Who Can be a Missionary?

[Mikey]

In Presbyterian circles it seems to be a common view that only Ordained Ministers are able to become missionaries, thereby having to go through the same requirements.- two degrees, seminary etc. And that it is the church that sends and supports missionaries, so mission societies are frowned on as they are out with the church. Also women cannot be a missionary, without having a male over them in the area they are going to.

Do you agree with this view? Do you think that missionaries need to have all these requirements? Can Women be a missionaries?

 

[Salty]

A missionary is Gods man, doing Gods work,in God time, in Gods place.

I would suppose that a mission agy wants high standards for missionaries.
In fact, I think you would find that true of many different denominational mission boards.

Now, when I was in Germany, we had a pastor who was appointed by his board. He only had
a three year Bible Degree - a Graduate of Theology - and he was ordained.

Is there any reason, you need to go out only as a Presbyterian.?

 

[Mikey]

A missionary is Gods man, doing Gods work,in God time, in Gods place.

I would suppose that a mission agy wants high standards for missionaries.
In fact, I think you would find that true of many different denominational mission boards.

Now, when I was in Germany, we had a pastor who was appointed by his board. He only had
a three year Bible Degree - a Graduate of Theology - and he was ordained.

Is there any reason, you need to go out only as a Presbyterian.?

So you are against Women as missionaries? I'm not arguing against educated Missionaries, but what minimum education is necessary. This could also be asked of what minimum education for a minister.

Should missionaries be sent out through the church or mission society?

 

[TCassidy]

Every servant of God should strive to be as knowledgeable of Holy Writ as possible. In my opinion the minimum academic achievements a servant of God ought to strive for is either a secular BS/BA followed by a Master's degree from a good Seminary, or at the very least a BA from a good bible college with a bible intensive major.

However, that is not always possible due to several common constraints including but not limited to monetary, family, time, health, etc. But it ought to be a goal of every servant of the Most High.

Add to that the importance of continuing study to keep our cognitive functions sharp. (I am 72 years old and retired but still take extension courses through Dallas Theological Seminary.)

However, again, in my opinion, the two most important aspects of selecting and sending a missionary to the field, either foreign or domestic, is first of all the Calling of God on that missionary's life, and second is the commissioning by the Local Church for that task.

 

[Yeshua1]

In Presbyterian circles it seems to be a common view that only Ordained Ministers are able to become missionaries, thereby having to go through the same requirements.- two degrees, seminary etc. And that it is the church that sends and supports missionaries, so mission societies are frowned on as they are out with the church. Also women cannot be a missionary, without having a male over them in the area they are going to.

Do you agree with this view? Do you think that missionaries need to have all these requirements? Can Women be a missionaries?

There have been many successful female missionaries, sometimes as wives, and other times as widows or never married, and think the most important qualification is that they hve a real calling from God to do that work, regardless if degreed or not!

 

[Scarlett O.]

A missionary [in the common vernacular as someone who is sent out by a church or mission organization] is someone who:
[1] Should have received a calling from God to do so - whether lifetime career or in bursts of short term trips.
[2] Should have a firm grasp on the Word of God and a continued growing in the Word of God.
[3] Should be equipped by God and possibly man-made and godly authority, i.e. Bible training, language training, culture training.
[4] Should have a burden for the lost in their own communities as well as the world.

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

The Bible does not anywhere say what kind or how much formal education a missionary must have. Why even try to make a legal law out of something the bible does not describe? And just for note, I am not against formal education, I am a missionary and I have a Bachelors in Pastoral Theology, am working on a ThM in Biblical Languages, and I am a Baptist Bible Translators Institute Graduate, So I have extensive training in Bible and Linguistics. But what about the early Church? did they have access to Formal Education and Linguistics training? I think not, I mean if someone just studied the Bible in their home church and was trained by their local church and pastor, then who's to say they can't be a missionary or pastor?

I think formal education is a good thing and can be helpful, but we must not make an idol out of education, as if education can replace a man walking in and serving in the power of the Spirit.

Assuming a man meets the qualifications of a Bishop, is sound in doctrine, and is supported by local church, no one really has any authority to tell that missionary he cannot be a missionary.

We run into problems when we try to make black and white rules where God did not give black and white rules.

 

[Salty]

So you are against Women as missionaries?

NO, I am not against women missionaries. You may have been confused when I used the word "man"
several times. All that amounts to is that I am NOT PC.
Female missionaries can be very effective on the field.
Keep in mind that the wives of a missionary is also a missionary.

I'm not arguing against educated Missionaries,
but what minimum education is necessary. This could also be asked of what minimum education for a minister.

The minimum is what ever that mission board would require.

Should missionaries be sent out through the church or mission society?

IMHO - it is best to go thur a mission board - as they have the experience - especially foreign
missionaries. There can be many pitfalls, there can be situations with foreign governments,
a mission board is able to assist you in churches who might support you. (of course, in the Southern Bap
you do not need to go on deputation - as yo are supported by the co-operative pgm;

Some churches contend that mission boards are unBiblical.

In theory - you could just get on a plane or boat - go to a foreign country - without any formal education
and start a mission. Of course you would need to figuer out how to have money to rent a house and money to
buy food.