God is at work raising up thousands of new cross-cultural witnesses from churches in the Global South. (He has been doing this for the last two or three decades, in fact.) Sadly, we hear anecdotal stories about many who stay only one or two years, then return or “go by the wayside.” We even hear that some lose families or their faith while doing so. What kinds of resources exist for member care (at large) for these workers? We suspect that each organization/church is having to “work this out as we go.” Would anyone have anything already prepared about this question? If you have ideas, please click “read more” and comment. Thanks, in advance, for any help.
10) How Will We Provide Member Care for Global South Go-ers?
Intriguing to receive this now … I called through to some ‘South to South’ missionaries, a pair of celibates working in Kenya, just an hour ago. My message: can I come and pay you a visit?
I think in many ways, that is it. I have no money to offer. That wouldn’t help. It would simply mark them out as ‘white people’s pets’. Neither do I intend to use any English with them. The latter would be seen as their benefitting from a native speaker of the world’s most expensive and lucrative language.
Of course, one can ask, if they need member care, why have they been sent without the member care they need? I mean – is to send a missionary so that they fail (unless Westerners bale them out) sending a missionary, or setting up a liability?
Hope that helps …
The need, as my 40+ years of experience in the missions community, is the development of a Partnership Team like Paul had from members of the Philippian Church. Though they never traveled with hi, he called them Partners in the Gospel!
Two notes received recently: Sorry I am so late in responding (to ERI’s 39th birthday)! What a milestone! Your ministry is a huge blessing to us. L… and S…. were here last week, our faithful core group leaders for 24 years now! All because of the impetus of Emmaus Road. I know we are the envy of so many missionaries. J….
These past few months have been full of learning and adjusting to a new schedule of serving full-time Stateside…(We are)…working through what’s called “Re-entry” for missionaries who are returning to their “home” which hasn’t felt much like home since spending and adjusting to life overseas. [O]ur friend, Neal Pirolo, perfectly writes for us in his highly recommended book: Serving as Senders —
“New beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors have become a part of your returning worker. Perhaps he has adjusted to a culture with a slower pace, a more relaxed atmosphere, an emphasis on people and relationships, zestier foods…the cultural difference that your returning missionary may try to hold onto are innumerable. When schedules and attitudes of people here at home now don’t allow for them, he feels irritation and stress.” A…
Since writing that book, we have devoted a full volume to the training for missionary care on their reentry: The Reentry Team, Caring for Your Returning Missionaries. ~~~~NEAL
There are lots of wonderful care efforts developing in the Global South. Much of it is totally independent of Western efforts. It’s the fellow countrymen of global missionaries who can best care for them! See GlobalMemberCare.com They are doing a GREAT job of networking Global South workers passionate about caring for frontliners.
Catalyst Services published an issue of our Postings ezine on how Western churches could come alongside the efforts of Global South caregivers: https://catalystservices.org/caring-for-national-partners/
Since 2005, the Asian Member Care Network organizes biannual AMCN Conference in Penang Malaysia. Due to the pandemic we had postponed next 7th Conference to April 17-21 2023. Conference begins with Pre-Conference Spiritual Retreat Friday afternoon to Monday lunch，April 15-17. This is our seventh Conference. We provide professional training; rest, refreshment and restoration; networking opportunities; on location psychologists, therapists, counselors and Spiritual Directors for participants.
In the years we don’t meet, we help launch MC Conferences in new sending countries of Asia – Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, more to come in future.