The best national workers are those whom God has called and that money cannot buy! They have a passion to serve God and they know that America is not God. They are not for sale! The ultimate goal of all missionary enterprise that is biblical is to produce national leaders and workers that can eventually stand alone in their own environment without outside support.

The Great Misconception

A national, speaking broken English and uttering a few religious phrases, awes many Americans. Generous Christians often open their hearts and bank accounts to anyone who speaks with a broken accent and talks about Jesus. When mission-minded people fail to do their homework, their hard earned money eventually disappears overseas (or in America) without any real proof of a biblical, indigenous, and lasting ministry.

Just as there are scams and shams in America that exploit donors through a super spiritual religious front, so there are deceivers in/from other countries. Many of our readers have received letters from Nigeria written in broken English with two or three paragraphs of super spiritual jargon ending with a list of needs and a request for money. Gullible Americans have lost thousands of dollars to these scams.
I heard of a pastor that was approached by a national in another country with a request to join him and his group. Previously they had been identified with another Western organization. The pastor told the national leader that he was with an Independent Baptist group. The national replied, “We can be that.” Recently a letter came from Haiti to BIMI from someone who wanted to identify with our mission. The Haitian was using a mail merge and obviously had mixed up names of groups to whom he was writing. He said, “We are willing to be Methodists.” Some Methodist group probably received our “Baptist” letter.

In days past, these types of nationals were called “Rice Christians.” Today we might call them the “professional national workers.” Beware of “professional national workers.”

The “professional national” can look good, sing hymns, say beautiful prayers and even preach if that comes with American money.

The national may even produce a fair amount of work. When the American mission leader or pastor visits the field, he is impressed. Then when mission leaders from Pentecostal, Presbyterian, and other groups come, they too are impressed. In these examples most groups have been led to believe that they are the only sponsors.
Years ago when BIMI first entered Romania, just after the fall of communism, we worked with two nationals. Visiting a village one day with our national worker, he was embarrassed when mission leaders from Scotland also showed up to check on “their” national worker. He made no effort to introduce us and tried to keep us apart. Both of our Western organizations had been led to believe that this national worker was representing only onegroup with its particular values.

Dr. Ron Bragg, BIMI’s African Director, told of the missionary who visited some supported nationals in an African village. Wandering around in the church, he saw in a back room a pile of signs welcoming various denominations: “Welcome Independent Baptists,” “Welcome Methodist Christians,” “Welcome Presbyterians,” etc. Whatever sponsoring group showed up to visit “their national work” was welcomed with the appropriate sign. Not being able to speak or understand the language or really converse with the people, the leaders took their glowing report of “their African work” back to their Western churches. Unscrupulous foreign nationals do not always reside in foreign countries. Some of the “professional national leaders” reside in America. These nationals appeal to churches and individuals to sacrifice to help the “poor people” of their home countries. However, they, themselves, prefer to stay in America, live in American homes, and drive American cars. One mission board in particular, scorns traditional American missions as a waste. The leader urges Americans to stay at home and give their money to him. He can give it to nationals who can live much more cheaply and who already know the language.

The classic line from such nationals is the following: “We do not need you, we need your money.”

One national leader pleaded for funds to help support a church in a certain city in Africa. Other missionaries, upon physical survey, found that the city did not even exist.

The Bargain Basement National Worker Concept

Doug Miller with Gospel Furthering Fellowship writes:
“ It may be true that nationals can do a better job among their own people, BUT...

(1)To whom was the Great Commission given? It is for all, not just nationals. The call has been given to every believer, and we can work together in fulfilling the Great Commission.

(2)Who won the national to Christ in the first place–the missionary?

(3)God uses yielded hearts, not ethnic groups. A servant can be from anywhere.”

Mr. Miller also deals with the “cheap national” challenge in his article:
“ It is true that it is ‘less expensive’ to support nationals, BUT…who says that God wants ministry done cheaply?”

(1) The Jewish Temple was magnificent! (I Chronicles 22:1-5, 14)

(2) The ointment used for Christ was expensive. (Mark 14:3-5)

Sometimes “cheap” paid national workers disappear when the money stops. Many times “cheap” turns out to be very expensive. It also should be considered that the CALL OF GOD TO DO A WORK IN A CERTAIN PLACE takes first place over “cheap” or “inexpensive.” It is not “cheap” for a couple to give their lives for others and to leave homeland and loved ones.
Pastors must realize that a visit to the field can be deceiving. Churches that have been established for years can be presented as “fresh” works. Large groups quickly assembled by the “professional national” do not necessarily present a church. A foreign language environment in which the visiting pastor understands “only what he is told” can be absolutely deceiving.
There is a case for supporting nationals. BIMI works with literally hundreds of national leaders in its worldwide church-planting ministry. There is a right way and a wrong way. There is a methodology that produces, in the end, indigenous churches and there is a methodology that produces national beggars and degrades nationals as a “cheap labor force.”
Because the great commission is for all people, all countries, and for all times, there will always be a biblical case for sending missionaries everywhere on planet earth. Again, beware of those who discredit the great commission by pleading, “Give me your money–not your missionaries.”

Dr. Les Frazier emphasizes the need for missionary leadership in an article written for BIMI World Magazine:

“ Some of the fast-growing house churches in China are literally plagued with heresy. Their devotion to Christ is unquestioned, but they have no doctrinal moorings. Missionaries with doctrinal background would be a tremendous help in this setting. There is no such thing as Christianity without doctrine. The potential for doctrinal inconsistencies is great with the support untrained and uneducated nationals.
Another area of accountability is finances. A missionary under a good Baptist mission board is always accountable for the finances that pass through his hands.”
Many times there is inadequate or no accountability for nationals supported with American money. Those who would contest this can produce pictures of groups and letters with statistics, but so can the cults.

Dr. Frazier continues:

“ Some of these nationals make numerous trips to the United States to travel the money raising circuit. Yet, there is no system of accountability. Yet, they thirst for even more money.”

“ Americans hear of nationals living on $3 or $5 a day, but they could not be the ones buying airline tickets and circulating in the States.”

Some national-only agencies boast that for $50 per month or less one can support an indigenous national pastor; however, no pastor or national church is indigenous when it is tied to an American support base. When a church becomes indigenous, it is SELF SUPPORTING, SELF GOVERNING, and SELF PROPAGATING. This is always the biblical approach and goal missionary work.

How does Wyldewood Baptist Church support nationals?

The Wyldewood Baptist Church of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, supports many nationals through BIMI. The church sends funds to BIMI missionaries in Indonesia, Burma, India and many other places to help support worthy workers. These funds are to be dispersed to national workers only through local missionaries. The Omega ministry under Wyldewood Baptist Church wants to be sure that their precious God-given funds are not wasted. They want accountability from real live people who live among the nationals–not simply proof represented only by pictures or brief visits.

Some suggested guidelines:

1. National workers should be supported only at the recommendation of local missionaries who are “on the ground” and who can verify that the need is genuine. Exceptions might include countries in which no Western missionary can legally reside such as Burma, India and Iraq.

2. National workers should be supported on a limited basis. Ten to twenty tithes make a salary in any country. There should be a goal for the church to become indigenous.

3. Those who desire to support national workers should channel the funds through missionaries who can monitor the ministry and prevent it from becoming a life-long money tree.

4. Some of the 144 “National only” mission societies in the US do not provide adequate accountability. Churches should be very careful when sending mission funds through these types of agencies while remembering that a picture or quick visit to the field does not always give a true and clear account. It is always safer to work with established Mission agencies and established missionaries.

5. Independent Baptist Churches should only support nationals who are solid independent Baptists and are doctrinally sound. Do not be influenced by singing groups or with anyone withbroken English. Ask, “What do they believe, and what do they teach? Do they teach their people to tithe and give?”

6. Make sure you or churches like yours are the sole sponsors. Ask questions. Check with missionaries you know on that field about the group. Ask them to investigate for you.

Again I must emphasize that there is a case for national support and in some cases for sending national missionaries who are full time and fully supported. This article is an effort to raise a red flag to those churches that provide blind, blanket support of foreigners. Accountability and credibility are essential. Endless support of national workers who never become self-supporting does great damage to the New Testament concept of the indigenous church.