The Human Factor in Missionary Work

By the Lord's grace, the spreading of the Gospel continues to bring in a great harvest of souls throughout the world. We watch and learn as the powerful Word of God draws the lost to the church. As he continues to send forth his Word with its fruitful results (Isa. 55:11), our heavenly Father uses his human tools to proclaim the good news (Rom. 10:13-18).

Since we are human, all our personality quirks, judgments, and weaknesses of perception will be an unfortunate part of our efforts. Even the apostle Paul spoke of this (I Cor. 3:11-15). It is an aspect of evangelism that we must take into account.

Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement (Acts 15:36-41). It is not surprising that, at times, the best intentioned, truth-seeking evangelists will have different approaches to similar challenges. The best of elderships will have objectives and conceptions that may not seem to square with conditions in the field.

Another factor that can affect our plans and programs in mission work is the decision-making process of sponsoring or supporting churches. Often, their distance from the work causes poor communication or uninformed decision making. This has created instances of collapsing mission efforts and recalling of support or even of missionaries. Such instances are very unfortunate and may occur due to the poor initiative of missionaries to communicate or the poor reception of sponsors to the missionaries' messages and reports. Again, we are dealing with human personalities, abilities, and understanding.

Sponsoring churches should make every effort to understand the situation on the mission field, realizing that cultural differences require prayerful thought and analysis. Missionaries must communicate fully and effectively to enable their sponsors to be able to make informed decisions. The missionary must see that evangelism is done effectively and faithfully. Visits by elders to the mission fields they support can go a long way in creating more realistic and cooperative attitudes and understanding.

Besides this, churches that are sponsoring missions should consult experienced workers before making radical decisions. For example, the church of Christ in The Gambia, West Africa, existed and prospered (albeit slowly) for 12 years under the guidance of some American missionaries and African leaders. After these missionaries pulled out, the African brethren labored on and the church grew.

The sponsoring church in America decided to sell the church property in The Gambia and cut off all help. They judged the country too difficult for evangelism. The church, however, did not die but grew to new heights of strength under African leadership.

The Gambia is a small country. Acquiring land is difficult. It is also an Islamic country; thus, prices are prohibitive, and permission for a church to own land is difficult to obtain. The church still faces a serious problem of a place to meet. In many African societies, if a church does not build even the simplest structure for worship, it will be seen as transient, unstable, or unreliable. When a church has to sell its facilities, the problem is magnified. If the original sponsors of the work in The Gambia had sought out advice from experienced missionaries or African leaders, their decision might have been different.

The purpose of this article is to plead for better communication, understanding, patience, and "seeking the kingdom first" in all situations. We are engaged in the greatest task of all - winning the lost for Christ (Matt. 28:18-20). In spite of our human weaknesses, God uses us mightily to his own glory. Let us be faithful, humble stewards. The church in The Gambia needs your prayers. The church may be contacted at Church of Christ, P. O. Box 197, Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa.