3 Growing Needs in Missionary Education

Missionaries need a biblical, theological, and missiological foundation.

Ed Stetzer

Any conversation around an exponential increase in the global

missionary force must include methods for missionary education
and training. When we think about those things, our gut reaction is
often to rely solely on seminaries and missions agencies to fulfill
educational needs.
The problem with that knee-jerk response is that it de-emphasizes
the role of local churches in missionary training when
congregational life and discipleship should prepare missionaries for
cross-cultural sending in many ways. We need to develop more
robust methods of discipling our congregations that include training
for purposefully crossing cultures with the gospel.
That said, there is certainly great value in the vast educational
resources offered by theological institutions that can undergird,
support, and strengthen the training efforts of our local churches.
Id like to note three distinct essentials for missionary training that
could be served by such partnerships.

1. Biblical Foundation
The first may seem a bit obvious, but a solid biblical grounding is
absolutely essential. Any candidate with a desire to enter into
cross-cultural sending must first have a healthy, growing
understanding of the Scriptures and the ability to engage
practically with its foundational principles. He or she needs a
biblical fluency that goes beyond simple head knowledge of
Scripture and into the experience of obedient application.
This sort of life would produce familiarity with biblical teachings
and the doctrines that flow from them. For instance, it would
develop an understanding of salvation taught by the book of
Romans, the person of the Holy Spirit from the writings of Luke,
and the doctrines of righteousness and justice as seen in Amos. A
grasp of these foundational truths is a necessity for anyone who
desires to explain the gospel to others and call them to repentance
and belief.
2. Theological Foundation
The second essential for training, closely related to the first, is
theological grounding. Theologythe study of Godis not a stand-
alone discipline. The study of Scripture leads to its development
over time.
It is certainly not necessary for every missionary candidate to
author a work on systematic theology, but a firm grasp of certain
basic doctrines should be expected. For example, the doctrines of
sin and death, an understanding of faith, the authority of Scripture,
and the Trinitarian nature of God are all part of necessary doctrinal
foundations. Thus, some guided theological training is certainly
appropriate.

3. Missiological Foundation
The third training essential is a specific missiological foundation by
which biblical and theological truths are applied to the cross-
cultural setting. It is not only what we say that matters, but how
we say it and how it is received across cultures. Robust missiology,
then, seeks to understand communication and how people within
different cultures relate to one another. It seeks to understand
Gods mission and how we take part in it, and it may include other
disciplines such as anthropologythe study of people.
For most local churches, this is the weakest area of training. Many
church leaders do not have a well-developed missiology, much less
a method for passing it on to others. It is also not typically part of
most formal training within seminaries and divinity schools. This is
the type of training with the most immediate need for attention. It
presents a wonderful opportunity for partnership between
churches, seminaries, and missions organizations.

Training Institutions
Thinking about educational needs for missionaries inevitably leads
to questions about the role of traditional institutions in their
training. As we begin to develop new pathways for limitless
sending, we open the doors of missions not only to seminarians,
but also business people and students and artists and . . .
We will no longer be sending only people who have completed
years of formal theological preparation. We will be sending people
who have asked for international transfers within the workplace.
They will have new jobs in brand new cultures, which will most
likely make much formal training within an institution prohibitive.
Obviously, creativity is needed. Some institutions have already
begun to develop programs to meet the minimum requirements of
mission organizations, and thats good. Yet, more needs to be done
to get to the kind of limitless sending we desire.
Of course, not everyone will meet these formal requirements in
many places around the world, but for those who can, academic
institutions can be of great help. For example, a prepackaged
missionary training certificate that develops these biblical,
theological, and missiological foundations can be developed (where
they dont already exist). Such programs can be delivered in
traditional format to those who can relocate, or through
nontraditional means for those who cannot.
To maximize the learning journey, part of the training could be
completed before they go and part of it once theyve reached their
new location. The possibilities are endless, and as varying
pathways for sending are developed, more flexible, creative
training tools will need to be developed as well.

Limitless Sending Warrants Accessible Education

Seminaries and divinity schools are a wonderful resource and a gift
to our churches. They can and should be willing partners who come
alongside churches and missions organizations and work together
toward limitless sending. Simply put, if were going to send
limitless missionaries through a variety of pathways, were going to
have to have practical programs that address biblical, theological,
and missiological issues to prepare them well though missionary
education as they join the missionary force among the nations for
the glory of God.