Ministry Transitions
Some missionaries serve most of their long-term missionary career in the same ministry. For example, a physician may serve decades in the same hospital, an elementary TCK teacher may serve decades in the same school, or a Bible teacher may serve decades in the same Bible school, seminary, or university. God called them to do a particular thing in a particular place, and they do it all their lives.
Other missionaries change ministries every few years. God called them to a particular country, a particular culture, or a particular agency; and they may stay where God called them but change what they do there, such as a teacher becoming field director. Still others find that God moves them to a different culture, agency, or country from time to time; however, issues arise when they transition from one position to another. Different issues are likely to arise when two types of transitions are made: First, when missionaries transfer to a different ministry at the same level, and second when missionaries transfer to a ministry at a different level.
Transition to a different ministry at the same level
This type of transition is one in which missionaries are involved with service involving primarily things or people that are not their colleagues. For example, physicians are primarily there to treat nationals, not their missionary colleagues. Of course, they are likely to treat colleagues who become ill. Likewise, Bible teachers in the Bible school or seminary are there primarily to teach Bible to nationals, and they may also teach a Bible lesson in the churches they attend; however, some colleagues may be in those churches.
In the great commission Jesus commands his disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptize them, and teach these people to obey what Jesus had commanded (Matthew 28). The Greek word for nations is “ethnos,” literally “ethnic groups,” commonly referred to as “people groups.” Jesus had done this for the Jews, and now he was commanding the Jews he had discipled to go and do this to other ethnic groups. Of course, the ones they discipled were expected to go and disciple other ethnic groups until all people groups received the message. Jesus did this so that his disciples would be there to continue when he was no longer available in the flesh.
The apostle Paul’s relationships with Timothy and Titus were good examples of this discipleship passing on. Both Timothy and Titus had Greek backgrounds. They may have come to Christ through Paul’s influence and were apparently discipled by him. Paul called Timothy his “true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Paul reminded Titus that “the reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished” (Titus 1:5). Both of these disciples helped Paul many times, and both were pastors to churches where they could disciple others. Paul discipled others so that they could disciple still others when Paul could no longer be there.
Likewise missionaries today are to make disciples who will remain to disciple others even when the missionaries are no longer able to be there. Essentially they are to “work themselves out of their job” and move on to another people group when they have discipled nationals who can remain to disciple others as the missionary moves on.
Specific examples of this abound.
· Teachers of elementary or secondary level nationals or TCKs may find their former students returning to teach.
· Likewise, teachers in Bible schools, seminaries or universities may find their former students returning to teach so that the missionary can move on to a different area.
· Physicians who minister to nationals may find that former patients return to serve in health care at the hospital.
· Church planters find that some of their parishioners go out to plant churches themselves.
· Missionaries ministering to people addicted to alcohol or other drugs may find that the addicts they had helped go on to help others.
· Ethnomusicologists may find that the nationals they helped write songs go on to help others to compose more songs.
Sometimes when changing to a different area at the same level, missionaries may find that they need new skills or knowledge. For example, when teachers transition to becoming field treasurers, they may have to sharpen their computer skills and learn new software. Likewise, field treasurers becoming teachers may need to learn new teaching skills and even may need to return to a university to become certified to teach.
Transition to a ministry at a “higher” level
This type of transition means that missionaries who have been involved with serving nationals change to service primarily involving their colleagues. For example, if the Bible professor becomes the field director of his or her field, he or she is now primarily serving his or her colleagues. Likewise, if a missionary who had been a field director for many years transitions to becoming a Bible professor, he or she has transitioned to a different level. These are both transitions to different levels, and they seem to be opposites. However, they may not raise opposite issues.
Most people are familiar with transitions from a “lower” level to a “higher” level when they move from serving nationals to supervising their colleagues such as the following.
· From teacher of nationals and TCKs in the international school to principal of the high school supervising fellow teachers.
· From principal supervising teachers to headmaster supervising principals.
· From physician treating nationals to hospital or clinic director supervising physicians.
· From missionary serving nationals to field director supervising missionaries.
· From field director supervising missionaries to country director.
· From country director to area director at headquarters back “home” supervising country directors
Each of these “promotions” moves the person to a level requiring a different set of skills. New principals who treat their teachers like they did their students are likely to be in for a difficult time. Fortunately, the Bible gives us a great example of how to function in such a situation. Nehemiah led people from his passport country who were living in a country not theirs.
Like nearly all missionaries, at some time or other you may find yourself in a position of leadership: planting churches, directing a work team, or teaching in school (or Sunday school, or English). You may feel pressure from above to reach goals and pressure from below to help those you supervise meet their needs. What are you to do? In such a position of leadership, Nehemiah gives good answers. Who was Nehemiah? What did he do? How did he lead? When did he lead? Why did he lead? Did he succeed? Although not everyone has the same style and uses the same methods, let us consider Nehemiah as one example of Godly leadership.
Who was Nehemiah?
Like missionaries, Nehemiah was living in another culture, working in a position of responsibility there. He was cupbearer to the king. When visitors arrived from his passport country, he inquired about the people back home and about the capitol city.
However, much more important than his occupational title were his personal characteristics. When he heard that the people back home were disgraced and the walls of the city were burned and broken, he wept, mourned, fasted and prayed.
He was:
· Compassionate. He wept and mourned for his people and his country.
· Caring. He fasted, prayed and took action, encouraging the people.
· Committed. He got the job done, cared for his people, and was faithful to God.
· Consistent. Even those he reprimanded could find nothing negative to say about him.
· Courageous. He persevered in the face of threats, ridicule, and opposition from both the outside and inside.
For nearly a century some of his people must have said, “Somebody ought to do something about those walls.” Others must have replied, “Nothing can be done.” Because of his character, Nehemiah felt responsible to take some action.
What did he do?
The most obvious answer to this is that he built the wall. Although little had been accomplished in 90 years, he had the wall completed in only 52 days, less than two months.
More important than building the wall was that, as their leader, he took care of his people. He was concerned about:
· Safety. He directed them in defending themselves from people of other cultures who opposed their work.
· Justice. When people of their passport culture took advantage of them back home by charging exorbitant interest rates, Nehemiah confronted the lenders.
· Spiritual renewal. He saw that someone led his people in hearing God’s word, confession, worship, celebration, and praise.
· Consolidation of his gains. Nehemiah did not leave the capitol city nearly empty but got one in ten of the families to volunteer to live there.
· Forethought. He anticipated needs and drafted plans to avoid pitfalls.
How did he lead?
More important than being cupbearer to the king (who he was) or that he built the wall in 52 days (what he did) is how he did it. He did it all in ways that brought glory to God and a sense of fulfillment to those under his supervision. Here are some of the ways he did it:
· Prayed. After he first heard the bad news and reacted to it, we have recorded his prayer of adoration, confession, reminder of the covenant, and petition for success.
· Overcame his fears. Although he was very much afraid of what the king in the culture where he was living and working would say, he responded when asked about his problem. He knew that the king would probably not be very excited about rebuilding the capitol of a conquered nation—Nehemiah’s passport country.
· Was tactfully open to superiors. He began by appropriately addressing the king and then sharing his problem at the king’s request. He responded to each of the king’s questions by asking more and more from him, including letters of recommendation.
· Shared his vision. After deciding what should be done, he shared his vision with the local leaders in his passport country.
· Gave God the glory. From the beginning he acknowledged that his success was due to God’s grace.
· Faced ridicule. When people of other cultures mocked and ridiculed him and the people he was leading, he again affirmed his confidence in God.
· Delegated the work. He assigned people to work on various parts of the wall—often the parts in front of their own houses. What motivation—those who did poor workmanship or did not complete their part of the wall would be the first to suffer the consequences of their lack of diligence.
· Emphasized cooperation rather than competition. He had forty distinct groups working together on a project, something of a miracle for those who have tried to get even two churches or mission agencies to work together.
· Faced opposition realistically. When the people of other cultures became incensed so that they despised and ridiculed Nehemiah’s work force, he responded with prayer and the posting of guards.
· Encouraged his workers. He acknowledged their fears and reminded them of their great awesome God.
· Developed contingency plans. He had half of the people working and the others standing guard. He further arranged for defenders to come at once to the sounding of the trumpet when those at another part of the wall were threatened.
· Confronted internal dissention. When the controversy arose over people from the home country charging the workers interest, he immediately called a large meeting to resolve the issue.
· Did not take the perks. Nehemiah did not lord it over his workers but out of reverence for God did not take even the food to which he was entitled, nor did he acquire any land.
· Kept to the task. Rather than taking the perks, he said, “Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall.” (Nehemiah 5:16)
Notice that most of the “how he did it” things were more about his character than they were about techniques for motivating his workers to get the job done. Also note that after the wall was built Nehemiah was not the one to read God’s word to the people, but he stepped aside for Ezra to do so.
When did he lead?
Nehemiah did not rush right into action as soon as he heard the bad news, but he carefully took one step at a time.
· Four months after he talked with the delegation from his passport country (the month of Kisley) he spoke with the king (the month of Nisan). During that time he wept, mourned, fasted and prayed.
· He did not leave the country where he was living without permission from the king and letters of introduction, rather like getting visas before international travel.
· He did not immediately call the people of Jerusalem together to get them working on the wall. Instead, before even telling anyone why he was there, he did a secret survey at night to get a comprehensive view of the project.
· Once the project was underway, everyone worked from dawn to dusk. There was no hesitation at that time. (Note that this schedule was for 7.5 weeks, not for a lifetime.)
Why did he lead?
Of course, part of the reason was the kind of person he was. He was a concerned, caring, compassionate person who identified deeply with his people who were hundreds of miles away in his homeland. When he heard of their trouble and disgrace, his response was to sit down, weep, and mourn.
His next responses were prayer and fasting. He went beyond merely empathizing with them and carried their problem to God over a period of several months. All Christians, including missionaries, should make this prayerful response for people in times of need.
After months of prayer he was convinced that he had to do more about the need, something that involved his personal involvement. In Nehemiah 2:12, he talked about “what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem.” What a clear call from God to a specific task!
Did he succeed?
He succeeded on both counts. He completed the task to which God had called him, and he took care of his people while accomplishing the task. He not only built the wall, but he also brought about changes that would keep the wall in place for many years by restoring to the people of God their identity and giving them a common purpose
Of course, not everyone succeeds in all tasks attempted. Leaders need to be prepared for the frustration of failure even when obeying God completely. Repentance by the people did not occur under the leadership of every prophet.
Transition to a “Lower” level
When someone moves from a “higher” position to a “lower” position, different issues may arise. For example, when competent, long-term field directors who have been supervising missionaries transition back to being missionaries serving nationals, it may be difficult for them to step aside and let the new field directors lead without interfering. Even if they can make the change, it may be difficult for the other missionaries on the field to make the change to the new field director. These missionaries may make comparisons, they may go to the old field director, and so forth. It is usually best for the former leader to transfer to a different field or a different agency—like pastors in the USA transfer to a different church.