ABWE - Association of Baptists for World Evangelism

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How many times have you heard the statement, “Every Christian is called to be a missionary”? If this were true, however, wouldn’t we also say that every Christian is a pastor, a teacher, an evangelist, an apostle, or a prophet? The Bible is clear that certain roles were distributed among the early Church as God gifted and called each person. The missionary roles of Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and others were no exception. I do not want to underemphasize the importance of personal evangelism—every believer should be an obedient Christian. It is important to note, however, that not every obedient Christian will be a missionary.

The Call to Missions

The missionary call, however, is more about community than it is about mystery or geography. Through the years, the decision process of those considering entering missions has focused on the mystery of the call. Questions arise that only God can answer: “Why me? Why now? Where will this lead?” We tend to focus on the supernatural circumstances—found throughout the Bible—that surround God’s call to certain individuals. An angel appears out of nowhere. A bush in the desert bursts into flame but isn’t consumed. The manner in which God calls these individuals is always unpredictable and unique. Every year, we at ABWE also listen to unique personal testimonies of God’s call in peoples’ lives. Supernatural occurrences, however, seem to be a rare exception since the Church’s establishment, as recorded in the book of Acts. Those of us living in North America have perhaps been influenced more than we realize by our cultural heritage, which admires the rugged individual and the self-sufficient pioneer/entrepreneur. Most of the world, however, understands that the greatest and most enduring changes are usually enacted by a community carrying out a shared task. We also forget that in God’s kingdom, we are not supposed to operate as isolated individuals, but rather as part of an interdependent body of believers that is always connected in order to serve the body’s best interest as a whole.

Biblical Misinterpretation

We can easily misinterpret biblical phrases such as the following verse found in 1 Corinthians 1:1: “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, . . . .” Taken as an isolated text, this may seem like an individualized call. However, if we go back to Acts 13, we find a very different story.

Now in the Church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to MeBarnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.(Acts 13:1-4)

Note the following questions this passage raises:

If the purpose of God’s call to Barnabas or Saul was to go out only as isolated missionaries, then why did the Spirit also involve the other Church leaders in their call?

• Why did the missionary call come as they were worshiping and ministering together?
• Were the prophets and leaders who stayed behind just as much in God’s will as the appointed missionary team that sailed away?
• Why does the Bible record that the call was confirmed through a deliberate process of fasting, praying, and laying on of hands?
• What other benefits to the community of believers occurred because the entire church was a part of the process? (Acts 14:26–28)

Leaders Involved

Clearly, a group of leaders in the New Testament were involved in the call process of Barnabas and Paul. Yet, you would be amazed at the number of people who have applied to become missionaries purely on the basis of an individual experience, with no input from their pastor or church leaders. Unfortunately, we have heard repeatedly from resigning missionaries, “I thought I was pursuing God’s will, but perhaps I was wrong.” I might suggest that involving church leaders early in the call process would reduce the number of such sad statements. Further, as you read the remainder of the New Testament, both Paul and Barnabas were involved with selecting and calling other missionaries such as John Mark, Timothy, Titus, and others. These men were then instructed to continue that process of choosing other faithful men to repeat the process. I say again, the missionary call is more about community than it is about mystery or geography. The mystery only reveals God’s hand in the call process, and the geography is not the end of the call but merely a means to locate the people God desires to reach with His Son’s gospel. God’s purpose is always about reaching and transforming people and drawing them into loving, obedient communities of faith. God has clearly chosen to use the Church to confirm and support His call for missionaries.

Several years ago, a young seminary professor ministered in communist Romania and returned home with a lump in his throat and a burden for the people. Uncertain whether God was calling him, he returned for a second visit. Upon his arrival, he was stunned to hear the following statement from a persecuted pastor: “We are glad to see that you are also listening to the same Holy Spirit. We have been fasting and praying for you to return to us and serve God here with us.” The vague notion of a burden to serve in missions had now become crystal clear. This is the power of a community call. Mission agencies such as ABWE participate in this call by working with numerous churches and missionaries who are seeking to find the right people group, the right team or international partner, or the right project. By the “right team” we mean the best fit for optimum effectiveness in life and ministry. This process is anything but an isolated, individual decision. It is nothing less than a community process that includes scores of people around the world. I believe that when we look back on life’s journey, the important thing will not be where the road went but the lives that were touched along the way. The next time you hear someone talking about a missionary call, ask yourself, “I wonder just how many others were involved in that call?” The answer may surprise you.

Dr. Michael Loftis is the president of ABWE. Prior to this role, he and his wife, JoBeth, served twelve years in overseas leadership in nine countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The Loftis family lives near New Cumberland, Pennsylvania.

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