The phone rang, an unknown number. The caller did not introduce himself, yet my wife recognized the voice of someone from a Christian organization. And he got straight to the point: “Tell Jonathan to send me his ministry evaluation form by tomorrow.” We had already filled out five forms in the last couple weeks, she replied. No, it was yet another form. Please fill it out. The call ended, and we were left wondering whether to laugh or cry.
It has been ten years since I became part of “Christian ministry”, working alongside other foreign and local Christians in cross-cultural settings among people who have often never heard of or considered following Jesus. And each year I continue in this role, enjoying it for the most part, I find it harder to picture Jesus feeling at home with the evaluation-planning-strategy-meeting-style ministry. It’s not so much the goals, but how we reach them.
I’ve never found calling myself a “missionary” helpful, however I do attend missionary gatherings and find that our talk can easily be confused with military campaigns. My personal favorites are: target, contacts, spying out. Just the other day a friend posted: “Pray for our summer crusade to….” Try using these terms within the “land you are spying out” to make “contacts”, “targeting” anybody willing to attend your “crusade”. Not exactly the way Jesus spoke.
Meetings, too, seem to be “Let’s get them!” pep talks backed up by: “Do this, do that, and don’t forget to pray.” Maybe they could be more relational, more inclusive. Instead of meeting in a church building, or office, why not meet in a public place? Invite members of the community? Maybe it could be a better way to understand people.
Recently we spent two years fulfilling a policy of our organization that drained the life from our family. Despite evaluation forms we were served restrictions over relationship, prohibiting free time travel, unsolicited suggestions to cancel our pending adoption, and that we ask permission before doing many things. In our minds, these were not relationally-founded counsels or even commonly accepted workplace requests.
Does our highly analytic and driven manner lose something of Jesus’ message? Lose people along the way? What would Jesus think of our time efficiency with relational deficiency? I see Jesus investing time in people. Organizations exist because of people. Sometimes we get it the wrong way around. Maybe you would consider being a non-missionary? Live among and love a people group and articulate Jesus.
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Jonathan and his Austral-merican family love living among the vibrant and welcoming Basque people of Europe. When he is not writing, learning Basque, or with family and friends, you may find him out among the waves speaking with a Palestinian-born Jewish friend.
Jonathan has a passion for experiencing Jesus daily within his community and with other followers of Jesus.
If you’re interested in following his journey or have comments or questions about cross-cultural service you can contact him via his websites or Twitter:
Jonathan McCallum
peoplepoesia
@peoplepoesia