Indigenous Missionaries/Pastors

[Willa]

One of the great advantages of indigenous churches is that when people of other nations are forced out of the country, an established church remains.  During WWII when the US and other missionaries were forced out of the Pacific islands, there remained no pastor to marry them, bury them or baptize.  So after the war the native or indigenous people begged to be sent missionaries who then had a back log of ceremonies to perform.  We learned from that to educate local people to be pastors.  Many indigenous churches are not a branch of another church but are self governing.  That way they can't be considered "the white man's religion or church" and they have a sense of ownership.   As said, they also are better missionaries to their own peoples.  The word comes from the Latin mittere meaning to send.  Missionaries might correspond to apostles who were ones sent.  

[Guest shiloh357]

7 minutes ago, Badjao33 said:

 According to the IMB, the average missionary they have in the field receives $4,958 per month to evangelize, build training facilities, and make disciples in foreign countries. In many of these countries in the 10/40 window and Latin America  where these missionaries are serving, the average native pastor or missionary earns less than $500 per month. Sometimes much less. 

I don't think missionaries should have to live in poverty while serving in developing countries, but they certainly don't need to receive ten times the salary of the average working person living in them. 

I know that many missionaries don't actually live on that amount.  They recycle the money back into the ministry and often do without a lot of luxuries and are willing to sacrifice for the sake ministry.    So this incessant whining about how much money they get doesn't really tell the whole story.

I know of one family, in particular,  that is retired from missions in Africa  a few years ago.  They and other fellow missionaries lived on shoe string budget while involved in full time missions work.  Their clothing was pretty much out of style, they didn't have money when they got to the states to buy new clothes for their children, while on furlough.  In the field, they used what they did not need to live on, to help purchase what was needed by the churches.   Their heart was for the ministry and their resources were simply placed back into ministry.  So, they were not living above what the average person was making.

 

[Debp]

18 minutes ago, Willa said:

One of the great advantages of indigenous churches is that when people of other nations are forced out of the country, an established church remains.  During WWII when the US and other missionaries were forced out of the Pacific islands, there remained no pastor to marry them, bury them or baptize.  So after the war the native or indigenous people begged to be sent missionaries who then had a back log of ceremonies to perform.  We learned from that to educate local people to be pastors.  Many indigenous churches are not a branch of another church but are self governing.  That way they can't be considered "the white man's religion or church" and they have a sense of ownership.   As said, they also are better missionaries to their own peoples.  The word comes from the Latin mittere meaning to send.  Missionaries might correspond to apostles who were ones sent.  

Thanks Willa, for expressing this so well.   Now that there are native ministries they need our financial support to do the work they can do better than us.   There are thousands of native ministries which are already checked out for doctrinal and financial soundness by Western missions such as Christian Aid and Gospel for Asia who simply channel the funds from us to the native ministries.   Alot of native missionaries are in the 10/40 window, operating underground... Christian Aid is in contact with many of them.

These native ministries understand about discipleship and looking after any converts so they will grow as Christians.    They also do other aspects of ministry.    

7 minutes ago, Badjao33 said:

 According to the IMB, the average missionary they have in the field receives $4,958 per month to evangelize, build training facilities, and make disciples in foreign countries. In many of these countries in the 10/40 window and Latin America  where these missionaries are serving, the average native pastor or missionary earns less than $500 per month. Sometimes much less. 

I don't think missionaries should have to live in poverty while serving in developing countries, but they certainly don't need to receive ten times the salary of the average working person living in them. 

Imagine how many indigenous missionaries could be funded if sending agencies like the IMB cut the support for their missionaries by 50%. Even if the support was cut by 75% their missionaries would be receiving more than double the average income in many of developing countries they are serving in. 

They would be doing exactly the same thing they are now, just with less money for themselves.  

 

Indigenous missionaries do 90% of pioneer mission work, but only receive 10% of mission funding. Meanwhile foreign missionaries do 10% of pioneer mission work, but receive 90% of mission funding. (Finley 2004, 178 & 244)

 

 

Thanks especially for your last sentence....a quote by Bob Finley who founded Christian Aid Mission.   Bob Finley was a missionary in Asia.  He and others were expelled from China, and later from North Korea when the Communists took over.  He saw native pastors/missionaries did ministry better, already knowing the language and culture...and much more cheaply!!!  So in 1953, he created a mission to help them do that.

I first heard of the mission from a native pastor from Nepal who was studying in Los Angeles, as Christian Aid doesn't spend money on advertising.  This pastor's brother has a large ministry in Nepal supported through Christian Aid Mission.

$50 a month can support a native pastor or missionary in villages, $100 a month for those in cities...somewhat more money for those in large or expensive cities.

Another thing Bob Finley espoused was reaching out to foreign students when they study in the USA.  He knew foreign students who became Christians here and went back to their own people to minister.

[just_abc]

8 hours ago, Willa said:

We learned from that to educate local people to be pastors.  Many indigenous churches are not a branch of another church but are self governing.  That way they can't be considered "the white man's religion or church" and they have a sense of ownership.  

I think this is a very important point.

For me personally it is an issue I feel strongly about.  Perhaps because of the history of churches etc. in my own country.  

 

[Willa]

Bible Faith Mission has instead a program to contribute a one time gift to a Dalit who had lost their job after being saved and baptized, by giving a means of support.  It might be a pair of goats, or a treadle sewing machine, and the gifts cost between 50 and $150.  So it was less than supporting a missionary, but it gave the people the means to support themselves and their church.  The gift of being self supporting is of much greater benefit.  But, as said, they still asked for donations to support the missionaries they sent out from their own church.  The also have a school for Dalits.

Bishop Moses Swamidas came to our church and spoke many years ago.  I am afraid to say that he was very hard to understand, much like some of the computer support people from India.  This is one accent that does not compute. lol.   But he has an amazing testimony.  He should not be alive many times over.  His internal organs were on the opposite side of his body which cause extensive problems.  He had many surgeries in Canada and Europe, but all provided in answer to prayer.  Other health problems God healed without surgery.  The last time he tried to come to the US he was denied access due to his health.  That was 30 years ago and he still lives.  He earned several degrees from Bible college and Oxford so that he could represent Christians before the national legislature of India.  He remained a very humble man who lives simply. 

[Debp]

19 minutes ago, Willa said:

Bible Faith Mission has instead a program to contribute a one time gift to a Dalit who had lost their job after being saved and baptized, by giving a means of support.  It might be a pair of goats, or a treadle sewing machine, and the gifts cost between 50 and $150.  So it was less than supporting a missionary, but it gave the people the means to support themselves and their church.  The gift of being self supporting is of much greater benefit.  But, as said, they still asked for donations to support the missionaries they sent out from their own church.  The also have a school for Dalits.

Bishop Moses Swamidas came to our church and spoke many years ago.  I am afraid to say that he was very hard to understand, much like some of the computer support people from India.  This is one accent that does not compute. lol.   But he has an amazing testimony.  He should not be alive many times over.  His internal organs were on the opposite side of his body which cause extensive problems.  He had many surgeries in Canada and Europe, but all provided in answer to prayer.  Other health problems God healed without surgery.  The last time he tried to come to the US he was denied access due to his health.  That was 30 years ago and he still lives.  He earned several degrees from Bible college and Oxford so that he could represent Christians before the national legislature of India.  He remained a very humble man who lives simply. 

Wonderful to hear about Bishop Moses Swamidas.

19 minutes ago, Willa said:

Bible Faith Mission has instead a program to contribute a one time gift to a Dalit who had lost their job after being saved and baptized, by giving a means of support.  It might be a pair of goats, or a treadle sewing machine, and the gifts cost between 50 and $150.  So it was less than supporting a missionary, but it gave the people the means to support themselves and their church.  The gift of being self supporting is of much greater benefit.  But, as said, they still asked for donations to support the missionaries they sent out from their own church.  The also have a school for Dalits.

Bishop Moses Swamidas came to our church and spoke many years ago.  I am afraid to say that he was very hard to understand, much like some of the computer support people from India.  This is one accent that does not compute. lol.   But he has an amazing testimony.  He should not be alive many times over.  His internal organs were on the opposite side of his body which cause extensive problems.  He had many surgeries in Canada and Europe, but all provided in answer to prayer.  Other health problems God healed without surgery.  The last time he tried to come to the US he was denied access due to his health.  That was 30 years ago and he still lives.  He earned several degrees from Bible college and Oxford so that he could represent Christians before the national legislature of India.  He remained a very humble man who lives simply. 

Other native missions are also helping poor Christians to become self-supporting.   They give them an animal to breed, sell milk from, or rent out (like for plowing).  Some native missions have small trade schools teaching embroidery, etc.  Also, in some cases missionaries establish a small business in Muslim areas so they can meet the people and reach out to them about Christ.  They are viewed more positively if they are part of the community.

Edited September 16, 2018 by Debp

[Debp]

7 hours ago, Davida said:

Someone was mentioning Gospel for Asia and their work., but they and the indigenous Pastor  who's been running that charity has had some controversy and been caught misusing donations. Anywhere, and whomever they are just people and there still have to be supervision, proper  training, overseers,  accountability and transparency. Normally in our church the missionaries work with the locals for training, discipling and seeding  a church. 

Here is a letter from the founder of Gospel for Asia disputing and explaining various reports on the internet.   Apparently Gospel for Asia is a target of fake news by those opposing Christianity.

https://www.gfa.org/integrity/

 

Also, Christian Aid Mission which funnels funds to native missions thoroughly checks out any native ministry they help.   The native ministries are checked for doctrinal soundness and for reliability in handling of funds.   Christian Aid has a director for each area of the world they help in order to maintain high standards in the native ministries.

Another good thing about Christian Aid Mission is that 100% of funds go to the native ministries.   Only funds designated for administration go to the USA headquarters.

[frienduff thaylorde]

2 hours ago, Davida said:

Well, why wouldn't he dispute it? The thing is some people think that as long something is run by indigenous Pastors it's all ewes an awes and that is gullible and not true. They still have to have honest overseers. There's been a lot of corruption in some of these charities. 

  The native ministries are checked for doctrinal soundness and for reliability in handling of funds.   

See what debp said here ,    oh their is truth in this , but what most don't want to know or simply don't know is

What really is going on behind the scenes .   And we need to investigate this for ourselves .

For most have no idea that largely these funds that go to a mission ,  they are being linked first into a huge entity which is over seer of these funds ,

and those who have not yet received the training instruction on this new evangelism way ,    THEY WONT GET FUNDED till they do take such classes .

THAT is right , many are drying up the funds to those who have kept the Old true way of evangelism and until they take said courses , see not a cent .

THE PROBLEM is , these said courses are flat out an abomination .   teaching proselytizing is not the main mission at all ,  its focusing on how to get ALONG

with other religions and feeding the poor and working together for one common mindset .     Folks do the research and research well .

[Debp]

22 hours ago, Davida said:

Well, why wouldn't he dispute it? The thing is some people think that as long something is run by indigenous Pastors it's all ewes an awes and that is gullible and not true. They still have to have honest overseers. There's been a lot of corruption in some of these charities. 

Did you take the time to read the entire letter by the Gospel for Asia founder?   If you did, you can see he explained the false reports are being circulated by people that are anti-Christian and seek to hinder their work, especially in India.

Below is the link to the letter so everyone can read it.   We must be careful not to slander other Christians.

Anyone that has questions about things they read on the internet are invited by the founder of Gospel for Asia to contact them directly.   Contact info is in the link to the letter.

 

On 9/17/2018 at 2:33 AM, Debp said:

Here is a letter from the founder of Gospel for Asia disputing and explaining various reports on the internet.   Apparently Gospel for Asia is a target of fake news by those opposing Christianity.

https://www.gfa.org/integrity/

 

Also, Christian Aid Mission which funnels funds to native missions thoroughly checks out any native ministry they help.   The native ministries are checked for doctrinal soundness and for reliability in handling of funds.   Christian Aid has a director for each area of the world they help in order to maintain high standards in the native ministries.

Another good thing about Christian Aid Mission is that 100% of funds go to the native ministries.   Only funds designated for administration go to the USA headquarters.

 

Edited September 18, 2018 by Debp
Changed a word.

[Debp]

A supportive letter about Gospel for Asia's founder written by the founder of Operation Mobilization.   Just posting this for other members of Worthy...

https://www.gfa.org/ecfa/

Edited September 18, 2018 by Debp
Corrected spelling