Native Missionaries and the Short-Term "Tourists"

Recently, our associate pastor forwarded over to me an article which questioned the value of short-term missions, both to those who went and those who were who "ministered to". This article was of great interest to me, given my role as the chair of our church's missions committee as well as my creation of and board membership with Synergy Ministries.

I agree with many of the points made in the article.  Clearly the effect of a one or two-week missions trip is going to limited, especially if the person who is sent has expectations that his or her direct interactions with natives without speaking a lick of the local language is going to be the impetus for mass conversions.  

But short-term missions can definitely be valuable, largely if they (as the article suggests) focus on human capital, or equipping native missionaries to do things that they wouldn't otherwise be able to do.  The Synergy Ministries credo is to "oil the tractors in the harvest" by helping native missionaries be more efficient and cost-effective in running their ministries so they can, for example, spend less time buried in administrative busywork and more time in the field. There needs to be some recognition that as the native church grows, there's a stewardship question around whether if money spent sending people overseas for one or two-week stints (or even longer) would be better off given to native missionaries.

In his book "Revolution in World Missions", K.P. Yohannan hammers the foolishness of sending a Western missionary who is ignorant in terms of language, culture, and requires a certain lifestyle which is in any way different than that which is considered normal by native standards.  Neither the (wasteful) economics nor the (lower) impact makes sense.

As someone who leads a Missions Committee, this always leads to me ask the question (in a nice way), "Why should we commit $100,000 to send you to foreign country X when we can support ten native missionaries who actually speak the language?" or put another way, "What is unique about what your expertise which requires you to go forth so far away?  How do you plan on teaching these skills to the native church so you can 'work yourself out of a job'?"  And of course I want to see commitment and a strong sense of calling, not someone who is having trouble finding direction in their life and figures, "Hey, I think I'll do some Christian work overseas.  I love to travel and meet new and interesting people.  That'll be new and exciting..." and then quits after a year or two.  

From a short-term missions perspective, I think these questions still apply, though I do believe that there is value in using short-term missions as a means of providing what the article alluded to as learning opportunities which can impact for a lifetime the importance of the Great Commission and the vital components on praying, sending, and going.  I'd still want to see some investment in human capital and equipping the native ministries while that's happening. 

At Emmanuel, I really would love for people to wrestle about some of these questions.  But first people need to fundamentally have the Great Commission front and center in their hearts and minds so they can actually do so.  We're not there, and we need to get there.