A model of on-field missionary training

Ross Woods, 2006. rev. 2020

In essence, such a proposed program comprises the following elements:

1. Online education
2. Lots of learning on the job
3. Onsite mentoring

The natural tendency would be to study topics as normal academic subjects. I think that would be a mistake.

A trip through the Scriptures

One stream of training is a trip through the Scriptures. It would comprise a biblial overview, then an expository study of a representative sample of Bible books.

A virtual approach to training

As they go through this, a second stream could be to tell the stories of a group of virtual missionary candidates with whom students could identify and with whom they could compare their own experiences. They face a range a sequence realistic believable challenges that represent or simulate those faced in the real world. The program guides students through step-by-step processes to face those challenges. The steps need to be concrete enough for students to know what to do, but not mechanistic and closed; they can give opportunity for exploration, alternative answers, and experimentation.

Learning is more about observing, doing, and reflecting. Building students into a community is essential. Teaching is largely about setting assigned tasks for students and helping them to reflect on how they went. Online groups are essential because students need to feel part of a community of students and discuss their experiences with peers.

In some organizations, field conferences can be a rich learning experience, because the team make strategy and solve problems. However, students need help to get optimal benefit as a learning experience.

There are limits to how much students should be asked to read. Besides, people read more slowly on-line and in smaller chunks. Nevertheless, some reading will be required, some paper and some online. Some paper textbooks are helpful, and the program manager can simply choose them and ask students to buy them. However, it is not all all difficult to offer online resources, and almost all mission organizations also have their own in-house resources that students need to read.

Sequence

The story is the natural stages of going to the field and handling issues as they come up:

1. Introduce the characters
2. Examine their call and spiritual journey
3. Identify their gifts
4. Handle baggage from their background
5. Get ready to apply
6. Feel part of the fellowship
7. Relate to their church
8. Do orientation
9. Oorganizational principles and policies
10. Security and travel
11. Health
12. Pack to go
13. Arrive on the field
14. Get somewhere to stay
15. Make friends
16. Find a role in the team
17. Do language study
18. Start in ministry
19. Deal with cultural issues in the team
20. Deal with cultural issues in the ministry
21. Find acceptance

I'd characterize the virtual candidates like this:

1. Half males, half females
2. Married and single
3. One 20 year old, two 25 year olds, a 35 year old couple, and one 55 year old
4. Vairous places of origin, including North America, Europe, and one nno-Western country.
5. Going to middle class in city, urban poor, an institutional ministry, rural poor.
6. Supportive vs. unsupportive sending churches
7. Helpful vs. unhelpful vs. controlling sending churches
8. Target fields: European (post-Christian), middle-eastern, animistic
9. Ministry: Pioneering vs. established team
10. Native speaker of English, non-native speaker of English.
11. Different learning styles and learning expectations
12. Different temperaments
13. Different intelligence levels and educational background

Onsite mentors

I would suggest that each student have an onsite mentor, which new workers should have anyway. I'd suggest that the role be well-defined and that effectiveness be monitored. Here are the usual kind of problems I've seen:

1. Time, location, and expertise are possible difficulties
2. Purpose, focus, gifting:
   • Some mentors will want the students to be theologians before they get into ministry.
   • Others will think theology is not the best use of time and only want to do ministry.
   • ome will be counselors seeking to "fix" or pastor people.
   • Some really don't want to train people and see it as a distraction form the real task.
3. Political dimensions in the field and in national bodies often gets in the way.
4. Some will do a good job but won't communicate with you.
5. Cultural differences are real, especially if the mentor is from a different culture from the student.
6. Generational difficulties and single/married tensions might arise.
7. Some of them are not suitable but got the job anyway.

What qualification should they get?

No particular qualification is perfect for everybody. People come in with gifts, different levels of education, career paths, differen aspirations, and countries of origin. For example:

• A Certificate or Diploma is well suited to many students with basic education.
• A degree is necessary in some countries.
• Students with a bachelor or higher degree would probably fit best is a Master program.
• In some countries, a religious qualification title is detrimental. Elsewhere, a religious qualification title is required, for example, church work and theological teaching.

Technology

Internet access is now usually quite good. Security of email or messaging app is essential in some countries. It is no longer a good idea to go with the simplest possible technology; people are now accustomed to more sophisticated kinds of online interactions. For example, videoconferences are now quite normal. However, I would still use a simple website, with hyperlinks to the relevant readings, tasks, and reflections.