Who's in charge?
Are we done with Sending Churches abdicating their oversight
responsibility to the mission agency?
Missions Agencies were established to assist sending churches to send their missionary. However, many missionaries have faced a two-headed conundrum; accountability to their sending church and accountability to the Missions Agency. Confusion about who is in charge can have devastating consequences.
In response, many sending churches have simply delegated their great responsibility to a missions agency. Is the failure of some missionaries directly related to the lack of connection to their sending church after they leave for the field? The missionary has left the known (and comfortable) to enter the unknown (and uncertain). The most important people in his life are no longer surrounding him with their love and presence. Survival for many includes maintaining a close connection back home. It is not sufficient for a sending church to simply assume all is well, even with adequate reporting; see you in four years.
Is there a process for accountability to the Sending Church? Is there a plan for visits from Local Church leadership (Pastor and/or Missions Leader)? Visits should be purposeful; not just to come, but to bless and perceive. Do you need anything, ANYTHING?
What about discipline? This is both a positive and negative concept. Is he growing in his relationship with the Lord? Is he being faithful? What problems is he facing and how can we help? How can we pray for you?
I have been blessed with a sending church that has my back. I regularly share reports and communicate with leadership. They understand and share my burden. I am given opportunity to update the church family on what they are doing through my ministry.
I have promoted my mission agency for its facilitating role. I remember, after explaining what I believed God was calling me to do (an unusual but multiplying strategy), they said, “Whatever you and your sending church believe God has called you to do, how can we help?” This, I believe, is the proper attitude of mission agencies.
Put back on the sending church the responsibility for their missionary and impose upon them the necessity of maintaining their missionary who is doing their ministry on their mission field (with a significant investment of their money). Greater involvement will provide the proper care of the missionary to sustain him at all times and under all circumstances. Is he called? Does he have what he needs? What will he do? These questions will have their answers before he departs and then given every opportunity to fulfill his calling.
Only the strong should depart, knowing that their strength is found in God and the prayers and commitment of those they left behind. Get the sending church involved from start to finish of the missions experience (Select, Support, Send, and Sustain).
