Is the call to missions geographic? Many missionaries speak of how God called them to their field. What about those who sense God moving them into missions, but who have never had a “call” to a particular field? Can someone be called to missions without having a specific location in mind?
Sometimes people in churches come to me in confusion: “I wanted to go into missions, but I never felt led toward a particular field so I decided that God must not be calling me.”
Dedicated believers who desire to be missionaries can go through life without feeling called to a particular location. I wonder how many never “go” for this reason.
In some cases, pastors and church leaders also encourage this line of thinking. When a person dedicated to missionary service is unclear of where he or she is called, church leaders may put the matter on hold until the candidate knows his or her field.
Myths in Missions
It is often assumed that the missionary call is to a field. Without that specific certainty, the call might be questioned. Furthermore, some pastors and churches believe that “once called, always called.” From this point of view, switching fields is seen as suspicious and may indicate instability. When we look at a pastoral call, however, we see that it is not necessarily geographic. Pastors are often called to a series of churches in a lifetime of ministry. If a change in location for a pastor is not a violation of his call, why are missionaries treated differently? Could it be that current thinking regarding the missionary call is flawed? If so, how many potential missionaries have been discouraged by the myth that the missionary call is geographic?
Solution in Scripture
Nowhere in the New Testament are there teachings that show the “missionary call” is to a particular location. The Pauline missionary teams planned a general itinerary, but the Holy Spirit led them step by step. In their missionary ministries God opened and closed doors along the way.
The text makes it clear: “The Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’” (Acts 13:2). Notice how it says, “the work” and not the place [emphasis added].
God calls to a vocation and leads to a location. The same principal that applies to pastors also applies to missionaries.
“But Acts is transitional,” some might argue. “The Pauline model is not intended to be normative for the developed church and its missions practice, is it?”
No, certainly not.
Paul and his partners seldom stayed in any one place for long during this initial phase of world evangelism. The Pax Romana—a long period of peace and stability in the Roman Empire—provided much of the world with a universal language, transportation, communication systems, and a political unity that facilitated the spread of the gospel in an unprecedented way.
Yet, after the apostolic era, extra-biblical Church history portrays early missionaries remaining in one country for many years. Here, they dug a deep foundation for long-term church planting and multiplication. Since then, the norm has been for international ambassadors of Christ to remain in one country or culture, mastering the language and culture, translating and/or teaching the Scriptures, and evangelizing and discipling in culturally authentic ways.
The goal is to produce strong churches that reach out to both their neighbors and nations, leading to church-planting movements and indigenous missions movements.
We see that the biblical pattern is of God calling to missionary work (vocation) and leading to a field (location). That leading can be directly connected to the call, or the leading could come later.
Sometimes missionary candidates come to ABWE with an openness to go wherever their gifts, abilities, and passions best fit. While here, they are able to interact with administrators, missionaries, and staff as they prayerfully consider a location.
As God reveals His purpose for strategic life investment, unreached peoples and places come into focus.
The Lord of the harvest is still calling disciples out of local churches to go to the nations with the gospel. He is leading them step by step to the people and place where they will serve.
Bill Commons spent 15 years as a church planter in Hong Kong. He has worked for 29 years in administration at the ABWE headquarters. He now serves as International Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. Dr. Commons lives with his wife, Sharon, in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
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