Are missionaries an American custom?

Churches in other countries do send missionaries. Some of them do send them to America, usually to work with people of their national/ethnic origin. They also send them to other countries, just as we would.

 

Know of churches that send missionaries to Georgia. Haitian, Korean, etc. We need more. According to George Barna, the unchurched population of the United States is now more than 80 million. That would be equivalent to the population of the 11th largest country in the world!

 

Maybe you should keep your missionaries at home and do a better job there. Better than sending "missionaries" to heathen Canada.

 

Yeah, Jim...I think it proves that all the heathen are not Canadian!

 

We send missionaries to cities and towns in America, as well as other countries.

We have one family from our church in The Pas MB, because no Canadian would take the gospel there.

We support missionaries in Snow Lake,MB and the Yukon because no Canadian would go there.

Jim, would you have these people go to hell, rather than have an American preaching the gospel and winning souls thee?

Yes, there are churches there, but they aren't telling about the crucified Christ, who shed his blood, died and rose again for the sins of those who accept him.

We would love to send all our missionaries to communities here in our state, but it is God who calls and sends, so if he calls someone to Canada we must send them. If this offends you, then pray for more Canadians to do the Lord's work and we can stay home and reach our people.

 

It is not the sending of people to minister to any people. It is the condescending attitude that seems to prevail whenever I hear this statement.

I have never seen a document from God sending anyone anywhere. You may have a desire to serve in a specific field, and you may have a burden to minister in a given field, but there is no edict from God Himself. This is a distortion of God's commission to preach the word.

We have many workers in the Railroad Mission who have laboured without recognition in the remote areas of Canada. They have gone to the unlovely places and worked tirelessly with the people.

In the Vancouver area alone, my own group of baptists, have no less than five flourishing churches. I can assure you they ALL preach the gospel. Yet, this is where this person is going to be a "missionary". We do not need, nor want, American churches in Canada. We are doing quite nicely as Canadians, thank you very much.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Mark 16.15 sees The Lord Jesus Christ sending the eleven out to `preach the gospel to every creature` methinks that the missionary custom may be a little older than America.
Gwyneth

 

Jim,
Your attitude and point of view are contrary to Scripture.

Mat.28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

We are commanded to go to every part of the earth. We need to obey that command, from whatever place we are. The Great Commission is the document, the edict that comes from God Himself. Would to God that more Americans would come and preach the gospel and start more local churches in Canada.

In Indianopolis, as in most major American cities, it seems as if you can find a church on almost every block. I live in a city of almost 800,000 including the suburbs. In this area there might be half a dozen fundamental baptist Churches. That is a shame, and hardly enough to meet the needs of this city. Thirty years ago, our churh was the only church (fundamental Baptist) in our city. I went to Bible college in the states because there was no good bible college in Canada to go to. When I travelled back to Edmonton via Winnipeg, there was not a single Baptist church between Winnipeg and Edmonton. How can you say that Canada is not a mission field. It is one of the biggest missionfields I know of. Right now our government is in the midst legalizing homosexual marriages. And we don't need help (missionaries) to stand on the Word of God?? This nation is the most socialized nation in the western hemisphere; it's morality is abhorrent. Why? Because Christians have not spoken up. There are very few fundamental Christians to speak up. Canada is a mission field.
DHK

 

I will not trouble to respond because you totally ignore what I said. And, NO Bible colleges in Canada? What rubbish!

Cheers,

Jim

 

This is what you said Jim.
How is the Great Commission a distortion of God's commission to preach the word?
As far as Bible Colleges are concerned I know of only one fundamental Baptist Bible College of any significance, and that is Faithway in Pickering, Ontario, which is about 2,000 miles away from where we live. There may be a small work now in Winnipeg. There are other very small institute-like works connected with local churches that are primarily for the teaching of the members of those churches. I did say a "good" Bible College. Please keep in mind that I am speaking from the perspective of one who is an independent fundamental Baptist. Praire Bible Institute is very close to us. I would never send my children there. It is not fundamental, and it is not Baptist, though it may be a good college in other ways.

 

Sorry, we tend to steer clear of Funda-mentalists.

Prairie Bible Institute has indeed equipped many "fundamental" preachers and missionaries over the years, then there are two colleges in the Winnipeg area, also Toronto Baptist Seminary, the former Toronto Bible College, the school in Three Hills, Alberta and Regent College in BC.....All fundamental schools and sound.

I was talking about a specific call......and not the great commission to preach teh gospel in all the world.......We may desire to serve somewhere, but I have never seen a written direction from God to go to a specific place.......Show me!

Fundamental Baptist Church in Edmonton where J.R. Armstrong was the pastor?? Perhaps before your time, but he was a graduate from Toronto Baptist Seminary.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Missions is not a custom. The Apostle Paul wrote the Book on missions. Missions is a command from God. Many men of God have come from England, long ago.

I work with a mission that works with Haiti. Some of the Haitians from the church my mission planted, came to the US. The national director in Haiti(a haitian) came to the US to plant a Haitian church. So I would say missions is world wide thing. But, I believe Europe has been failing in this area.

 

Jim, sounds like this subject touched a raw nerve. In the spirit of fairness, please help me understand...what do you mean by 'condescending attitude'?

 

"Give honor where honor is due."
Prairie, indeed was a well-known Bible Institute throughout North America. It was known for the number of missionaries that it equipped and sent out. Thirty to forty years ago under the leadership of L.E. Maxwell it took a fairly good stand, but even at that time it was beginning to slip. It was 30 years ago that I made a decision to go to Bible College. It would have been easy to go to Prairie, a couple hours drive away. But it wasn't fundamental then, neither was it Baptist then. I knew as a new Christian that I would be taught a smorgasbord of doctrine. "Pick and choose" which is right. If a Baptist Church has the right doctrine, (and I believed that they did) how could an interdenominational instiute preach correct doctrine without being Baptist. Something was sacrificed.

In Toronto, whatever happened to Jarvis Street Baptist Church? One of the most famous preachers in North America was T.T. Shields. He was one of the most ouspoken as well, especially against Roman Catholicism. Now where does the church stand? Toronto Baptist Seminary? Isn't that amillennial?

As a missionary myself, my challenge to others is: show me otherwise. Christ never rescinded the Great Commission. In Acts 1:8 he never commanded the Apostles that they permanently remain in Jerusalem. They were to go both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. I contend that the Scriptures teach that if you do not have a specific call to stay home, then God has called you to be a missionary abroad. Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. The command is to go. He has already commanded us. He has already called us. Show me in the Bible a specific call of God to stay at home and be comfortable with the things of this world.

Is it fair? Is it right? Is it ethical? Is it proper? Is it even moral? Why should North Americans here the gospel twice (or more) when most of this world has not even heard the gospel once??
DHK

 

Thanks Squire for bringing us back to the original question. I too want to mention William Carey, the father of modern missions is not American.He so inspired me that I named my son William Carey Felderman. It is my understanding the today Brazilian Baptists are sending Braziliian missionaries to Portugal and other places as well.