Probably the largest activity of missionaries is supporting
the “machinery” of missions, which we call support ministries. Administrators, teachers, guesthouse
operators, printing Bibles or tracts, radio and television ministries and even
translators of Scripture are what I would consider to be second tier
ministries. All of these support
ministries and helpful as they are a part of the body that serves overseas. Without support ministries many church
planting programs would not exist.
Teachers – When we lived in Kenya our daughters attended Rift Valley Academy, a boarding school for missionary kids. RVA is an old school, started around
the time of Teddy Roosevelt, which serves missionary families all over
Africa. In today’s world the
option of home schooling is available but providing for MK education is still
not easy for missionaries working in remote parts of the world. If it were not for the missionaries of
RVA to serve missionary kids our work would have been more difficult. There are schools for missionary kids
all over the globe and some of them are in remote areas. Teachers on the mission field are one
category of support ministries.
Translators – Translating the Scriptures into the “heart”
language of the people is an important mission undertaking. Though not as essential as it was one
hundred years ago, there are still many languages that do not have the Bible in
their own mother tongue. According
to Wycliffe, there 180 million people who do not have the Scriptures in their
language. That does not mean they
do not have access to God’s Word.
Though the Scriptures may not be translated into a tribal language, the
people may still have God’s Word in Spanish, French, English, Hindi, Swahili,
etc. Wycliffe, and other
translation missionaries, are also involved in literacy programs.
Administrators – Wherever there is a large missionary
presence on a field you will find administrators. I know many mission organizations that have team or field
leaders which oversee the work and activity of the missionary community in the
country.
The job description of support missionaries is too numerous
to mention. The challenge for the
missions team of the local sending church is recognize that there is a
difference in missionary activity and to write a guideline on what type of
support ministries they want to promote.
Though most missionary projects are valuable, not all are equal. It is up to the local church mission
team to decide who and how much the church body wants to be involved with.
What about feeding the poor? Next post I will discuss missionary “social work.”
