missionaries, you may picture someone pioneering on the front lines in a distant native village. And you would be partially correct. But that is not the whole picture. That missionary out there has a support team backing him or her up. We talked about the financial, prayer, and personal supporters in week sixteem. Now let’s look at others who are equally vital. They may do their jobs fulltime, part time, or as volunteers.

Let’s peek at a mission’s home office. You’ll find a diverse group of people performing a variety of tasks. There’s a receptionist, secretaries, bookkeepers, computer specialists, office manager, janitor, director, to name a few. Then there are those who go out from the office to speak in churches, publicize the mission, or represent it at conferences.

The list could go on, but you get the idea. At first glance, it looks as if these people could be working in a secular office. Most of them did, but they gave up their salary to serve the Lord by helping the mission to function and allow the missionary on the front line to get the job done. They are equally missionaries in their own right, and they also need our support.

But there’s always a shortage of workers. Jesus put it this way, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields” (Mat. 9: 37-38 NLT). Most mission offices rely on volunteer help to bridge the gap.

Some volunteers go into the office every day. Others may only be able to come once a week. Many have skills they have acquired in the business world. Others learn on the job. Christian schools often require their students to do some form of public service, and they can do it at a mission office.