Are missionaries an American custom?

[ByGrace3]

Originally posted by Jim1999:
You will enjoy BC. It is very costly to live there, but we all adjust to those things. Canadians are basically friendly to all, and you will be received well........despite the obvious rebellion to things spiritual.

I think the biggest physical adjustment I will have to make is to the rain. Here in TX, the sun shines most of the time. We are really looking forward to the cooler temps!

We have heard that Canadians are very friendly, accepting people. We'll do our best not to offend people. If the Gospel offends, that is to be expected; but we want to do nothing by our actions that will offend. That's why we'll live there for several months, possibly even a year, before we begin our church. We want to learn a little about the culture and customs before we start, so that we can learn to live as Canadians. We're willing to do anything short of compromising doctrine or our personal separation standards to win them to the Lord!

Susan

 

[Squire Robertsson]

Just learn to pepper your conversation with "ehh", remember "house" is pronounced "hoos", and like vinegar flavored potatoe chips. It has teams playing in the NBA and NHL (unless the Canucks moved when I wasn't looking.) For the NFL and Major League Baseball, you'll need to make a road trip down to Seattle. Other than that you should do fine. Vancouver is not a whole lot different than Seattle. They are both cities of the Pacific Northwest.

Jim, the problem you observed concerning missionaries from South of the Border is a condundrum based on the SOPs of most USAian mission boards. For many years, these boards assumed that any missionaries serving under them (I know that this particular usage is debatable {and has been debated in this forum} but it will not be on this thread.) would return to the United States at their retirement from the field. Hence, their SOPs ruled out missionaries formally immigrating to the target country. There are also rules on how property is owned and a bunch of other bureaucratic (but necessary) stuff.

But, as is the case in alot of situations, then there is Canada.

[ June 17, 2003, 05:47 PM: Message edited by: Squire Robertsson ]

 

[Audrey]

Originally posted by Jim1999:
I would like to be clear on one point. I am not anti-any country, but Canadians and Brits get a little sensitive when another country trys to impress their ways upon us. Just accept us as we are, and we will acept you as you are. I think that was my point.

I'm a Canadian citizen, as well.. have been since birth. I wasn't born in Canada, but my dad was Canadian, and he wanted me to have the oppourtunity to live there, should I so desire, without going through all the hassle.

But I do have one problem with Canadians.. "eh?" at the end of every sentence.. That bugs me!

 

[Jim1999]

"eh!",,an exclamation, and not a question, is actually an English expression, brought back to Canada after the war. It originates in the Midlands of England, where everyone says, "eh!"

It bugs me too, and not every Canadian uses it......then, it is something like the Americanism, "You know?" injected in every other sentence and even in between. We all have our quirks, don't we?

Cheers,

Jim

 

[just-want-peace]

We all have our quirks, don't we?

How true, how true!!

Or, as I often say, "We all have our faults; some people's are just a little more obvious than others!"

 

[td]

So, Jim...did you enjoy the Canadian Grand Prix this past weekend? Before you answer that one though, you mentioned "condescending attitudes"...just curious...where did you experience that?

 

[Jim1999]

td..I am not a motorcar racing fan.

On the second part, we are a tourist village (area) and we have had our share of American vistors here. Now, before I go any further, I do not bring thus curtain down on all Americans. I have worked with Americans, served with them in Korea, and even with the Bible Club mOvement in Philadelphia and down South during the Civil Rights Movement...not pleasant days then....So, this is not a blanket statement.....PLEASE!!!!

American tourists walk into our shops and demand full exchange for their dollar. Our dollar is laughed at everywhere in the USA.

The I-am-better-than-you-attitude prevails when demanding services in many areas. Why? Because they are American and we are not.

I have seen American preachers in our pulpits and the same attitude has prevailed.......oh my..glad they are going home.....only they could preach the gospel.

The recent attitude of Bush when Canada made a sovereign choice not to go around the UN and join Bush in war. He cancelled a visit to the Canadian Parliament,,reason,,too busy....but he had time to go to the Texas ranch on that very day to meet with the Aussie Prime Minister.....A slight? Sure it was.

Even the Ambassador to Canada has skathing remarks despite the fact he knew the facts......he has since backed off and reversed his views. but the condescending speech came right from the White House.

Free Trade was ok so long as it was Canada taking the kick in the seat,,lost jobs to the USA. Now, when Mexico started taking the jobs further south, the tune in America changed.

It was ok for Bush to make oil plans in Alaska.......shucks, we just run a pipeline down through Canada.......now, did he ever think of asking us? Not on your nilly...He is President Bush of the USA.......

Are you beginning to see where we get our picture from? We don't want that picture. It was painted for us. We are a rather easy-come, easy-go kind of people unless we get riled.

I am not being provocative here. Please understand that. You asked and I am giving an honest reply.

On the other hand, we have such great economic ties with Watertown, NY that they have a public relations office in Kingston, Ontario.

There is no point in going on. I think you get my point.

Now remember, my one son-in-law IS American. My daughter is now American. My two granddaughters are American.....So, it is not a hate-Americans thing..it is a fact of existence from this side of the border. We didn't paint the picture; we are just examining it.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[td]

Okay, now I understand where you're coming from. I guess rudeness is not limited by borders or nationality. Many years ago I had a Canadian boss who was by far the most arrogant, mean-spirited, insufferable human being I have ever known. But, I realized I couldn't judge a whole country by one guy who just happened to be a jerk.

I knew you didn't care for motorsports. We covered that on another thread. Just my lame attempt at humor, eh.

Well, talk at ya later. I got to change those reservations I made for my summer mission trip to a certain North American country. No since in going where I'm not wanted, eh.

 

[jonmagee]

Originally posted by AuDzY:
I've wondered about this, because you never hear of other countries sending missionaries to the US...

Any thoughts?

There have been occassions when I have come to the states for the purpose of evangelism etc. Does that constitute going to America as a missionary?

yours, Jon.

 

[Charlotte Marcel]

I am coming late into this discussion so please forgive me.

I do not think that missionaries are an American custom. Didn't the Apostle Paul have several missionary trips?

I am not the most learned of people, but the idea that the Great Commission is an American custom doesn't sit well with me.

I have a question that was for Jim, and I feel it's unfortunate that he is not here to give me an answer. Perhaps someone who is more knowledgeable about events in the past can. Didn't the Alaskan Pipeline take place in the 1970 's? Again, please forgive my ignorance, but I remember a friends husband working on it, and it was in the 1970's. So it couldn't be a Bush administration event.

God Bless you,
Charlotte

 

[russell55]

Perhaps someone who is more knowledgeable about events in the past can. Didn't the Alaskan Pipeline take place in the 1970 's? Again, please forgive my ignorance, but I remember a friends husband working on it, and it was in the 1970's. So it couldn't be a Bush administration event.

This is a different pipeline than the one you are refering to.

 

[DHK]

I'm not so sure about the Alaskan pipeline, but I do know that the road to Alaska runs right through Alberta. Alberta became a province of Canada in 1905. One of its first premiers was Premier Aberhart who was Bible preacher and had a regular radio broadcast in which he preached mostly on prophecy. The following premier was Earnest Manning, another born-again preacher who preached God's Word. His son, Preston Manning was recently the head of the present opposition party.
Alberta was originally settled with the help of a Methodist missionary.

More than half of all the fundamental Baptist churches in Alberta have been started by Americans. Many of them are in the Calgary area, and many of them were started by BJU graduates. People with homes in South Carolina and Georgia coming up to snowy and cold Alberta is somewhat of a sacrifice to start churches in western Canada, in which there is presently a dearth of fundamental churches. The influence of Alberta's conservative past has made this province almost debt free, running on a deficit free budget. It is a province with no sales tax. Of all the provinces in Canada, when the Canadian federal government ruled in favor of homosexual marriages, Alberta alone stood against the federal ruling, using an obscure clause in the law that entitles them to back out of the ruling. They alone stand against such perversion.
I thank God for the American missionaries and the influence that they have had in Alberta. One of the pastors some years ago went to jail for refusing to close his Christian school when the government was trying to take all freedom away from Christian schools. It was largely because of him and his action at that time, that Christians in Alberta have a great deal of choice and freedom when it comes to home schooling our children, and starting Christian schools. Thank God for American missionaries.
I also thank God for many Canadian missionaries who have been the result of the churches that have been started by the Americans here.
DHK

 

[Jim1999]

I would like to say that in the province of Alberta, my group, the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada, has 29 churches in the province. The North American (German) Baptists have 54 churches. Prior to the Fellowship, there were a host of Independent and Regular Baptist churches.

It was the Social Credit influence that took advantage of the Oil industry that made Alberta prosperous. "Bible" Bill Aberhart was, I think, the 5th or 6th premier of Alberta and the first Social Credit. He had been principal of the Prophetic Bible Institute of Calgary. Ernest C. Manning was a graduate of that school and an under officer before taking over the helm at Aberhart's death. The were King James Only, even back in the thirties.

Whilst Manning was premier, the hardest thing for a Baptist organization to get was government benefit. He would give to all other denominations, but refused the Baptists. He did not want to appear to favour his own.

His group of Baptist churches were very small, and never grew very much. It was the influence of the German Baptists that established the evangelical Baptists in Alberta and across the Prairies. There was also the Baptist Union, which had a great number of evangelicals.....I was one in both Saskatchewan and Alberta. I don't recall any Southern Baptist Churches when I was there, but that does go back to fifties and early sixties.

As a side note; there are 18 Fellowship Baptist Churches in Vancouver alone. I have forgotten how many there are in BC altogether. It is an interesting history.

As mentioned, the Methodists were the first protestant clerics, then Roman Catholic and Anglican, who settled with the Barr Colony Movement around Lloydminister.

As an interesting note, Alberta has the highest per capita percentage of alcoholism, wife abuse and other social ills in all of Canada. It is a great mission field.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Ed Edwards]

Here are some numbers to work with.
They date from 1989-90 and
are found in: THE ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN
WORLD, 1991-1992 Edition.

Regarding missionaries:

from Canada: 4,000
to Canada: 300

from Zaire 300
to Zarie 1300

from UK - 5800
to UK - 580

from Nigeria - 700
to Nigeria - 950

Similar figures are NOT given for
the USofA.

Here are the five biggest evangelical
protestant mission organizations arranged
by number of full time missionaries:

3800 Southern Baptist Foriegn Mission Board
2500 Youth With a Mission
2300 Wycliffe Bible Translators
1800 New Tribes Mission
1700 Christian Chruches
1500 Assembly of God

 

[DanielFive]

Originally posted by Jim

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!

The Lord can direct people through His providential dealings with them. It doesn't have to be a written instruction. I would imagine that most missionaries are called to specific places because there is a great need for missionaries there.

Personally I know missionaries who are based in the slums of Brazil, others working among the poor in Kenya, and men who minister on Russian prison ships. Not soft options, any of them.

 

[Felix]

I would imagine that most missionaries are called to specific places because there is a great need for missionaries there. Personally I know missionaries who are based in the slums of Brazil, others working among the poor in Kenya, and men who minister on Russian prison ships. Not soft options, any of them.

Very well written. I would not be writing this if this was not so. I was saved in a refugee camp in the late 80's. It was there where I heard the gospel for the first time presented by young american missionaries. I will forever be thankful to God first and to those folks for being obedient to His call.

With brotherly love in Christ

Pardi

 

[Sherrie]

Thank you enda and Felix...both good Post! And I am thankful too!

God Bless you Felix! God is good all the time...God is good!

Sherrie