Christian missions 'outsourcing'

In the past, missionaries had to be sent from advanced Christian countries to backward pagan countries because the “natives” who were Christians were just too backward to fulfil the Great Commission. The situation is very different now.

In most countries, many of the “natives” have caught up with their counterparts in the more advanced countries. And even in those countries where this has not yet taken place, the “natives” are quickly catching up.

The business world has fully accepted this reality and “outsourcing” of work and business processes is a vital part of the business world. Most manufacturing is outsourced from the so-called advanced countries to the less advanced countries. Nike does not send Americans to China to help to manufacture shoes. They leave the entire job to the Chinese. The Nike headquarters send funds and ideas to the Chinese and trust the Chinese to do a better and more cost-effective job producing the shoes. This combination of American funds and ideas and Chinese labour produces great efficiency for business corporations.

Similarly, Singapore companies send their funds and ideas (and maybe a Singaporean manager and Filipino engineers) to their factories in Batam or Malaysia, while the locals do the front-line work efficiently and economically.

This business model is so prevalent and the benefits so obvious, that it seems almost redundant of me to be writing this. However, this business model is generally foreign to missions organizations and churches, who continue to send missionaries from expensive, advanced countries to do front-line mission work in the poorer countries.

The missionaries have to be paid high salaries and need health insurance, travel, expatriate accommodation, etc. Furthermore, they have to undergo years of language and cultural studies before they can even teach a simple Bible study.

Needless to say, there is still a role for missionaries in special niches of missions work. For example, a missionary is an effective coordinator between the local workers and the foreign headquarters; native English-speakers are in demand as teacher (missionaries) in Chinese universities; foreigner missionaries can draw large “crowds” in campus ministries.

However, a well-trained local Christian is still the most effective and economical worker to fulfil the Great Commission in his own locality! It is sometimes hard to accept the fact that the “natives” have grown up and can do the job better than us!!