When Are You Ready to Say They’re Ready?

A 1982 Hanes underwear commercial took us inside the Hanes factory and introduced us to overzealous Inspector 12. As the assumed prototype of all demanding Hanes inspectors, she insisted, “They don’t say Hanes until I say they say Hanes.” With strict Inspector 12 on the job, we know we're getting quality underwear when we buy Hanes.

The local church is the biblically designated “Inspector 12” of future missionaries. This is a significant reason why Pioneers requires every prospective missionary to have a sending church and include a pastoral reference from a sending church with their application.

Some references are extremely helpful. In other references, we find gaps.

• Sometimes they reveal that the person writing the reference doesn’t know the applicant well.
• Sometimes the reference appears hesitantly uncertain or unwilling to say much, with hints that we should give them a call.
• In other applications, the pastoral reference reads like a character reference. Helpful, but it provides little insight into their candidate’s ability to plant a church in Yemen or Vietnam.

When an aspiring missionary asks your church to fill out a reference, how do you know you’re ready to say they’re ready to go? A good rule of thumb is to consider the person’s heart, head and hands.

Heart

The foundation of a qualified missionary candidate is Christ-like character. The candidate is growing in demonstrable love for God and others (Matthew 22:37-38). They are quick to repent and forgive others. Others see the fruits of the Holy Spirit, born out of abiding in Christ, as increasingly evident. Their missionary motives are gospel-driven, seeking God’s honor rather than His approval.

Head

Future missionaries should not only know Bible content well but also understand how to apply its principles to everyday life. Before long, they will be grappling with such things in a very different context.

For example, they may need to explore what a healthy house church looks like and how it could operate when an American-style church (building, lots of programs, a large worship band, and a seminary-trained pastor) is not possible or desirable.

Hands

Qualified future missionaries have already demonstrated important skills for the field, and the church has observed them in practice (Acts 11:25-26). They share their faith regularly and personally disciple others. It can be tempting for a church to commend future missionaries lacking such skills, hoping that the mission agency will teach them these skills. But the ideal and natural place for learning and practicing these skills is the local church. How can you help them grow in these areas?

Conclusion

We don’t send perfect people to the field. And while the agency is responsible for a portion of missionary training, it spends a fraction of the time with pre-field missionaries that the church does.

Remember Hanes Inspector 12. When do you say they’re ready? The mission force is wonderfully diverse. It includes people with diverse personalities and backgrounds, serving in various roles and contexts. They need not look like they came from the same factory. But let’s not send people who are ill-prepared. Does your church have a profile of a future missionary you’re ready to commend to a mission agency?

Questions for reflection

In what ways is the local church better suited to prepare missionaries? Are there aspects in which agencies can prepare missionaries better?

What happens when church and agency neglect their unique best roles in missionary training, or take them from each other?

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