• Directories
    • Business Directory
    • Church Directory
    • Organization Directory
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Help
  • Log In

MENUMENU
  • Learning
        • Leader’s Edge
          • Author Interviews
          • Book Summaries
        • Book Reviews
          • Book Look
          • EMQ Book Reviews
        • Publications
          • Anthology
          • Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ)
          • Missiographics
        • Podcasts
          • The Mission Matters
          • Members Only Feed
          • Missions Podcast DirectoryNew
        • Topics
          • COVID-19 Resources
          • Diaspora Missions
          • Global Issues Updates
          • Member Highlights
          • Mobilization
          • Muslim Missions
          • Support Raising
          • UkraineNew
        • Media Library
          • Conferences
          • Global Issue Updates
          • On Mission
          • Thought Leader Briefings
          • Webinars
          • Workshop
          • View All
  • Programs
    • Accreditation
    • Bible Certificate
    • Church Missions Coaching
    • Cohorts
    • Cybersecurity
    • ImproveNew
    • Mission Jobs
    • Missions DataNew
    • Publish
    • RightNow Media
    • The Mission App
    • Women’s Development
  • Events
          • Calendar
          • In-Person Events
          • Virtual Events
          • Event Recordings
          • Awards
        • Premier Events
          • Mission Leaders Conference
          • On Mission
        • Upcoming Events

          • Webinar: An Introduction to the Theology and Practice of Cross-Cultural Risk
            Thu May 26 2022, 12:00pm EDT
          • Pocket Guide to Being a Missions Pastor: 5 Things Every Missions Pastor Needs to Know
            Wed Jun 1 2022, 01:00pm EDT
          • From Harlem to the World - the Local Church Mobilized for Global Missions
            Wed Aug 3 2022, 01:00pm EDT
        • View All Events
  • Research
          • Missions DataNew
          • Missiographics
          • Research Reports
        • Popular Research
          • Compensation Reports
          • COVID-19 Resources
          • Field Attrition Report
          • View All Reports
        • Contribute
          • Current Research Projects
          • Volunteer
  • About Us
        • Who We Are
          • Our Contribution
          • Meet the Team
          • Board Members
          • History (1917–present)
        • Our Beliefs
          • Statement of Faith
          • Community Standards
        • Awards
        • Partner with Us
          • Advertise
          • Donate
          • Sponsorships
          • Volunteer
        • Help
          • Contact Us
          • Advertising Specs
          • Branding Guidelines
  • Join
        • Learn
        • Learn what you cannot learn anywhere else.

        • Meet
        • Meet people you otherwise won’t meet.

        • Engage
        • Engage in a community like none other.

          • Benefits
          • Benefits for Churches
          • Pricing

Sponsored Content

Upcoming Events

  • Webinar: An Introduction to the Theology and Practice of Cross-Cultural Risk
    Thu May 26 2022, 12:00pm EDT
  • Pocket Guide to Being a Missions Pastor: 5 Things Every Missions Pastor Needs to Know
    Wed Jun 1 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • From Harlem to the World - the Local Church Mobilized for Global Missions
    Wed Aug 3 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • Innovation Leaders Discussion
    Mon Aug 8 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • Peer 2 Peer for Communications and Marketing Staff: Communications and the Mission of God: Aligning organizational communications with God's purposes
    Thu Aug 18 2022, 01:00pm EDT

View all events »

Topics

author interview CEO Church Church Missions Church Mission Team Church Planting COVID-19 Cross Cultural Skills Diaspora Disciple Making Discipleship Focus Future Innovation Islam Justin Long Leadership Management Member Care Missiology Missionaries Mission Finance and Administration MLC2019 MLC2020 MLC2021 Mobilization muslim Muslim Diaspora Networks Partnership Podcast Presenter Pursuing Partnerships Series Research Risk Short-Term Missions Spirituality support raising Training Trends Unengaged Unreached Weekly Roundup Women Women in Leadership

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

The Tin-cup Image Be Shattered

Posted on October 1, 1986 by Ted EslerOctober 1, 1986

by Daniel W. Bacon

Suggestions for practical steps churches can take to cooperate with agencies to facilitate and improve the deputation system.

The word deputation connotes a host of images and feelings. Reactions from the missionary candidate, or even missionary on furlough, may vary from mild panic, anxiety, and exhaustion to keen anticipation and excitement. From the church side, some view the missions deputation process with sympathy for the travel-worn missionary, but question also a system that puts such hardship on people and creates competition among agencies for church speaking time. Unfortunately, the picture of a missionary with tin-cup-in-hand has become a major barrier to many young people contemplating career missions.

Winds of change are blowing in the right direction, however, and many agencies and local churches are rethinking the deputation process. In the meantime, how can the candidate or missionary facing deputation come to terms with the situation and make the best of it? What practical steps can churches take, as well, to cooperate with agencies to facilitate and improve the deputation system? The following are some suggestions:

GETTING THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE
It is difficult to shake off the image of a missionary on deputation as a kind of parasite or beggar. Missionaries themselves struggle with a self-perception of being a super salesperson trying to sell a product no one really wants. But a correct biblical perspective of the missionary’s relationship to the local church at home can help considerably. I see the missionary’s role in the deputation process as:

1. A model for missions. The missionary Paul frequently used his own experience as a role model to others (e.g., Rom. 15:14), to challenge and stimulate commitment to God’s work. The presence of a missionary is a living illustration of obedience to the Great Commission.

The missionary on deputation has a unique prophetic function to the churches, to keep the evangelistic task before us and to teach the partnership between church and mission. He or she need never apologize for that role and should realize that the main task in deputation is to help believers become missions-minded Christians.

2. A mobilizer for missions. The apostle Paul was a busy man. Even though he describes himself primarily as an evangelist and church planter (Rom. 15:20), yet he always sought to include others in the missionary task (Rom. 15:24). This pattern of partnership is a very helpful guideline for today’s missionary. Partnership, however, goes further than raising financial support. The need and legitimacy of mobilizing prayer and personnel should be clear from Paul’s example.

Thus, today’s missionary in deputation should realize that he or she is offering churches and individuals an opportunity for meaningful participation in God’s work. There is a rightful sense in which the missionary is extending a favor to the supporter and not just the opposite.

3. A minister for missions. Another critical role is to be a facilitator for the local church. Paul was willing to invest weeks and months just to transport support funds to needy Christians in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:19-21). The missionary needs to come with a willingness to serve the church and effect any connections that will help to bring together the mission agency and the local church.

GETTING THE RIGHT MESSAGE
What should be the message of the missionary on deputation? Some come to present their "work" or to present "themselves" as worthy of financial support. At times the host church sets the parameters or conditions and the missionary may be restricted. How often churches suggest that missionaries should stick to "stories" and leave preaching to the pastor.

I’m convinced, however, that the best starting point is to begin with the reality of God’s working in your own life. Coupled with that should be a clear biblical framework for your sense of call, commitment, preparation, and response to world need. How ably this was expressed in the example of that pioneer missionary to China and father of the faith missions movement, Hudson Taylor:

"The chief need, as he saw it, was faith in God for such an increase of spiritual life among His people as to produce the missionary spirit. Not money, not the collection, was to him the object of a meeting, but to get people under the power of the Word and into fellowship with God. We do not need to say much about the China Inland Mission. Let people see God working, let God be glorified, let believers be made holier, happier, brought nearer to Him and they will not need to be asked to help" (Hudson Taylor: God’s Man In China, p. 175, by Mrs. Howard Taylor).

GETTING THE RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS
The Bible speaks clearly of the interdependence of believers in the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12). Ideally, we need team spirit or partnership between the missionary and a supporting church. This joint relationship entails accountability, reporting, and interdependence.

The missionary obviously needs the church for support, but the church needs the missionary to extend, in obedience to the Great Commission, its ministry worldwide. When this pattern emerges, most of the frustrations that relate to deputation begin to dissolve. Deputation should be seen as the raising up of a support team and not just support dollars. When the missionary is viewed as an extension of the church in partnership, and not just as a hired agent, then deputation can truly be a joyful ministry and not just a gauntlet to be endured.

—–

Copyright © 1986 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.

GoToOlder PostNewer PostAll PostsArticlesEMQSectionVolume 22 - Issue 4

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Our Mailing List

Keep up to date with our community.

Menu

  • Home
  • Directories
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Join

  • Join
  • Benefits
  • Learn
  • Meet
  • Engage

Help

  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Cookies Policy

About Us

  • Who We Are
  • Statement of Faith
  • Awards
  • Resources
Missio Nexus Logo

© Missio Nexus. All rights reserved.
As an Amazon Associate Missio Nexus earns from qualifying purchases.


PO Box 398
Wheaton, IL 60187-0398

Phone: 770.457.6677
678.392.4577

Annual Sponsors

ECFA Logo Brotherhood Mutual Logo

Subscribe to our Mailing List

Membership website powered by MembershipWorks