Do You Believe God Still Calls Missionaries?

By Daniel Vestal
October 26, 2009
 

I do. I believe in the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, and I believe that God calls some people to fill a strategic role as cross-cultural and incarnational ministers.

At CBF, we refer to these called individuals as “field personnel.” And when we appoint them, we affirm their calling and send them out as Christ’s representatives. But lately, fewer and fewer have been sent. It’s not that God has stopped calling or that the need for missionaries has gone away. It’s that the CBF Offering for Global Missions – the primary funding source for this part of God’s work around the world – has plateaued.

There are several reasons for this plateau; some I understand and some I don’t.  Maybe it’s changing economic conditions. Maybe it’s that individuals and churches are investing their mission dollars in other ways. Maybe some are giving to projects and field personnel in which they are personally involved. Maybe some have lost confidence in cooperative mission efforts and others don’t give to any ministry where they can’t see immediate results.

I have always believed in an “abundance mentality” when it comes to ministry support, i.e. “God’s work done in God’s way will not lack God’s supply.” Yet I also believe in planning, collaboration and strategic thinking in ministry support. For these reasons, CBF has set some priorities for its shared mission. We focus on the most neglected, those who are least evangelized and most marginalized. We are committed to biblically-based global missions and to a biblical vision of justice. We partner within the Baptist World Alliance and the ecumenical Christian family to proclaim the Gospel. And we serve local churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

As the sole source of support for many of our field personnel, the annual Offering for Global Missions is vital to making these priorities a reality.  The larger the Offering, the more field missionaries we can support. In recent years we have had to reduce the number of field missionaries we can send because of a plateaued offering. Thankfully others have stepped forward to become CBF field personnel bringing their own support with them. For this we are deeply grateful. We are also grateful for the significant anonymous gifts that have funded a number of our field personnel. And I am most grateful that we have not had to bring home any field personnel because of plateaued giving.

But now the time has come for the CBF family to pray even more earnestly and give even more generously so that we can not only sustain the field missionaries we have but send even more. Here’s why I give to the Offering:

•  First, I give to the CBF Offering for Global Missions because it is just that … an offering to God, an expression of my Christian discipleship and financial stewardship. For me this is even more than a donation, a contribution or a fulfillment of a pledge. This offering is an act of worship and a response to a conviction to be part of fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.

•  Second, I give to the CBF Offering for Global Missions because it is global in scope. The impact of this Offering is beyond one specific place or one local need. Its reach is bold because the missionaries it sends and supports are all around the world ministering to and with multiple peoples in many places.

•  Third, I give to the CBF Offering for Global Missions because it is a missions offering. Every penny provides salary and support for individuals who cross cultural, language, geographical and racial barriers to be the presence of Christ. They intentionally and purposely go to difficult and dangerous places to invest themselves among people as representatives, servants and ministers of Christ.

Yes, I believe God still calls missionaries, and if you do too, will you please join me in making a gracious, even a sacrificial gift to the CBF Offering for Global Missions?

Daniel Vestal is executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, serving since 1996.

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