Christian Chronicle (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 17, No. [40], Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 19, 1960 Page: 4 of 8
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CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE
My w, I,
July W
NO. 2 IN SERIES ON THE ELDER AND MISSIONS
prog:
I
2.
YOU ASKED FOR IT!
4.
5.
SUMMARY
6.
BE SELECTED?
SUMMARY
.V
NEEDED
EXPERIENCE
and
Too many churches
1.
(a)
i
6.
coSt and pay the price.”
SUMMARY
I.
THE ELDERS (THE CHURCH) SHOULD SELECT
THE MAN
1.
o
men
2
r
o
out-
2.
4.
—ai|i i<«ji
4
wives have caused
any other single
the wives who
.....J grown into
gracious Christians, doing
Early in
lo Mora,
By R. 8. BELL
2nd in a Series
(Compiled from a questionnaire sent to
missionaries.)
o
3.
3 t0 P*
■here o'*
sands of dollars into^ an
The steps
return be
that the Ix»rd
QUALIFICATIONS
ESSENTIAL
greatest asset
I’m not
women that
lln>
( ar**
his
Kit uation#
posit ion
r I
Some experience in church work is impera
tive.”
3< “Sometimes people are selected who are just
out of college and have not the slightest
knowledge of what is in store for them. I feel
that many preachers and elders make this
mistake because as long as they get someone
to go that is just fine. Elders of the church
of Cod should see that if a man is selected
he will have been taught many things con-
cerning hardships, decisions and problems.
These cannot be taught in school.”
“At one time I entertained the mistaken idea
that qualifications and experience could be
offset by personality and zeal and desire. I
see now that I was wrong. There is no sub-
stitute for training and experience.”
“I would like to see more experienced men
sent into new fields. How many business firms
would send an inexperienced man into a new
and difficult field to open a new branch?”
“Few men of proven ability and soundness
have chosen to do mission work. This is a
sad commentary on a group charged with con-
quering the world for Christ.”
be given before a decision is made.”
asuRffl*ch prayerful con-
prfven to this as is
By RiCB
MORA. ■
u:u<>ng
of
lli.ui' ■
in;:: wlienl
hrlll a II1,B
with the II
aUd baptizl
Biorc thanB
tized. I
There <‘l
and Kr,'l
These are I
Blanchard.!
Feliz. Pul
Cleveland ■
,arly <<>nv|
been i ns tri
inc all ofl
Al! have 11
iept Clevil
lion held I
rice Januil
mises to ■
eoncregatil
Only thl
Feliz btiilill
We also hl
programs I
station will
of more til
' three-cminj
programs I
Gomez anl
program il
Riverside I
Worth. Til
Early it]
Dallas, Tel
began prrl
Mound anl
oversight I
Christ at ■
in Dallas I
Spanish spl
for almost I
oversight I
man Avena
I were haptl
I in Dallas, I
ings at
I Christi f
I congregati]
I six were bl
I er's dwell!
moved fro
I ?on Moun
Roing to haf>
CPt,il‘K a n>M
th« spirit
j m
are so hard
«> oftej
a bunch
7TTT
pleas
lr* tnovi
you art
your
'door knocking’ personality.
6 “There should be an emphasis placed upon
the qualities of STABILITY and PATIENCE
“A mature person — good with his own family
personal worker
himpetf to strange
must
3. “Don’t force
sold on the need and the
there is little likelihood
4 “Good abilities are
work. What would
church at home is
abroad.”
5. “He must have a
He must be a Jack of all trades.”
an emphasis placed
going to do now. The brethre
to please and preachers have to
that 1 think we are going
of preachers before long wanting
......iwa> from l he horrible
■ an* bringing on 1OC1;
III. HOW SHOULD THE MAN BE SELECTED?
A.THE ELDERS (THE CHURCH) SHOULD
SELECT THE MAN
1. “The ideal situation
to select the man.
2. “Usually it works the other way round, un-
fortunately — Instead of a church selecting
a man for a particular field, the missionary
selects the church to send him. However, it
seems wiser for a church to select a qualified
man with faith, common sense, wholesome
personality, etc., and encourage him to go. A
young man cannot judge himself and his quali-
fications objectively enough. Several times I
have seen where great missionary enthusiasm
and eagerness have turned into bitter dis-
appointments; the missionary became unhap-
py in the foreign field and began to resent
the people with whom he worked; the home
congregation got discouraged about his fail-
ure; and the native brethren and unbelievers
were left with an unfavorable impression
about the church of Christ.”
‘I thing elders should encourage more capable
and experienced men to go to mission fields.
are keeping the better
qualified preachers and are sending out the
inexperienced.”
4 “But many perhaps don't go because
no
mission field to get
conditions our brvThren
men.”
ability
A
1(1
“Naturally, men of
the faith and of
chosen. But there
mense importance,
family, possess
to adjust to new
new foods, etc. (also doing without
are used to back home) ? Does he
strong faith to endure
persecution, and perhaps ______
of all — discouragement? Is his personal life
in keeping with the gospel? This is so im-
portant. Little good It will do us to preach
?!_..Y1!1 wc not nrnctiee it.”________________
MEN AND
“The biggest problem you ar*-
is not selecting a man but in
to go. Our brethren do not possess f
of Christ. I’ll tell you what I think they
........ ‘ ■'......... ,ni ’ '' n
move
to have
to ro to |
no one
helps them to see the need, no one shows
confidence in them, or because no one has
actually encouraged them.”
5. “My thought is that the church should send
those whom she has personally known, asso-
ciated with and approved; and if possible,
those of her own membership whom she has
trained. We do not usually do this. It is
easier to send a few dollars into a field to a
man already there and not be burdened by
a first hand responsibility.”
“Elders should always be on the lookout for
men who ar^ devoted to the teachings of the
Hon of God and who are willing to count the
Thh wl|
funicle
X St po
Christ
Bo* i7j
“A good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of
faith.”
He must have a burning desire to go BUT—
He must also be
Sound in the faith
(b) A mature person
(c) Good with his family
(d) An effective preacher and teacher
(e) An ardent personal worker (with a door
knocking personality)
If) Adaptable to strange customs
(g) Open minded — (He must know the real
.difference between gospel principle and
American custom and opinion)
th) Serious minded
(1) Possess endurance and patience
(j) Family cooperation
(k) Experience
E. INVESTIGATION OF MAN* AND FAMILY
“The man should be fully investigated. This
is no shame and should not be neglected.
The elders should take the time and trouble
to fully investigate the man, his former work,
I even his wife and her
work because this
in the
to
and lux-
“I would say that just
sideration ought to be given to this as is us-
ually given to choose a local preacher. In fact,
the choice of tlw--right Individual is more
critical.”
3. “With fasting and prayer.” Acts 13 3
C. QUALIFICATIONS NEEDED
1. “The divine qualification must be required.
'For he was a good man and full of the Holy
Ghost and of faith . *. Acts 11:24’.”
The man must have a desire to go, but this
not be his only qualification.”
a man to go. If he is not fully
! reason for going,
of success.”
necessary for mission
be acceptable for the
a pretty good criterion for
How To Select The Man
will be better able to judge
teach, preach, handle difficult
they, will be in a far belt
, his character.”
3. When we have found him, kt * p hfIP
is for the congregadon
F. HOW CAN WE FIND SUCH
WOMEN? ,
1-. “The ideal situation Is where the man or
men and their ’ families can live and work
closely for a time, for a period of from three
to six months or even longer, with the con-
gregation supporting them before they go into
a 'mission work.”
2. ‘I think that an ideal arrangement might
?r»Lman to work w,th a church » Ume.
In this way the elders and the congregation
“The ideal situation is for tin* congregaba I
to select the man! All the * are and consider*
tion should be given to the selection that
would be given in choosing of a man to sent
locally! Perhaps even more so. especially li
view of the fact that a local mistake cu
usually be corrected much easier than a ’long
distance’ one. The congregation should try
to analyze the qualities necessary in one who
can do effective missionary work, and not!
act ept It ss! They should inform themselvei
as to the problems, living conditions, etc. ths’
must be met. aiul discuss this thoroughly witl I
the man and his family, to make sure that1
he will be willing to stay for an acceptable
length of time in the field Qualities I would
name are Bible knowledge, spiritual life, ma
turity, elasticity, experience, love for the lost
absence of dogmatism (but not absenae ol
conviction), home ties sufficiently severed k
that the years of separation will not cans
exaggeraged mental anguish: desire" to ft
(on part of men and family), etc. These art
not exhaustive or in order necessarily of im-
portance. but I purposely put the ‘desire to
go' at the end. I think congregations need tt
look into more than the fact that one desirei
to go, for even though that be an Important
factor, it seems that in some cases that hat
been the main qualification of some mission-
aries. The fact that so many have al®<*
turned around immediately , or shortly aftr
arriving to go back home shows that more
study of the question ’Whom shall we send
would have saved the church money, and
would have saved souls in the mission field
“The man who wants to go may find the
congregation that could afford to send b
and sell them on the field and upon hlnisf
But this is the worst method, and ere»
though in the past the usual one, I hope
we art* getting away from it. It cause*
'hopeful’ missionary to waste a lot of
and often to become so discouraged that
gives up. It leads missionaries to t
view that the various places where
to get help are almost sinning if they
help them, or at the least they are
interested in mission work; whereas
to maintain our perspective and i
the world is the field, and no c<
has any special responsibility to t.
that field unless they choose L- -
I ■'*’ I'
f~.'
his family life, and
feelings about missionary
is the reason some have not stayed
field. Investigate his and her willingness
sacrifice many American standards
uries.”
“A man’s wife is his greatest asset or his
greatest liability’. How? I’m not convinced
that xe_need these women that go around
lecturing all the time, and that is not what
I am referring to. But a missionary’s wife
must be successful in adapting herself to new
surroundings, to meeting people constantly,
visiting and being visited over and over, and
making the best of it. I mean a successful
housewife, mother, Christian companion, and
devoted member.”
3. “In my own experience, 1 *
more grief to the work than
group. On the other hand,
have adjusted and sacrificed have
mature and g
standing work for Christ.”
proper training, sound in
proven ability should be
are other things of im-
Does he, including his
that undefinable ability to
surroundings, new customs,
things we
have the
hardships, possible
the most difficult
The elders, with the approval of the church,
should select the man to be sent.
The elders should encourage and train
to go:
(a) By teaching the need and necessity
(b) By missionary classes
(c) By sending promising prospects to school
(d) By seeking good men
B- WE SHOULD LET THE LORD HELP US
1. "Selecting men for missionary work is not
.m easy task, and again much prayer should
HOW SHOULD THE MAN
adopt th«
they tn
--r don’t
> not wn
,„j w-
reallxe tW
congreHtW
that *
to accept
special responsibility. In addition, a high P
sure salesman might, sell the congregatlo
himself and the field, but often time!
pressure’ salesmen are not the ones
the job done on the mission field,
tory and show cannot substitute for ba™ !
and individual contact. . oTer
“As a result, congregations may Pa
as dull and uninteresting many ® I
would be the most, ideally suited for fleedi
sion field and the specific work tM
to be done. It is just good business se
a. congregation that is going to 8 n jJ I
sands of dollars inter an investment
possible to Insure lliat a
given for this investment.
will require this. • r
equally sure that when the conR're®Zegnjt o*
lects the field and the man ftB R
their own careful study and in? e for •
that there is the greatest possible jjty 1
good return od the investment nHou ?
also suggest that a lot of attention jo
paid to the wife and children. No
a good work with an unhappy I
family!”
7.
— an effective preacher and
_________—.-nne who—can adapt
customs.”
8. "Some other hnporiant qualifications are-
VERSATILITY, OPEN MINDEDNESS, SERI-
OUSNESS, ENDURANCE. He must above all
know the real difference between gospel
principle and American custom and opinion.”"
D. EXPERIENCE ESSENTIAL
1. “The practice of sending men with little ex-
perience in church work to difficult mission
fleMa must stop.”
wuwneb* Ee ** '■«' ■* w*' ■W ** -r- **• ■ T”-?* -T'- ■
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Nichols, James W. Christian Chronicle (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 17, No. [40], Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 19, 1960, newspaper, July 19, 1960; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1306948/m1/4/: accessed July 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.