Missionary in America
What does it look like? I'm asking for your input.
If we are to believe the rising chorus of voices, America is now a post Christian nation. The most extreme say we are well beyond that and paganism has taken hold.
They point to rising rates of abortion, the embracing of secular ideals, the abandonment of our founding principles, the overreach and questionable motives of the government, and the growing number of Americans identifying as religious nones.
I won’t use this limited attention I have of yours to weigh in on whether these labels are in fact accurate, but I did want to draw our attention to a what if scenario. What if these claims are true? What if we are living in the midst of a post Christian, pagan nation, that now primarily identifies their religion as “nothing in particular”?
For generations the American missions movement has emphasized sending to the foreign mission field, to reach the unreached people. Now I’m asking another question —
What does it look like to be an American missionary in America?
This is not meant to be theoretical. I’d actually like to hear from you. Will you share your answers in the comments?
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To help frame the conversation, let’s explore the term missionary.
What is a missionary?
In literal terms, the origin of the english word traces back to 1598, when a latin word missionarius referred to individuals sent out by the Irish Jesuits to counter and provide a catholic alternative to the protestant reformation.
Missionarius came to mean “sent one,” the same definition of the greek word apostolos. Therefore in English, to say one is a missionary is to call that person an apostle — a sent one.
Whatever else being a missionary in America looks like, we know it must contain this trait — a sending.
What are they sent with? And for?
Missionaries are sent to proclaim a message, establishing the church as a pillar of truth within a specific geographic region. Paul Washer, founder of HeartCry Missionary Society, defines the purpose of missions as this, “The communication of God’s truth to men for the transformation of the individual and the transformation of society.”
Whatever else being a missionary in America looks like, we know it must contain this trait — a proclamation of the gospel and a building of the local church, for the transformation of individuals and society.
It's time for transformation
Were you to be asked, “What is the greatest need of our day?” how would you answer?
Indigenous vs Cross-Cultural
One of HeartCry’s distinctives is the use of indigenous, rather than cross-cultural, missionaries, described here:
Indigenous [Latin: indu = within + gignere = to beget] – The term refers to any person or thing originating or occurring in a particular place. An indigenous person refers to one who was born within a certain people group, as opposed to one who was introduced to that people group from the outside. An indigenous missionary is one who seeks to take the gospel to his or her people group.
As I thought about what it looks like to be a missionary in America, I was reminded of Paul’s words at the start of Romans 9. We’ve talked recently about serving with our tears, and Paul describes the posture well, a perspective that I think gets too easily lost when we are quick to condemn society and slow to weep over it.
“I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh.”
When we focus on what America used to be or how it’s been ruined, do we still have capacity for this level of sorrow and personal substitution?
Where we stand before men on behalf of God not as bystanders, skeptics, scoffers, mockers, or isolationists, but as troubled pleaders who see just one hope for our countrymen according to the flesh? As Leonard Ravenhill was fond of repeating, “I’m troubled every morning I wake up. For the simple reason, I live in a world that has lost its way and a church that has lost its voice. That voice has to come.”
Whatever else being a missionary in America looks like, we know it must contain this trait — a sorrow and a personal substitution/identification with our fellow men and women.
So, what does it look like to be a missionary in America?
To be one who is sent to his own people, proclaiming the gospel with the intent of planting and building up a local church presence, with the expectation that as the gospel is heard and believed, transformation of individuals and society will follow. The method of operation is not one of human reliance nor cold intellectual indifference, but of great sorrow and continual grief as they plead with their fellow men and women, wishing, if possible, though we know it’s not and we dare not overly entertain such a thought, to be accursed from Christ on their behalf.
What else would you say? How would identifying as a missionary in America change things for you? What does it look like to be sent to your own people? Does it require a career change or full-time commitment or can it be done right where you are? How does this differ from simply being a Christian in America?
Please prayerfully weigh in.
In love,
Derek
After my last trip to Brazil I realized something…Brazil is reached. While I agree that the United States has drifted away from the gospel, God’s word is still proclaimed here. There are opportunities for the hardest hearts to hear the good news. My heart is drawn towards a people that have no opportunity to ever hear the gospel. Where there is no Christmas or Easter. Those that will live and die and never hear the name of Jesus. So, my time here is for training, education, and language acquisition. Serving and leading ministries to prepare for a life with the unreached who are hard to reach, in a different country. The one thing I believe, is not everyone is called to the ministry of a missionary but all are called to either go, pray, and/or send.
Ultimately, I think this is exactly what I was called to. For me, it looks like a sort of urban monasticism. I've taken a vow of celibacy, and maintain a rule of life, but I work a regular day job, and I carry out my obligations to my church and my community. This looks like attending church and its functions - a bible study group and the seasonal celebrations. But also joining my neighborhood association to work alongside the people I live alongside, and being "a regular" at some of the local community gathering spots, including a tavern and a coffee shop. I meet with people regularly and with intention, but I also go to places where I can meet with people incidentally. Through both, I have frequent and surprising conversations.