Modern Missions

Let me begin by saying that today's thought hasn't been fully formulated in my mind. However, it's something I've been tossing around for a couple days, so I want to get it out there... (Since, so few people touched my Assassins post, maybe this will have more interest.)

Modern Missions (at least, in America) generally works like this. A man surrenders his life to do whatever God would have him to do. He then will determine the "where." (I remember hearing a preacher down in Georgia say, "You do the 'what' until you know the 'where.'" It's a good charge.) Once he knows where to go, he'll usually start off by talking to his local church's missions director, whoever that may be. The next step is usually a survey trip. They go and see the field where they are interested in going, and begin to gather pertinent information. Then they return and begin the process called "Deputation."

This "Deputation" process is what I want to consider today. The purpose of deputation is to raise the financial support needed for the mission field, by presenting the work that God has laid on their lives to churches around the country. The missionary's desire is that those churches would decide to commit to helping the missionary, financially, on a regular basis. Once the missionary has enough committed churches to meet the financial needs that were calculated, then the missionary prepares to go to the field and begin the work. In the process, he also gains much needed prayer and, hopefully, encouragement from other believers.

Matthew 10:9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
Matthew 10:10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

Now, when Jesus sent out His disciples on the mission that He had for them, He did say to do the exact opposite. He wanted them to go, preach the gospel, and worthy recipients of the gospel there would provide the needs of His apostles. Of course, He also told them to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out devils! So, I can accept the argument that I am taking this passage out of context, and that it shouldn't apply to modern missionaries.

(Can I add real quick here, that I have a lot of missionary friends, even my parents(!) that have gone through this same process. There is nothing anti-biblical about it, and I do not think they are wrong in doing it that way.)

I wonder what would happen if a missionary today tried it like Jesus did with His missionaries for that specific project. I wonder what would happen if someone just got up and went somewhere else preaching the gospel, and trusted that God would provide his needs - that the converts would be obedient to the message of the workman being worthy of his meat. What a reliance the missionary would put on God, and not on the money coming in from back home.

Maybe I can develop this thought some more in the upcoming days, but am I way off base in this line of thought?

Just a thought...