The Door-Step Evangel

Should True Missionaries Pastor?
Dr. Ronald L. Tottingham

I have come to the opinion that some missionaries and pastors lack a Biblical missions procedure. Some of the "what is a missionary?" needs some refocusing along with some "what is missions work?" I've personally visited on the field and with missionaries on furlough who see this calling as foreign "pastoring." I'm searching for their Biblical basis. However, I too know pastors who seemingly hold the same position. I've always thought of pastoring as the shepherding of a single flock while living by or off that flock. Where is it taught that a preacher under a different title should so pastor and live off or by that flock, and still live beyond that off multichurch support? Is going to a foreign country the text, pretext? I wonder if this thought will fly?

It seems to me that a missionary should have training new pastors on his mind. Our Lord Jesus Christ did, and come to think of it, so did the Apostle Paul. And I'm thinking these two could serve as grand role models, even in our enlightened day. So what if a missionary went to his field with training new pastors as his primary vision and went prepared spiritually and philosophically to pray down just such? Rather, it seem, our modern missionaries go to start a church then emulate the pastorate by pastoring. I believe there are two extremes I've personally witnessed: 1) to go and pastor a church in a foreign country with some preaching "stations" (missions) outreach while living by and off both that church and the multichurch support and, 2) starting several "churches" without an adequate congregation and no true pastor for the flock. Mostly these churches (missions) are neither ready nor appropriate for graduating to a full church status, and they are more often a small leaderless flock left to fend for themselves and seldom last. Behind, in their wake are hurt believers, who are disillusioned and spiritually retarded.

I'm looking at Christ and Paul and wondering if I'm not seeing God's plan as missionary training new pastors then helping establish a new church around the new pastor. I'm also wondering if more churches might be established and root in to stay and bring much fruit and honor to Jesus Christ.