I recently had chats with the
three church planters that Faith Baptist church has sent out and I asked them to
share what general or specific challenges they have faced or continue to face
on the mission field. My goal was to do a write up and share with the church so
that we are aware of the challenges the men we have sent into the trenches face
in order for us to support and pray for them with knowledge and in a sense some
of them apply to ministry in general.
It is also important to note
that facing or acknowledging challenges in ministry does not necessary mean one
is complaining neither does it mean one is unspiritual. Paul and his team often
faced challenges in some cases the challenges were life threatening. And though
Paul served with a joyful heart and found blessed contentment he often shared
the challenges of the mission field with the hope of informed prayers been
offered for them. In their first
missionary journey John Mark a member of their team could not endure the
challenges faced that he called it quits (Acts 13).
High
demands and expectations for success
When an entire church holds a
service to ordain you and sends you off into the mission field they often do so
with clear outlines of what your responsibilities are and they have very high
expectations. Truth be told we expect fruit and in some cases we expect the
fruit yesterday! Now expectations are not necessary wrong, because you do not
want to be paying a man for lazing around and giving lame excuses. The problem
comes in when the expectations are unrealistic and/or unbiblical. Unrealistic
expectations often tempt the missionaries to start been “creative” with their
reports and conjuring up numbers that do not exist or manipulate salvation
testimonies out of people that still spiritually dead!
There is also a sense in which
the people you are ministering to on the mission field equally can equally have
false expectations of you and your work. They begin to treat you like the super
saint who never struggles with sin when in actual fact you struggle with sin
daily. As a result missionaries face the danger of keeping up face so that they
can keep the super saint image.
Cultural
differences
Moving to a new area comes
with its own cultural shocks regardless of the distance from your home. This is
true even if you are ministering to your own countrymen. Granted the degree of
shock varies the further away from home you are. For instance a person moving
from Riverside Kitwe to Wusakile, Mindolo or Kakolo in the same town is still in for a rude shock.
The worldview and dynamics are totally different that one has to do some
adjusting in order to be an effective minister to the people. Missionaries who
fail to adjust and understand the dynamics of their mission field will either
become an offense (rendering their ministry effective) or they will abandon the
work in frustration. Paul was wise to this and his philosophy was I am all
things to all men. To the Jew I became a Jew and the Gentile I became a
Gentile. Missionaries who insist on
forcing their culture on the mission field are not fit to be on the mission
field. The damage they do to the ministry takes a long time repair.
Uncertainty
of financial support
This is probably the biggest
challenge or struggle missionaries have to face because it touches on their
families livelihood. Generally missionaries have to make do with very little
and have to make a lot of sacrifices to remain in the church plants. This can
bring a lot of strain on the family and make serving extremely difficult.
Any work requires money and a
lack of resources to do actives and do projects can be very frustrating for the
missionary. The apostle Paul struggled with this challenge as well and shares
his experiences in the fourth chapter of Philippians. As a sending church it is important that we
are not only praying for these men and giving faithfully and generously to
ensure that their needs are met while they labor
Loneliness
and discouragement
Been on the mission field can
feel like out of site equals out of mind. I really admire our missionaries!
They willing decide to uproot their families and go to a new area and basically
start all over again. Away from friends and family. With the many challenges in
ministry both from within and from without it is easy to get discouraged and
despair. Especially in moments of personal attacks. The wives and children can
also get discouraged and sadly we often forget they have also gone and made
sacrifices.
Despite these and I am sure
many other challenges, we thankful that there are families who are still
willing and ready to go and labor for the gospel. We grateful that these men
and women do not throw in the towel when the going gets tough. I am positive the
Lord the righteous judge has many crowns waiting for them on that great day. As
for us who have remained. Pray, give and visit these families. Assure them that
out of site is not out of mind.
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