by Sandy » Mon Aug 31, 2015 2:05 pm
It's kind of interesting, actually, to see how the concept of "international missions" is used. We're still hearing and seeing the emotional, guilt-trip kinds of pushes to move resources and people to international mission work, because of the abundance of resource we have, compared to most of the rest of the world, and the fact that we are a culture that is saturated with churches and Bibles, whereas there is such a great need elsewhere in the world. But there are a lot of places around the world now where the Christians are able to provide resources, are well trained and equipped, and are having a lot of success in evangelism and church growth, and don't really need the help of American missionaries. But we'll have plenty of people get organized in groups, and go spend a week or so in some exotic, impoverished country, to "do missions." The airfare, food and lodging resources we consume in taking a group of people on a mission trip could supply indigenous personnel in their work for years in some cases.
The IMB has, in recent years, done a good job of shifting its focus into areas where there's been little done in the way of evangelism, and resources, though it is getting harder to get missionary personnel into those areas. There's a pretty good group of people working in places where they come in contact with people who are from countries which are closed off to Christian evangelism and missions. We had a couple in our church in Houston who were actually under IMB appointment, doing student work at the Texas Medical Center, with the idea that every Chinese student they won to Christ who would go back to China eventually would carry the gospel with them. I think that is also something that is happening elsewhere, with other groups from countries where on-site ministry isn't possible.
In the CMA, over 80% of the total denominational membership is outside the US, so the structure of missionary personnel is much different. There is a lot of financial support that is expected from US churches, through the "Great Commission Fund", but most of the personnel, pastors and church workers, are indigenous.