Non-Reformed Missionaries

[mhseal]

So, what do you guys think about supporting non-reformed missionaries? I have a few friends that I know from my evangelical days who expect me to support them financially when I have the resources, but I'm not so sure. One of them is in an area where there are hardly any missionaries at all, and very few Christians, let alone Presbyterians. But I just don't know that I could support the spread of dispensationalism and decisional regeneration. Even though I do love these people dearly, I do not know that I could financially support that kind of theology.

Thoughts?

 

[Tim]

I agree with you. It doesn't do anybody any good to send a missionary that preaches decisional regeneration. A lack of qualified individuals is not a reason to send an unqualified individual to do the work of ministry.

 

[Pergamum]

Do reformed baptist missionaries count?

 

[mhseal]

Do reformed baptist missionaries count?

I certainly could support particular baptists with much less strain on my conscience than there would be supporting average evangelicals. I wouldn't say that I could never support PB missionaries, but as Machen said, "As for us, we hold the faith of the Presbyterian church, the great Reformed faith that is set forth in the Westminster Confession, to be true; and holding it to be true, we hold that it is intended for the whole world."

 

[Pergamum]

I know many 5 pointers who are trying to raise support. Yet, in many calvinistic churches there are many Arminian missionaries being supported. This doesn't add up.

 

[mhseal]

That's true. I think we need a more concrete definition of what exactly a missionary is too. It seems to me that Scripturally, missionaries should be planting churches. Yet, it seems that many (more especially in para-church missions organizations... which in and of themselves trouble me very much, as how can you be a missionary independent of a church?!) don't have specific duties as a missionary. With many of the evangelical missionaries that I know, they go week to week visiting different churches and youth groups, advising how to run a better youth program. They also have large youth rallies. Overall, it seems that their whole goal is to be a life coach for a geographic region of people who are actually working in churches. Maybe I'm just being jaded here, but I do not see how this is being a biblical missionary.

 

[Pergamum]

Some thoughts:

If these men are your friends, then you ought to be able to assess their theology.

Even if they are not reformed, what does this mean? I know several 4-pointers among very unreached peoples. I would be happy to support these people (there is no other Christian witness in the area).

What do these men believe?

 

[mhseal]

I'm better friends with some than others. Some are very cordial about theological differences... others are quite anti-reformed. Generally speaking, they hold to a very Ryrie-esque version of dispensationalism, and would essentially be Arminian with a doctrine of "eternal security."

 

[Pergamum]

So you would essentially be sending money to people to plant churches that you could never join?

You would be helping to finance people with whom you could never share the same church-membership?

That would seem inconsistent.

 

[mhseal]

So you would essentially be sending money to people to plant churches that you could never join?

You would be helping to finance people with whom you could never share the same church-membership?

That would seem inconsistent.

Exactly.

 

[Gforce9]

(more especially in para-church missions organizations... which in and of themselves trouble me very much, as how can you be a missionary independent of a church?!)

I have come to this position after many years. I think para-church mission groups, even with the best of intentions, is subversion of the God given authority and is poor Ecclesiology.