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Another excuse for not entering the mission field goes like this; “But I am not theologically trained.”
Although every missionary needs to be a student of his English bible and know the basics of Christian theology, he does not necessarily need a theological degree to be an effective missionary. He does need to be an ardent student of the word of God.
Remember it was Paul who said to young Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15). Although he needs to be a diligent student of the word he does not need a theological degree to be a useful missionary.
There are many men called to missions in mid-life and the thought of selling the house, packing up the family and moving across the country to attend three to four years of seminar discourages many from missionary service.
The fact is most Christians who have been in church any length of time know much more of the Bible than they realize. What they need is that information to be organized and supplemented and this can be done through individual self study or some type of correspondence course. But the lack of a theological degree should never be an excuse to not go to the mission field.
Positioning to live within a community – Tim is a tentmaker. For prudent reasons, we cannot divulge his real name or citizenship. He did not go to another country but had to make a cross cultural leap within his own country.
Tim has had a growing burden for the majority people group in his country. In this country, it is against the law for this mainstream people group to… Read More....
A few weeks ago, a co-worker of mine who is married to a Korean Christian worker told me something interesting. She said “Korean missionaries unite around the Gospel but we bring our differences to the mission field and fight over them!”
Koreans are basically a strong militant race. They do not shun a fight. The Korean Christian population is also clearly divided into conservative Presbyterians and exuberant Charismatics. In… Read More.... | 1 Comment
Going back to the Philippines for winter break is something I truly looked forward to. After a not so normal Christmas and New Year/birthday celebration in China, I was more than ready to hibernate and enjoy the sun in my home country alone. But as usual, plans change every minute. As Hudson Taylor said, “ Man proposes, God disposes.” Being at the center of His will though is still the… Read More.... | 1 Comment
well said and articulated by a well-known servant of God. Amen.
I had the same misconception about going to serve the Lord. Praise God for helping us open our eyes wide open.