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From the “Introduction” of the book: There are two ways to look at world missions and missionaries, one of which is from the “outside looking in” and the other is “from the inside looking out”. As you read this book on The Church and Missionary Relationship, please do not interpret it as an attack on a person or a church, for that is certainly not the intent. The purpose of this book is
- to look at world missions and missionaries from the inside and through the eyes of missionaries,
- and hopefully to somehow be able to help the local church understand what its real responsibility is with respect to missionaries,
- and to call attention to some of the things that a missionary has to contend with.
When a missionary comes to a church while on deputation to present his ministry, report to a supporting church, or perhaps he is just writing a newsletter to give a report about the ministry that he is already engaged in, there is so much that he could and probably would like to say, but does not have the liberty to do so. But if Brother Missionary was brave enough or had the liberty to bare his heart and tell the congregation what he has to contend with, in all likelihood it would be perceived as sour grapes. He may also be signing his financial support death warrant. The truth of the matter is that there is a lot that goes on in the life of a missionary, whether he’s on the field or on deputation that people never hear about, and this writer is not really sure that they want to. On the whole, pastors and congregations only want to hear the positive reports – they do not want to hear the negative side that really does exist.
In the preparation of this material the author feels in a very awkward position; he himself is a missionary. Because of what he has seen, heard, and learned over the years, he feels compelled that somebody at some point in time must address certain issues on behalf of other missionaries. A missionary now serving in Latin America wrote and said, “Thanks for taking these matters to the stump for us.” I am quite sure that there is much more that could be addressed than what is already contained herein, but this should be sufficient for the present. With this thought in mind, we need to first of all dispel the myth of home and foreign missions.
This book is available for a gift of $6.95 plus postage.