WHY THE
LORD'S CHURCHES IN AMERICA AND ENGLAND SHOULD SEND NATIONAL
MISSIONARY?
Teddy C.
Badilles
P.O. Box 81111
8000 Davao City Philippines
INTRODUCTION
Please,
understand that this article does not mean you agree with all of
it. Some of you do agree with. I am just not experienced or wise
enough to have an opinion. I do feel that we need to carefully
study the merits and demerits of the issue, and that we should
all acquaint ourselves with the advantages this practice offers,
as well as the disadvantages.
Brother in
Christ American missionaries and Filipino national missionaries
across the Philippines have indicated that they feel this is a
resource we may be greatly neglecting. Let us be humbly
investigative. We knew for too little to be proud. I simply
offer this for your consideration.
I.
ADVANTAGES FOR USING NATIONAL MISSIONARY
-
The first thing that comes to
mind is the absence of the language barrier and lack of
problems with the customs of the country.
-
The national missionary has an
intimate knowledge of the country and the people and will
avoid the frustrations and discouragements that can lead to
"culture shock" and can be the downfall of the missionary from
America.
-
There are no problems with the
laws or the climate. It is very similar to where the national
missionary was born.
-
Less support is needed than the
average American missionary, usually about one-half. This does
not mean that the American is a spendthrift, but that the
national missionary will work in different way and usually the
work will have more input from the people of the country when
they see one of their own leading the work.
-
There is less chance of leaving
the mission field for after all the national missionary is
already home.
-
If elderly parents need
attention, he is already there.
-
If children need more attention,
then they are not so far away.
-
Their children will marry there
and remain close to the national missionary.
-
If that mission field should
close to the foreigners, then the work would go on without
suffering loss of leadership in the churches, seminaries,
colleges and the new church planting mission work.
II. SOME
DISADVANTAGES OF USING NATIONAL MISSIONARY
-
Raising support sometimes goes
very slowly because of a problem with the English language or
simply because some do not trust a 'foreigner' with their
money.
-
Some seems to believe that the
national missionary is 'ignorant' because he does not speak
good English and not pronounced it correctly as the American
do. Never forget that he will minister in his own language in
which he is quite fluent.
-
I suppose that is as some cases
the color barrier would be a problem and could even cause
problem in the churches if someone wanted to make an issue of
it.
CONCLUSION
The national
missionary can be used as an effective missionary to his own
people if the Lord's churches in America will obey these basic
rules and always remember that the national missionary is not
mean to replace the American missionary, in most cases, but is
meant to compliment in the work of the Lord if he is already
working in the Philippines, a far flung mission field of the
world from America.
Just having the
national missionary in the Lord's churches for a period of time
is like a breath of fresh air as they display their simple faith
and enthusiasm for the work of the Lord in the country of their
birth. Usually the gospel message is quite new to them and to
their country and they often put the American missionary to
shame with their dedication and devotion.
I believe that
the churches in America should consider the individual Filipino
missionary as the opportunity present itself instead of
prejudging the entire ministry. Support for the national
missionary who must be supported by the Lord's churches should
considered just as you would consider any other missionary who
comes your way with the burden from God to carry the gospel to
the uttermost part of the earth.
