MISSIOLOGY
LECTURE 32
DEPUTATION DILEMNA III
Is Deputation a waste?!....
I am sure that most of the Missionaries that go on ‘deputation’ would surely rather be on their field serving the Lord. Their heart is to serve the Lord, win souls, get churches planted, etc.. They are not evil, per se, for being on Deputation. Many times they are forced to by their pastor, their church, or their Mission Board. But, oh how it seems to be a waste of time, a waste of energies, a waste of monies!...
Travelling the countrside basically begging, pleading, and trying their best to impress churches to ‘take them on for support’. The stresses that are placed on that ‘deputation family’ as they pack into a mini-van and travel with 2 or 3 screaming kids every day for 6,8,10, even 12 hours…onward to the next ‘church’ to present their field to. It’s a wonder there aren’t ‘divorces’ while on deputation! These Missionaries are in need of a furlough from deputation! They are ‘burnt out’ even before they reach their field! Have you ever travelled with a bunch of kids for a week or two? How about for 100 to 150 weeks!!!!
And we have already looked at the monies spent: probably anywhere from 500 to 1000 dollars per week spent on fuel, lodging, food, etc.. Over the course of 3 years, that could be 75 to 150 thousand dollars spent!!! If they were on the field, they might be able to live on maybe $2000 a month; that would mean that that money could have kept a Missionary on the field for 3 to 6 years!!!
Most are on deputation for 2 to 3 years. I wonder how many souls perish in Hell during those 2 to 3 years?! I wonder how many people could have been reached in those 2 to 3 years? I wonder how many men could be over halfway done with their training to become the next missionaries there in those 2 to 3 years?! I wonder if we will see what a waste deputation was when we stand before our Lord at the Judgement Seat?!....
Should we support deputation?
Should a church be financially supporting a ‘missionary’ while he is on deputation? Is that money being wisely spent? You can review what was said in Lecture # 30 on ‘living off the love offerings’; but, it basically stated that a Missionary and his family might very well be able to survive ok for those 2 to 3 years on deputation without any support monies coming in.
What are you supporting them specifically to do? To travel across the USA for 2 to 3 years? If so, so be it. But, if it is to reach souls and plant a church in a far away country, then let’s have our monies go to that grand purpose, and not all this ‘tertiary’ ‘rabbit-trailing.
Our current policy is to start support @ $25/month while they are on deputation and then increase it to the normal amount ($110/month) once they arrive on the field. The $85/month difference might be put in a separate fund for Missionaries’ ‘moving expenses’ when they actually go to their field.
Another thought is: “Should support monies go to a Missionary while he is on ‘furlough’? Is the furlough part of what we want to be supporting him to do? I have no problem with a Missionary going back to America to visit love ones once in a while (every 2 to 5 years, maybe), but should churches be paying him $4000/mo for that year or so that they are ‘relaxing’ in America? The truth is, they are visiting relatives a little, reporting to supporting churches some, but the majority of their efforts are on ‘raising more support’! The dollar may have ‘fallen’ in their country; some churches may have dropped them; cost of living undoubtedly will go up. It might be wise for a church to have a policy to give full monthly support for a certain period of time while the Missionary is ‘off the field’ (i.e. on furlough, or for medical reasons, etc.). That period of time might be 3 or 4 months, in my humble opinion. What happens if they were on furlough for 3 years?!...
What are you trusting in? Would the Missionary really go to their field if the Lord ‘told them to go’ at such and such a time if they weren’t fairly close to reaching their desired (or required) support level?.... Most would tell you that they would go if the Lord made it very very clear. But, would they really?.... Does God really want them to go on deputation for 2 to 3 years?! Is this without a doubt the Lord’s will for each and every Missionary going to a foreign country? Why don’t we see one ounce of support for deputation in the New Testament?
The truth is, in my not so humble opinion, many (not all though) Missionaries are more trusting in the almighty dollar than the Almighty God!...
Jesus’ View of Deputation
Luke 10:3-12
3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
Mt 10:11,12 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it.
6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Mt 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
From this passage, it is apparent that, at least with those ‘Missionaries’, they weren’t to worry at all about finances, about extra clothing items, nor about lodging. This, translated to today, would set the guideline for a Missionary to totally avoid the Deputation trail and get right to business; he (and his male co-worker) will go find somebody in that city (his field) to lodge with. They will then stay with those folks for as long as they will have them; and may, at some point, transfer to some other hospitable sort in the city. They stay in people’s homes until their work is done there. If no-one takes them in, then they move on down the road to a city that ‘is open to the gospel’.
However, Jesus made this statement to His ‘Missionaries’ a while later ---
Luke 22:35-38 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.
The big question is which of the above 2 passages are today’s Missionaries suppose to abide by? It could very well be that while Jesus Christ was with them, He would see to it that all their needs were met; or, at least, the climate was ripe for people to take care of them. And, that after He would leave, the spiritual climate would change and very few would take them in; and thus they would need to bring ‘script’ along. If that is the case, then it wouldn’t be advisable for a Missionary just to take off to their field with only a plane ticket and a bottle of water. However, if the climate was just referring to the immediate hostile setting that would follow Jesus’ crucifixion, then, we may be in a more welcoming climate. It may all deal with the climate for Christianity in the field that you plan to serve in. Go to Iraq and find great hostility; go to Honduras and find great welcoming…..
Acts 13 is anti-deputation
Acts 13:1-4 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
In Acts 13, it is clear to me that these 2 Missionaries left that church very soon after they were ‘called out by God for a certain mission’ and the officially ‘commissioned by that church’. There was no mention, or even hint, at them going from church to church trying to raise financial support over a 2 to 3 year period! None at all! Zippo!
By the way, they were sent out two and two, not single family by single family. The Bible doesn’t support the notion of sending out ‘Missionaries’ as a family. Though, I would submit to you, that it would be reasonable to potentially later, bring the family to the Missionary, once he was settled in and all the travelling and potential danger was over. This might be 6 months or even a year or more. I believe that the Biblical mandate is 2 men going out together…whether or not their families go with them or not. Though, they sure could take their families along if all was prepared for them once arriving to their ‘field’.
Not a novice…
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 BibleCollege 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.
It’s not a dilemna…
Some solutions to the Deputation Dilemna are as follows:
1. Have the sending church give enough monthly support to keep them alive for 1 whole year; hopefully, after that, the ‘work’ there will have at least some monies coming in regularly, to offset the American support.
2. Have supporting churches all support for higher amounts: maybe $200, $300, even $500 a month!
3. Only go to those churches nearby: within a state, or a group of states; they would know you better; less fuel; less time; could stay with sending church somewhat; keep a part time job; keep the house.
4. Live off the love offerings and put every single penny otherwise towards the big move and the first months of
living expenses.
5. Set a firm time limit and then set off for the field, 100% supported or not! This time limit might be 6 or 12
months… but not like 2 to 3 years.
6. Send out letters from your church to churches across the globe explaining your plans and ask for a one time love offering
to get you to the field and up and running for a few months. Then send another letter out once you are there for the next
need, when it comes.
7. Have some form of business (internet, craft making, mechanical, etc.) that could be marketable (legally) in the country
you are going to and try and live off of that (or at least use it as a supplement).
8. Simply save money and when you have enough saved for maybe 6 to 12 months of living expense + travel, then
go. The husband needs to provide for his family, not all the churches across America
(though it’s very reasonable for them to try and help).
9. Or, simply avoid deputation all together, and find out when God wants you there (like
yesterday…) and watch him provide travel monies, and ‘set up’ monies, and then go to
your field to where God has called you!...
10. And/or follow “Jesus’ plan for Missionaries”, depending on the country’s ‘climate’.
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