When Becoming a Missionary Means Keeping Your Job

Bethany DuVal • Apr 28, 2016

Everyone knows what becoming a missionary means: Quit the job you enjoy, attend a fancy seminary, get fitted for one of those safari hats and start looking for random strangers to proselytize.

OK, maybe not the hat, but the rest tend to be considered non-negotiable. Unless you’re a doctor, a teacher or capable of starting a whole business (as mission), giving up your career and learning cold evangelism are seen as part of the “dying to self” all missionaries go through. But what if, in a growing global economy , building your career was one of the most effective ways to build the kingdom of God overseas?

While TEAM obviously still believes in the traditional missionary model, it’s undeniable that God is also opening doors for people to take professional jobs in foreign countries. These people are called “ kingdom professionals ,” and here are a few purposes we think God may have for the movement:

1. Every country needs IT managers (and designers, chefs and psychologists).

The world is an ever-changing list of countries that don’t allow missionaries among their people. Review mission history, and you’ll easily find people who had to minister just outside the country they truly felt called to, or who had to leave after a political upset. No matter their political leanings, however, most nations still need accountants, engineers and marketers .

Make no mistake, we’re not talking about just taking a job as a cover. As you do your job well, your host country will see the value of keeping you around, even if you discuss theology with your cube-mates.

2. Professional jobs come with co-workers who need Jesus.

A traditional missionary’s first task is to find a way to build relationships, and finding ways to relate to well-paid professionals (who don’t need free health clinics or other social services) can be tough. Finding ways to relate to your co-workers, however, often happens naturally.

As you bond over break room coffee, tough projects and pictures of each other’s kids, you’ll find ways to share the gospel just like you would in your home country. The difference is, now you’re reaching people who may never have heard Christ’s name before.

3. People who get regular paychecks don’t raise support.

Ideally, the church could and would financially support the large amount of missionaries needed to reach the 2 billion people in this world who have no knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Until we reach that ideal, taking paid positions is a practical solution for a big financial obstacle , closely mirroring the Apostle Paul’s tent making strategy. And with the financial burden lifted, churches should feel even more freedom to provide spiritual, emotional and strategic support to fellow Christians working abroad.

4. God gives us skills and talents for His glory.

When it was time to build the tabernacle, God called Bezalel and Oholiab by name to create beautiful embroidery and carvings. It wasn’t just that God found the two most talented people in Israel, though. Exodus 35:30-35 says God filled them with the skills and intelligence needed for the job.

Their trades weren’t the things they needed to sacrifice before they could really serve God; they were the exact tools needed to serve God according to His will. As Christians spread across the global economy, using their skills in the name of the Lord Jesus ( Col. 3:17 ), we believe God will be glorified, especially as more people come to know Him.

Next steps for the Kingdom Professional

Of course, being effective as a kingdom professional isn’t as simple as finding a job in a foreign country (a challenge in itself), but as the trend grows, so are the resources for it.

You can get started by checking out communities like Scatter Global that help Christian professionals find jobs – and each other – around the world. Attend “kingdom professionals” conferences when they come to your area. If God leads you to a foreign post, ask ministries like TEAM to get you in touch with missionaries in your host country so you can partner with them. And throughout the journey, make sure to seek your church’s prayerful, strategic and emotional support.

We aren’t all called to be evangelists, but we are all called to spread the gospel — to the darkest jungles and to the farthest water cooler.

By Suzanne Pearson 19 Mar, 2024
Previously on the TEAM blog, we sat down with Justin Burkholder (pictured above at left, with TEAM's Executive Director of Communications, Aaron Catlin). Justin will become TEAM’s next International Director on July 1, 2024. Justin shared about his background, family, and the journey that led him to TEAM. Check out that interview here . Today, we pick up the conversation as Justin shares how God called him to the role of International Director, and what he sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church. Q: How and when did you first consider applying for the position of International Director? How did the Lord reveal Himself to you as this opportunity presented itself? A: For some time, I have been evaluating how God wants me to use the gifts He has given me. Jenny and I have had a fruitful ministry in church planting in Guatemala and would happily continue doing so as God leads. However, as God blessed my efforts in TEAM leadership, there were friends and family who expressed that I should consider using my gifts in the International Director role. I don’t believe that everything necessarily rises and falls on leadership, but I do believe that it is a core component in the body of Christ. Using the gifts God has given me is a way that I want to bless the body of Christ in TEAM, making my contribution to the global purposes of God’s mission. Jenny and I spent a lot of time praying about this and decided that I should put my name in for consideration, trusting God’s guidance. We had a tremendous amount of peace throughout the entire process and were blessed by the prayer-filled process that the board undertook. Q: This is a key role in a large and complex organization, and I’m sure this was a big decision for you and your family. What were your fears or concerns? Why did you ultimately decide to accept the position? A: You say “were” like the fears have passed! I still am quite aware of my youth and inexperience - of the responsibility and weight of this role. Mostly, I’m afraid of leading an organization like TEAM in the flesh. Many of the fears that I have faced have been fears rooted in fleshly desires and concerns. I have no desire to succeed in the world’s eyes and fail in the Kingdom of Jesus. Why did I ultimately decide to accept the position? I’m convinced that the Good News about Jesus is true. The tomb is empty, Jesus is King, and the world needs to know, because Jesus is coming back. He will put things in order. He will establish righteousness, peace, and justice for all mankind, and He has commissioned His Church to proclaim and demonstrate His rule and reign. I want to use my gifts to do whatever I can to amplify the proclamation of this message and the multiplication of His Church around the world. Q: What are your goals and vision for the future of TEAM? A: This is something that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I’m certainly not ready to present a fully-shaped vision and goals for TEAM’s future without the input of other people in different contexts in TEAM. But, I will share a few things that I think are important: First, we need to model God-Dependence . I am hopeful that as leaders in TEAM, we can continue to model God-Dependence. As Hudson Taylor said years ago “…God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies.” I am hopeful that we can increase our sense of faith in God, prayer, and seeking direction from the Spirit. Secondly, we must strengthen our relational fabric . Due to the changes that we have experienced by decentralizing our home office functions, and the challenges from the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of relationships. It is imperative that we intentionally prioritize the building of relationships with one another. I plan to visit our workers and staff, and I am expectant that other key leaders and staff will be doing the same. Third, we must pursue the greater presence of the global Church. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ doesn’t look like any single geopolitical, ethnic, or racial culture. If we want to truly see the Kingdom of Jesus come on earth as it is in heaven, then we as citizens of this Kingdom must learn from one another, submit to one another, and grow with one another. The missional potential of the global Church has been unleashed by God’s Spirit since Acts 1, and we have an opportunity to learn from many brothers and sisters in Christ who can help us to better model and proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus to those who have yet to believe. Lastly, we must increase our Gospel boldness . There are still many places of great spiritual blindness and spiritual brokenness around the world. The apostolic impulse of cross-cultural organizations should call us to the to the edges of where the Kingdom of Jesus is not penetrating. Whether spiritual blindness and brokenness exists because of lack of access, idolatry, injustice, or any other myriad of reasons, I prayerfully hope to see more and more TEAM workers continue to move into spaces of great Gospel need.
By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
Share by: