Training Mission Workers: Empowerment or Exploitation?
How to know your college missions program is training you in a biblical way.
If you grew up in a Christian household, there's a good chance you "know" a missionary, have been on a mission trip, or support a missionary through church fundraisers and events. Some denominations may be more mission-focused than others, where it's common to have a missionary come and share about their ministry in a far-flung corner of the world, with hopes to raise interest and funds for the coming year.
In the 90s, this visit was accompanied by a projector slide show of fly-covered children, maybe some handwoven baskets from the region, and a showcase of exciting trinkets or artisan crafts. "The Missionary" was venerated as a sort of modern-day settler, with stories of language mishaps, cross-cultural faux pas, and the native's lack of understanding about the life of Jesus and the modern ways of the West.
The photos, the stories, the pitied response from churchgoers have always been part of The Missionary way.
But this is no longer an appropriate option.
BarbieSavior is one of several instgram accounts that mock a syndrome sometimes called “white savior-ism.” The rise of social media put more scrutiny on missionary activity that lacked respect for other cultures and appropriate training. Read more on Barbie’s challenge.
These outdated attitudes and misconceptions cannot continue in a rapidly changing world due to the ubiquitous nature of social justice movements and access to technology. Instead of adjusting their approach to working in other nations as literacy and tech literacy increases, missionaries have primarily used evolving technology to exploit people instead of empowering them.
For example, it's become popular to raise awareness for access to clean water in African countries, but how often does it become more than a photo op? How often are villagers consulted and collaborated with to bring that clean water? The goal for G.O.D. International is to make that happen every single time. (Did you know in Sub-Saharan Africa, two-thirds of wells dug remain in disrepair? But G.O.D. International's NuWaterWorks program trains East African men and women to repair the wells instead of digging more. Less glamor, more success.)
Today's missionaries must adapt to how information is shared, how people groups are represented, and by whom. Because of the computers in our pockets and our ability to reach a global audience in seconds, the way you represent global issues needs to be part of your training from the start. If it's not, you may need to consider whether or not the mission paradigm you're operating within can survive the cultural shifts that have taken place. (If it's biblical, it will.) Or if it's merely an extension of a culture of power and historical dominance.
Explore: How the Bible made me Rethink Photography
When looking at what kinds of mission programs exist at the college level, it's essential to look at how such programs work with people and the words they use to talk about the people they work with. The way they work and the words they use to give you a window into the methods of missions being carried out within its institution.
Here are some questions to consider when looking at a college Missions program:
Institute student Matthew Webb works alongside Ugandan youth to create a clean cookstove on one of his cross-cultural mission experiences with The Institute.
Are the photographs of people dignifying or a type of poverty voyeurism?
Classes should prepare and teach mission workers how to take pictures accurately depicting the lives and livelihoods of the people it is representing in a humanizing and empowering way. Photographs should share stories of strength and ingenuity rather than highlight what Westerners perceive as "lack."
The Institute for G.O.D. mission experiences are called “immersions.” As such, the trip is not about traveling to all the hot spots, it’s about staying immersed in one place, speaking a foreign language, living life with the people there. It’s often a very humbling experience as students learn the basics of life in the village — washing clothes by hand, getting all their food from the market, learning to observe the life of the people they’re serving rather than rush in to change it.
What is the missions training paradigm based on?
It's imperative to research the models for training for any mission experience but especially for preparing you for a lifetime in ministry. If they mimic anything resembling colonialism (i.e., elevating Western dress, culture and customs over the local customs, living apart from the people they serve, implementing projects and programs without the collaboration of locals, etc.), it is not a sustainable model for ministry. The paradigm for service should be modeled after the life and ministry of Jesus. This requires investing time to study Jesus' mission paradigm -- slowing down and learning God's Word before rushing to "get something done now."
Part of living abroad is walking. Our students’ mission experiences don’t include travel luxuries, we take you to the third world to serve, with professors on the ground with you to ensure you do it effectively.
Does the college program focus more on getting projects done or on empowering people?
A lifetime of serving others should consist of more than checking off a list of tasks. The real work comes in building relationships that empower the other to bring change amongst their own neighborhoods and villages. This approach may require you to play a supporting role and not a primary position. Remember - it's not about you!
Above all, when it comes time to consider a college preparing you for a life in ministry, whether at home or abroad, always pray and seek God's direction for your life. A college program might look enticing if it boasts a million-dollar mission budget. But if the leadership lacks a sincere conviction to study God's word, and if the training is focused on the mission worker's experience above the people they are serving, it might be time to look elsewhere.
Jesus told his disciples in Luke 10, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." We know there is plenty of work to be done, but that work has a biblical way it is supposed to be carried out. Take the time to analyze whether or not the missions program you're studying within is biblically-based by looking at the way they practice missions. If it is undoubtedly a product of God's approach outlined in his Word, you can be confident your time and resources will result in training you won't be ashamed of.