How to Be Sure You’ll Never Mobilize Your Pastor for Missions

By Shane Bennett

8797472651_c80175345a_bDear Missions Guy and Gal,

I know you mean well and I love your passion, I really do. But I’ve got to tell you I’m starting to scan the crowd and drift left when I see you coming from the right. I like you and all. It’s just that your advocacy for the world is becoming a little strident. Your zeal’s starting to make me daydream of making you a missionary to a galaxy far, far away.

I don’t want to be too harsh here. But it’s late on Sunday, my football team lost today and I’m not happy with my sermon this morning. So I might use my current mood to get a few things off my chest. You may want take a couple aspirin right now and put on pads and a helmet.

Here goes… Here’s how you can be sure I’m never going to be mobilized for missions:

1. Present all your requests as though they were crises. Emergencies happen. I get it. But sometimes I think maybe you just didn’t think ahead. Or when your emergency 8500 miles away is competing with eight other emergencies within a stone’s throw of the church door, it’s hard for me to prioritize yours. Heck, it’s kind of tough just to listen to it. For added anti-impact, corner me with your crisis just before the service on Sunday morning!

2. Use jargon that I should probably know, but don’t. This makes me feel dumb. Which makes me get defensive. Which leads to saying snarky stuff I later regret. Yeah, and refer to people I don’t know, but don’t explain who they are.

3. By all means, go to my wife if you’re disappointed in how I’m responding to your requests.

4. Give me books I don’t ask for, the context for which I lack, and the content I’m not interested in. Do this monthly. Then ask me if I’ve read them. Heads up: If you ask me twice, I’ll give the books back to you. That way you’ll have them to give to your new pastor.

5. Leave me out of the process. Send me a support letter that you haven’t even signed, telling me you’re off to do something the Lord’s led you to do with another organization, when we haven’t even had one conversation with each other! When you’re actually in the decision process, keep it between you and your college crew.

6. Don’t pray for me, just give me more work to do. And if you do pray, really give it to God on my behalf. Ask him to change me or re-locate me.

7. Inundate me with information, but don’t ask me questions. Don’t ask how I’m holding up or what God’s saying to me lately. Let me pull back the curtain just a bit: I’ve got all the normal family issues anyone else has. And maybe a few more “pastor family” issues, I don’t know. Plus I’m juggling the good, the bad, and the ugly at church. This week that includes the death of a child – unexpected (aren’t they always?), two dear saints going into hospice, the unplanned pregnancy of an elder’s high school daughter, the need to terminate a staff member, a decision to repair or replace the roof, and preparing a sermon on trusting God. (I’m wondering if I can live it enough to preach it.) So I feel for the persecuted church in the horn of Africa, I really do. I cry for a million displaced Syrians. I just struggle to find the energy and focus to take action.

8. Don’t serve what we’re currently doing; just tell me how our church isn’t doing all it could. It’s hard for me to believe you’re willing to bleed on the foreign mission field when you won’t even get up 30 minutes early to help us set up chairs. And honestly, how familiar with our present ministry are you? God has opened amazing doors here in our community. I’m sure it’s not all he has in mind for us. At the same time, I don’t accept the feeling I get from you sometimes that ministry doesn’t count unless it’s a certain number of miles away from home.

9. Ask me if your missionary friend can speak to whole church. Then get that hurt look on your face when I question if he’s really qualified for that!

10. Ask me to go with you on a three-week-trip to the craziest parts of the world. (Me paying, of course!) Then that hurt look on your face again when I hesitate!

11. When you email me about the cool thing you’d like us to invest in, be sure to bad-mouth eight other similar things. This will feed my insecurity and make me wonder how you speak about me to your missions friends.

12. Tell me missions is what’s really on the heart of God. You and I both know I haven’t preached a missions series in two or three years. The implied distance between God’s heart and mine will be clear.

One last thing: Some of us see the giving records, you know. Are you really asking me to allocate church funds to missions when, as far as I can tell, you’re doing nothing to fund the church?

OK, this is more direct honesty than you usually get from me, but I thought you should know. And you should know this as well: None of these issues is forever. Any of them, in fact all of them, can start being different tomorrow morning. I hope they will.

Sincerely, hopefully,

Your pastor

P.S. If you really want to get me connected to the Muslim world, do this: Fly my wife and me to Turkey for a week’s vacation. Include a day and a half kicking around with your missionary friend there. Just a day and a half.

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Photo: Creative Commons image from State Library of Victoria.

ShaneAbout Shane Bennett

Shane has been loving Muslims and connecting people who love Jesus with Muslims for more than 20 years. He speaks like he writes – in a practical, humorous, and easy-to-relate-to way – about God’s passion to bring all peoples into his kingdom. Contact Shane to speak to your people.

17 thoughts on “How to Be Sure You’ll Never Mobilize Your Pastor for Missions”

  1. Thought provoking, Shane. I grudgingly have to admit that sometimes my rally cry of “We have to do something” is really “YOU have to do something” in my head.

    And I appreciate my pastor even more after reading this.
    Terri

  2. Love, love, love this! But probably hurting from the toe-stepping I got as well. And truthfully, Shane, God used that to pretty well speak to me about sharing other issues with pastors–not just missions. So love how you communicate!! And wish you didn’t live so far so you could come back and speak to our Perspectives group again next year! 🙂

  3. Terri: Thanks for reading and weighing in. I can relate to the “YOU have to do something” thoughts. I’m glad the article engendered appreciation for your pastor. That’s a sweet result. Thanks for letting me know.

  4. Helps us think outside the box about the cares and concerns and worries and fears of others, particularly our pastors. But I wonder, is this the emotional reality for most pastors?

  5. Sandy: Thanks for reading Missions Catalyst. So glad you found application beyond just missions. Thats great to hear.

    I would love to come back to Aiken sometime! Let’s ask God to open the door.

  6. Hey Justin: Thanks for the reading, commenting and the facebook share. I appreciate that. You said, “Helps us think outside the box about the cares and concerns and worries and fears of others, particularly our pastors.” This is really the main purpose behind the article, so that’s good.

    You also said, “But I wonder, is this the emotional reality for most pastors?” That’s a valid question. It’s possible, however slightly, that I succumbed to a bit (tiny bit) of hyperbole. It’s happened before. At the same time, some of these are direct from my brief tenure as a missions pastor and from direct observation of my senior pastor.

  7. Thanks for calling out the elephant in the room that many Pastors experience when they interact with missionaries. As you know, the pressures on missionaries to raise their funds can be intense, but when we come across as needy and even aggressive, not considering that Pastors are people too, we don’t do ourselves any favors and alienate people from our message and our work.

  8. Shane,
    As both a pastor and long-term missionary, I really appreciate this. What many well-intentioned people don’t realize is that this kind of stuff makes it far tougher for those on the field they are trying to help. I know this from experience.
    The point about serving in the body as part of the local community is a key factor. How can a pastor trust the judgment of someone whom they don’t see as partnering with them in existing ministry.
    I lost count of all the times people would say, “Pastor, I think….” It would also happen that way while on the field. Everybody thinks they’ve got a line on it all.
    Keep up the good work brother, it’s good to see some honest and helpful correction.

  9. Of course the approaches you mention are counter-productive. So, perhaps is complaining on-line about someone in your congregation – I actually hope this is a composite and not an individual. Have you had a serious sit-down with the missions-hearted people? If you haven’t spoken about missions at all from the pulpit for 2 or 3 years, maybe it is time for a little mention. If your church helps fund any missions efforts, maybe the enthusiastic people could fill a role in monitoring, communicating and praying for those missions. Let them tell the congregation when something exciting happens in the field, like the baptism of some former Muslims. While I don’t agree with insulting methods of encouraging a pastor to love missions efforts, please try to understand the hearts of those who have been to mission locations, worked in the adverse conditions, seen the joy of lost people finding Jesus, etc. Just as a believer finds joy in sharing about Jesus, a person who loves missions has joy in sharing what is happening around the world and becoming involved in many ways. Many of us who love missions do gladly pay our tithes, work to share Jesus in our local communities, and volunteer in our churches. We just feel a calling to also do more around the world. Too bad when some choose methods that would push a pastor the other direction.

  10. Carole: Thanks for reading Missions Catalyst and taking the time to write in. I’m afraid I’ve misled you with this column. I wrote it, not an actual pastor. We should have made that clearer with an editor’s note or something. I’m sorry.

    My main goal, however, was to let mobilizers see how our efforts and passion can sometimes go awry. Just a little self-check for those of us who love the nations and the church and long to see God use the latter to profoundly change the former.

    Thanks again for writing.

  11. SHANE! Guilty! I’m Guilty of most of the 14 points! I’ve felt like Jeremiah or Isaiah crying outl! So, I’ve learned that my passion has only created a wide gulf with my local pastor and church! But having dedicated myself to flawlessly being supportive and involved with my local church, I have seen God opening doors to other churches and pastors in the vicinity of our church who are receptive to this passion that the Lord has laid upon my life. When asked, I respond enthusiastically with the missions passion and I do it as I always keep my local pastor informed of my whereabouts and activities. These others are catching the missions zeal for the lost here at home “and to the ends of the earth!” Pray for me and those catching the vision!!

  12. This is a rather long reply to your article from a missionary’s perspective:

    How to Be Sure You’ll Never Mobilize Your Church for Missions
    By Jeremy Nash

    Dear Pastor of a Missions Guy and Gal,

    I know you mean well and you are passionate about how the church is moving forward but we are part of that church. When was the last time you paid a pastoral visit to your missionary on home leave to see how they are doing? You invited us round for a meal but the whole night you spoke about your ministry and how the church is doing so well. Normal rules of politeness should mean that you ask us about how our work is going but you didn’t even ask so at the end of the evening you still don’t know us and our ministry. I got a real surprise when the assistant minister came round we wondered what the reason for the visit was. Oh just to see how you are getting on. Thank you, that was lovely (my first pastoral visit in over 20 years going to church). Ministers seem to think just focus on the weak ones the strong ones can take care of themselves. Once you know about the trouble the ‘strong ones’ are having it is usually already too late.

    I don’t want to be too harsh here. But we are going back to Africa this week, it is really stressful, it is almost impossible to get our son to swallow his malaria prophylaxis and you don’t even ask how we are doing or if there is anything the church can do with transport and getting to the airport.

    Here goes… Here’s how you can be sure the church is never going to be mobilized for missions:

    1. We come home after 2 years on the mission field but you can only squeeze us in for a 5 minute interview in the morning service. Make sure the questions are as banal as possible: what’s the weather like? What’s your favourite food etc. Spend most of the time asking the questions and showing off your knowledge rather than let us speak. I don’t get it. I think maybe you just didn’t think ahead and reflect on questions that would help people understand why we have made so many sacrifices to be out there. Or to hear how God is so graciously at work touching people’s lives. Why are you so keen to talk about setting up a live link phone call when we go back and yet you have given us so little time before the church whilst we are here? Oh yes but of course it is so much more dramatic to speak to missionaries thousands of miles away rather than when they are right in front of you. For added anti-impact, mention this on the last Sunday as we are about to leave and under pressure from all that that entails.

    2. Avoid me because you have forgotten what we wrote in the last prayer letter and that makes you feel rather awkward. When we do meet just ask banal generic questions that don’t reveal your ignorance, but on the other hand you still leave ignorant after having talked with us for 10 minutes.

    3. Leave me out of Church life. Don’t invite me along to your weekly leadership meetings. Don’t include me in on the preaching rota. Don’t help organise a program so we can speak to some of the many different small groups in the church. Let it happen on an ad hoc basis.

    4. Don’t pray for me. Why should missionaries be prayed for more than any other members of the church?

    5. Don’t ask me questions. Don’t ask how I’m holding up or what God’s saying to me lately. Let me pull back the curtain just a bit: I’ve got all the normal family issues anyone else has. And maybe a few more “missionary family” issues, I don’t know. Plus I’m juggling with all the changes that relocating to a total different culture and way of life entails. Kids in new schools, shock at the price of everything and the flagrant waste of our society. The children have to put up with so much; being dragged around on deputation meetings to different Churches most Sundays and having to wait while parents talk to supporters. You don’t need to struggle to find the energy and focus to take action you need to release others to be able to do so.

    6. Don’t teach the church the truth about Mission, which is of course that the great commission wasn’t given to mission societies or to individuals but it was given to the whole church therefore we all have a part to play. Missions isn’t only for those who go, it requires the senders, a support team. Don’t you realise that the church planting I am doing in Africa is just as much a part of the ministry of this church as is the church plant in the housing estate across town. I don’t accept the feeling I get from you sometimes that ministry overseas doesn’t count as a ministry of the church just because it’s a certain number of miles away from home.
    And honestly, how familiar with our present ministry are you? God has opened amazing doors in Africa.

    7. You ask me to travel 100’s of miles to take part in an event and then you only give me 8 minutes as part of a 90 minute packed program. How can I talk about the ups and downs joys and struggles of two years in just 8 minutes!

    8. You come on a two-week-trip to visit (and we love to have you) but it was a 7hr drive to pick you up at the airport then the same to take you back and of course all the extra costs involved in receiving guests and yet you don’t even give us a parting gift. You see the incredible poverty and are moved by it at the time but nothing concrete or practical happens as a result.

    9. Don’t tell me the church has compassion fatigue. What exactly do you mean by that phrase anyway? The people I am trying to save have all kinds of fatigue and are dying for lack of things that we throw away or could so easily help them with considering our enormous resources.

    10. Missions is what’s really on the heart of God. You and I both know you haven’t preached a missions series in two or three years. The implied distance between God’s heart and mine will be clear.

    One last thing: Some of us see the giving records, you know. Why is it that the Church can find £33,000 in the budget to call a new pastor but can only give £200 a month to support the missionary it has sent out? Why is it that missionaries are expected to make sacrifices and it seems no one else is?

    OK, this is more direct honesty than you usually get from me, but I thought you should know. It is very difficult for a missionary to say such things and to criticise the hands of those who feed him. None of these issues is forever. Any of them, in fact all of them, can start being different tomorrow morning. I hope they will.

    Sincerely, hopefully,
    Your missionary

  13. I am a full time missionary and pastor speaking at a conference in a week, Today I emailed some authored writers on missions ( Neal Pirolo and Paul Bothwick ) on the question of how to speak to your pastor about missions. It is a question I get at EVERY conference. This article has some of the best info in one place. Just google “how to talk to your pastor about missions” and see how little there is. I have no criticism of the article …. I only which it would go a few steps further. Eventually the question that needs to be answered, is when to leave a church that is dead on missions. How long should one beat their head against the wall before seeking the wall won’t break. Lets Pray pray pray, there are just too many pastors not understanding the purpose of a NT church….. so sad. And christianity is only the 5th fasted growing religion while Muslims are #1. Something is very wrong, the question is how do we change it if church pastors hold the key…… An important question indeed.

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