MISSIOLOGY LECTURE 14 THE TRAINING & PREPARATION OF THE MISSIONARY

This lecture will differ significantly from the other lectures on this same subject matter that were presented in Pastoral Theology and in Homiletics.

NOT A NOVICE

Textbook: BIBLICAL MISSIONS Pg. 298 - 300

1 Timothy 3 3 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

What physical age is a novice? I feel that anyone under the age of 30 is ‘probably’ in that category; though it would be a case by case basis to decide this (as a church). For, there are some men at age 21 that act like they are 41, and vice versa! Jesus Christ was ‘about’ 30 years old when He began His public ministry; this is significant for us to take notice of; it was mentioned in Scripture specifically, and thus must have some importance for us. Luke 3:22-23 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

I know of some men in their twenties that are doing a fine job at pastoring (as far as I know): Pastor Craig Houston and Pastor John Shrader. However, there are several, if not many, young men that I have heard of that went out to go start a church in their twenties, and failed…this is a all too common theme. Thus, I am generally against the common practice of a 23 to 25 year old Bible College graduate setting out on Deputation to go start a church somewhere.

Our society is somewhat immature compared to society in Jesus’ time on Earth. So, maybe late 30’s to early 50’s is a more reasonable age frame to be ideal for a man to enter the full time ministry. Should someone enter the ministry if they are in their 60’s or 70’s? Why not? As long as they are not severely mentally or physically impaired, they should be sent.

What spiritual age is a novice? Can someone who was saved 1 year ago, be considered for ordaining and commissioning? How long should they typically be saved for prior to considering this? Well, it is going to take at least 3 to 4 years to train him in the doctrines of the Bible (look at the 12 disciples). So, 4 years might be the earliest ‘spiritual age’ to consider sending out for Missionary work. And, a more reasonable spiritual age might be 6 to 8 years. Some mature very slowly. They may have great ‘outward’ zeal, but may not have the spiritual wisdom, discernment, and stability to handle the incredible challenging job of being a Missionary (pastor, evangelist, church planter). Then again, people are dying and going to Hell every second, so we don’t want to wait ‘too long’ to send them out to reach these dear ones!

What experience age is a novice? I believe that one who has been involved with ‘leadership’ in a church for at least 4 years is potentially not a ‘novice’ anymore. This can vary upon how much leadership he was involved with and how well he handled being a leader. There is much learning that needs to be done in this area of ‘leadership’ experience. Most pastors were not given much training in this and thus often make huge mistakes in their early years of being a pastor. Why not give them the training they need and send them out to succeed?!

Thus, the future Missionary needs to not be a novice in his physical age (probably at least 30 years old); his spiritual age (probably at least 4 years old); and his experiencial age (probably at least 4 years here also). Don’t lay hands suddenly on any man.

1 BOOT CAMP TRAINING Many times, the man suddenly realizes and then answers the call of God later in his Christian life. He has been in church for years, buth usually has only limited education/training in the doctrines of the Bible; most of this gleaned from Sunday School classes. They need rigorous, formal, thorough training in the doctrines of the Bible. Below is a comparison of the two main choices available for obtaining this:

Four-year para-church Baptist Bible College Preparation - most churches are not able to do a good enough job - most pastors aren’t willing to or capable(?) of - most students feel that this is the standard of acceptance - thoese colleges will have the best professors available - Studious atmosphere - popular, famous, impressive - other pastors will grade you based upon the impressiveness of your Bible college - there is a huge sending agent fiasco here - big usually corresponds to compromise

Local Baptist Church, Pastor-trained Preparation - the most Scriptural (only) method, hands down - the most logical method: family not disrupted, service in church retained, job retained, Pastor knows you well, doctrine is going to be right on, sending agent remains Scriptural - your church and pastor know you well and know when it is time - OJT opportunities are numerous - work one on one with the pastor vice one on 25 - flexibility to work with your schedule, weaknesses, goals, and desires

The future Missionary needs to spend his ‘time in the desert’. The apostle Paul did (the Arabian desert; for 3 years?). And, so did Moses (40 years in the wilderness). The 12 disciples were with Jesus for 3 years for their training, mostly out in the country and wilderness.

There is one key, paramount, area of training for the Missionary that seems to be left off for later. This area is ‘language’ training. If one will be ministering to folks of a different language (foreing Missionary) the biggest training issue is overcoming the language barrier. You can know the doctrine ‘cold’, but if you cannot communicate it yourself freely, it is worthless. Many will ‘hire’ translators when they get to their field; often, these translators are lost folk; it’s kind of hard to have the Spirit of God speak through ‘them’ when they don’t have Him! Missionaries often will ‘rely’ on their translator and never really learn the language…even after being there 10 years!!! What a shame! Start being trained in the language as soon as you answer the call of God!

Secular education credentials or licenses can be a help in getting into third-world countries. These are not a waste of time and money. The real waste of time and money is trying to do God’s work without adequate education and experience. An ignorant novice!?!

Be careful, though, not to get lured away in the prospect of financial gain when pursuing a secular education. Many called of God Missionaries left the pursuit after finishing a college degree and getting their first ‘real’ job; the first time they’ve ever ‘really made any money’. They ‘gave’ their life to ‘full time service’ as a teenager, but now they have given their life a to full time career at ‘earning money’.

TRAINING FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY I believe that only the husband/father is specifically ‘called’ by God to be a Missionary. His family, by default, and by Scriptural admonition, are to follow their leader…gladly. God knows what He is doing when He puts together a family. It would be absurd to have the future Missionary say to his kids: “who isn’t for going to Africa?” And, 2 of the 4 kids say that they want to stay in America…and so the Missionary chooses not to go to Africa! Absurd… but understandable in the flesh.

Some argue that a man is not correctly prepared (qualified) for being a Missionary if he is not married. They use the following to support this:

2 1 Tim 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; I think that the context and real teaching from this phrase “the husband of one wife” is dealing with the polygamy issue and not the actually being married issue (or the divorce and remarried issue). However, it is difficult to be able to relate to folks in your church who are having marital or children difficulties if the pastor is single without children himself. But, Paul said it is best to remain unmarried so you can devote yourself fully to the service of the Lord, rather than splitting it with the family you are trying to raise and guide.

Marrying the ‘right wife’ is the most important decision affecting your future as a Missionary that there is (apart from salvation, of course). Your wife isn’t specifically ‘called’ as a Missionary. Though she is called specifically as a wife, a help meet for whatever her husband is called to… i.e. a Missionary.

This wife will be known as ‘the Pastor’s wife’ and will be oh so key in that new church plant. She has some ‘qualifications’ (guidelines, expectations, standards) for being a pastor’s wife. I feel that if a Deacon’s wife has these, then for sure a pastor’s wife would have them. We know that the Deacon’s qualifications are very similar to the Pastor’s, thus their wives would be too (in my opinion). Who would have more prominance and leadership in a church? A deacon’s wife or a pastor’s wife? A pastor’s wife for sure. 1 Tim 3:10-11 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

The future Missionary’s family needs to be ‘ready’ for the work of the ministry. They don’t need to necessarily have a 4 year Bible College degree, but they definitely need to be prayed up and ready to submit to God as He leads them through the trials and testings of the road to being a Missionary. His children need to be very well behaved: Titus 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 1 Tim 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

NOT SUDDENLY 1 Tim 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. More than likely, the ‘lay hands’ portion of this verse refers to the symbolic ordaining and commissioning of a pastor/Missionary. An example of the first part of this verse might be the following: A recent graduate from a reputable Bible College moves to your area and then is led to be a member of your church. After a few months, he feels the call to go to start a church in a needy city 30 miles from yours. If the pastor and church voted a month later and ordained and commissioned the man to go out from their church, that would be ‘suddenly’. I feel that once the man lets his church know of his ‘call’ then that church (led by the pastor) should examine, pray for, and help him prepare for the field he is called to over a period of time no less than 6 months, and ideally 12 months. However, from Acts 13 it is apparent that Barnabas and Saul were sent within just a few months if not a few weeks from when the Holy Ghost made it apparent where He wanted them. Though, these 2 were already looked upon as “Missionaries in the waiting” most likely; they were already proved, prepared, and positioned.

PROVE HIMSELF The future Missionary needs to ‘prove himself’ first…not once he gets to the field. If the Deacon needs to prove himself first, surely the Pastor does! Gal 6:3-4 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 1 Tim 3:10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

There should be fruit seen in the ministries that the Missionary in training serves in. If he ‘takes over’ the Children’s Church, there should be noticable fruit seen. If he heads up the Nursing Home and Jail ministries…well, there should be fruit seen. If fruit is not seen, then one may wonder if fruit will be seen when they are ‘on the field’. If fruit is not seen, then one can wonder whether they are putting forth the effort, prayer, and wisdom needed for the work; or, even, if God has actually called him to be a Missionary!

FIELD WORK Many Bible Colleges and Seminaries now require what is called ‘Field Work’ in order for any of their graduates to obtain their degree. Field work consists of the student working along side (in a significant say) a Missionary, Church Planter, Evangelist, Pastor, for a set time. Often these are termed “internships” and are anywhere from 1 to 2 years in 3 length. They are typically at a church other than their ‘home’ church. Though, I believe all Bible College grads should (must) serve in an OJT type capacity with their home church before ‘embarking’ out on their pursuit of the ‘call of God in their life’. If a pastor sends of a ‘preacher boy’ to a standard non-church Bible College (Heartland, Crown, West Coast, Golden State, etc.) they deserve to reap some reward from that once the young man graduates. They may actually be called of God to serve in their ‘home’ church.

These ‘internships’ need to be used wisely in order to be a great help in preparing the ‘novice’ for the work of the ministry. But, many, I believe, are used more like a ‘staff guy’ rather than a ‘pastor in training’ guy. Pastors often will use the new ‘recruit’ to take over some ‘fledgling’ ministry in the church (evangelism, children’s church, bus ministry, etc.) of which the pastor can’t (or won’t) devote the necessary time to. The ‘recruit’ gets lots of ‘experience’ in that specific area of ministry, but falls woefully short in the broad area of being trained for the ‘ministry’, the pastorate, being a Missionary, and planting churches!

Areas that I feel a man needs to be trained in adequately prior to enterring into the ‘solo’ or ‘Senior’ pastorate are: Treasury, Children’s Ministries, Evangelism, Bus Ministry, Counselling, Song Leading, Adult S.S. Teaching, Preaching, Leading of Services, Administration, etc.. Areas that I was not trained in very well at all were Preaching, Leading of Services, Administration, Bus Ministry, Adult Teaching, Children’s Ministry, and Counselling…and this greatly hampered my ability to effectively pastor upon planting that first church.

It would be prudent to have the Bible College ‘graduate’ spend time in ‘internships’ and ‘field work’ in a variety of settings: small church (100 or less members); large church (300 or more members); rural church; big city church; church planting work; 20 year old or more church; third world church; Mexico or Canadian church; etc.. All these settings might not be able to be experienced by the graduate, but effort should be given to it. One idea would be to have the recently graduated 22 to 25 year old then go out for 1 year stents in each of these environments; by the end of this, they certainly would have some experience under their belt and would not be a ‘novice’ by age standards either!

My personal belief is that no man should be considered for the ‘solo’ or ‘Senior’ pastorate who hasn’t yet ‘pastored’. So many young men finish their 4 years of Bible College and then embark out on Deputation to such countries as Columbia, Congo, Cuba, and Croatia. It takes, in my humble opinion, a man of ‘great’ experience (in practical life as well as the pastorate) to go to a ‘difficult’ and ‘depressed’ culture to live, raise a family, and plant a church from scratch. This is no job for a brand spanking new College grad! Also, while we are on this subject, I believe a man who feels he is called to (let’s say) Columbia should go and take a ‘survey trip’ their and help a church planter for no less than a year prior to ‘going on Deputation’. Don’t get the cart before the horse.

PURGE HIMSELF 2 Tim 2:20-21 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. The future Missionary needs to ‘purge himself’ from fleshly things, worldly ambitions, filthy lucre, social status, ease of life, the dream home, leisure time, sports, hunting, tv, hobbies, etc., etc.. He needs to ‘prepare’ himself ‘unto every good work’…for if a man desires the office of a Missionary, he ‘desires a good work’ indeed! It’s all about doing good!

2 Tim 2:4-5 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The Missionary is getting ready to go to ‘war’; it will be disastrous for him to be ‘entangled with the affiars of this life’: debts, hobbies, sports, career, etc.! He needs to strive for the ‘mastery’ of being a Missionary, and nothing else.

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