A look at member care for missionaries. Focus on church-based short-term missions, with additional focus on Asia-based churches and mission agencies.

1. Church-based Member Care
for Missionaries
Presented by
Celia Munson

2. Consider the Rope as a Symbol of
Member Care
1. The rope can either represent the connection
between the missionary and his/her support
network.
OR
2. The rope can represent the coming together of
such support.

3. Rope. Option #1
A little band of Baptist pastors including William
Carey had formed the Baptist Missionary Society
on October 2, 1792. Fuller, more than anyone
else, felt the burden of what it meant that
William Carey and John Thomas (and later
others) left everything for India in dependence,
under God, on this band of brothers. One of
them, John Ryland, recorded the story where the
famous “rope holder” image came from. He
wrote that Carey said,

4. Rope. Option #1
“Our undertaking to India really appeared to me, on
its commencement, to be somewhat like a few
men, who were deliberating about the importance
of penetrating into a deep mine, which had never
before been explored, we had no one to guide us;
and while we were thus deliberating, Carey, as it
were, said “Well, I will go down, if you will hold
the rope.” But before he went down . . . he, as it
seemed to me, took an oath from each of us, at
the mouth of the pit, to this effect—that “while
we lived, we should never let go of the rope.”

5. Rope Option #2
. Ecclesiastes 4:12
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend
themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken

6. Missionary (Goer) is simply one part
of a Missions “Web”

7.  Senders are churches and mission agencies
that are able to send out the Goers.
 Mobilizers develop teams and structures that
allow Goers to minister.
 Welcomers are local hosts who help the Goer.
 Goers are what we tend to call missionaries,
but all four groups are involved in missions

8. Member Care Occurs at Many Levels

9. Consider a “Full Service” Mission
Board Member Care System
1. Pay is based on years of service and marital
status.
2. Pay includes:
-Base pay
-Adjustment for nation of service
-Housing Rental allowance
-Pension, outfitting, and temporary
assignment stipend.

10. Consider a “Full Service” Mission
Board Member Care System
3. Insurance is provided for life, accidental
death/dismemberment, personal property,
disability, and medical.
4. Additional money for children going to college.
5. Free transportation for mission business.
6. Retirement benefits.
7. Training, counseling, accountability, etc.

11. Consider Jesus as a Model

12. Clearly the Role of Church in Sender
Care is Important. But how?
 Sadly, some churches ignore missionaries.
 The church could care for a missionary as if
caring for a little child. Coddling and protecting.
 The church could care for a missionary as a stern
disciplinarian. (“Missionaries are supposed to
suffer… get over it.”)
 Jesus avoided all extremes. He comforted and
challenged. These are aspects of love.

13. So How Can Churches Care for
Missionaries? Two Sources:
 “Doing Member Care Well: Perspectives and
Practices from Around the World.” Edited by
Kelly O’Donnell, 2002.
 "The Long-term Impact of Short-term Missions
on the Beliefs,Attitudes and Behaviours of
Young Adults.“ Dissertation by Randall Gary
Friesen, 2004.

14. Challenges to Asian Missionaries
1. Asian Churches and Agencies tend not to
emphasize member care. Afraid that…
-too much care will “spoil” missionaries.
-it might make missionaries less resilient.
-it is not consistent with a self-sacrificial
calling.

15. Challenges to Asian Missionaries
2. Asian Missionaries often afraid to ask for
needed care. Afraid they…
-will be branded “not self-sacrificial in their
ministry.”
Or Worse…
-will be branded “not fit to be on the mission
field.”

16. Challenges to Asian Missionaries
3. Genuine Problems of Financial Need.
-Many churches feel they cannot financially
support missionaries.
-Some churches are hesitant to support
missionaries working with parachurch
organizations.
-Many missionaries hesitant to ask for needed
support.

17. Challenges to Asian Missionaries
4. Family Issues
-Single missionaries struggle, because in
many cultures, people are not considered
adult until they are married.
-Have commitments to family, especially
parents.
-Need to educate children. Difficult set of
choices.
-Lack of opportunity for vacation or home
leave.

18. Challenges to Asian Missionaries
5. Lack of Training
-Many missionaries lack time or
money for personal/ professional/
ministerial development.
-Many sending churches do not see
the need.

19. Local Church and Member Care for
STMers (Pre-)
 Local Churches need to embrace their role of
discerning suitable candidates for STM.
 Have training and support team for STM
candidates.
 Consider having a “life coach” for STMers
with a discipleship contract between the
STMer and the life coach.

20. Local Church and Member Care for
STMers (Post-)
 Follow-up defusing or debriefing.
 Counseling on experiences from the
STM trip.
 Help with follow-up roles in church,
ministry, future missions.

21. Notes: Member Care for STMers
• The more involved the local church is perceived
by the STMer to be in the mission, the more
likely he/she will gain positively from the
mission experience.
• Local churches tend to assume that it is the job
of mission agencies to defuse and do follow-up
on STMers. Mission agencies tend to assume it
is the job of local churches.

22. “The Bomb in the Suitcase”

23. What is the bomb in the suitcase?
This symbol represents unresolved
problems in the life of a missionary
that, while may be under control at
home, can
EXPLODE!!
on the Mission field.

24. Why does it explode?
 Culture shock may add new stresses to the
missionary that disturbs normal coping
mechanisms.
 The network of societal and social inhibitors of
bad behavior are removed.
 Different cultural norms may tolerate or even
promote behavior that the missionary has
problems with.
 The missionary may have trouble working with
limited oversight.

25. What are some areas where this can
occur?
 Anger. New stresses may lead to problems
controlling emotions.
 Laziness or greed. Lack of local oversight may
lead to giving in to misuse of time and material
resources.
 Sexual. Lack of accountability partners or a
church family may lead to sexual misconduct.
 Power. Those who are prone to want to control
others can have problems when there is not an
enforced organizational system or set of policies
to give limits.
 Others: such as addictions or legalism

26. How to defuse the bomb?
Member care is vital in this…
 Pre-Screening and evaluation from others.
 Self-evaluation (formal and informal)
 Close relationship with God
 Accountability network and structure
 Periodic internal and external assessments
 Ethical boundaries (set personal standards of
conduct higher than the boundary of “sin/not
sin”.)

27. Areas to Think About
1. Financial. What is the local church’s role in the
financial well-being of its missionaries?
-direct support?
-logistical support?
-ambassador support?
-emergent support?

28. Areas to Think About
2. Emotional. What is the local church’s role in
the emotional well-being of its missionaries?
-communication?
-R&R?
-counseling?

29. Areas to Think About
3. Spiritual. What is the local church’s role in the
spiritual well-being of its missionaries?
-discipleship?
-accountability?
-pastoral care?

30. Areas to Think About
4. Professional/Ministerial. What is the local
church’s role in the ministerial well-being of
its missionaries?
-assessment/commissioning?
-training?
-defusing/debriefing
-furlough?

31. Areas to Think About
5. Other. What can the local church do to help with
problems that are unique to the missionary.
-Responsibilities to care for aged relatives?
-Professional changes (job or location)
-Health concerns, depression, etc.
-Education of children

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33. Church-based Member Care
for Missionaries
Presented by
Celia Munson
Virginia Baptist Mission Board
Bukal Life Care & Counseling
Center