Missionary FAQs
While Western workers often venture to far-flung places and do amazing things, it’s the unsung heroes of the frontline—the local, indigenous people—who consistently make the greatest impact and bring true transformation to their own communities.
In the past, missionary trailblazers like William Carey from England in the 1700s, and C.T. Studd in the late 1850s and early 1900s, paved the way for swarms of foreign missionaries and humanitarian workers, mostly from Western countries.
But the tide has changed.
National missionary workers are the “new pioneers” of the 21st century, and they’re proving to be an unstoppable compassion force.
On a worldwide scale, according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC), there were 430,000 foreign mission workers overseas in 2021, compared with 13.2 million national workers (local citizens).[1]
That means national missionary workers—those serving within their own culture and nation—now outnumber foreign workers by more than 30 to 1.
The CSGC predicts the number of national missionary workers globally will explode to 17 million by 2050, while the number of foreign workers will increase to 600,000.[2]
Missions Fest International, an annual global missions conference, spotlighted the financial cost of “sending” a Western missionary compared with the cost of supporting a national worker in a provocative article on its website titled “Should We Stop Sending Missionaries?”[3]
While stating there’s still a great need and important role for foreign workers in many parts of the world, the article points out it typically costs more than $50,000 a year to support a Western family in a developing nation such as Africa and Asia—an annual sum that could help support more than 50 national workers, the article says. For example, based on my personal experience in Uganda, an American family of four living in Africa might pay $1,000 a month for expat health insurance coverage that includes emergency medical evacuation. Because of security issues, they might have to live in a secure compound at high rent and pay hundreds of dollars every month for guards 24/7. Legal paperwork and visas can cost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars every year.
Run the numbers and it’s perhaps no surprise, then, that national workers—willing and able to live far simpler and free of immigration restrictions—are increasingly seen as a wise investment.
Instead of looking to the West, many humanitarian and missionary groups are looking “inside,” turning their attention to the vast pool of dedicated and talented workers within the nations in which they serve. They’re convinced that national workers are the key to lasting transformation.
It’s an opinion shared by development specialist Steve Corbett and economics professor Brian Fikkert, co-authors of When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself.
“God has blessed many of these indigenous workers with amazing talents and strong passions,” they write. “They often minister long term in environments that would be a deep challenge for even the most impassioned outsider. Furthermore, these indigenous workers’ understanding of local cultures and languages makes them far more effective than the outsiders could typically be, either in the short or long term.”[4]
“Moreover, these indigenous workers usually do this work at salaries that are far below mainstream North American standards,” they said. Corbett and Fikkert continue to discuss how one highly respected organization equips and manages national workers across Africa at a total annual cost of $1,540—a total that, according to the authors, includes the worker’s salary, bicycle, backpack, shirt and bedroll.[5]
Another book that has had an enormous impact in thinking about this alternative approach to missions, is Revolution in World Missions. Author KP Yohannan first released the book in 1986, and it has literally contributed to changing the course of mission history in our generation with more than 3.9 million copies in print.
These are facts that the Church in the West needs to accept, they say: “The North American Church needs to more deeply appreciate the fact that Christians at home and abroad are ministering within their own nations, people groups, and communities at a large and growing rate, particularly in the [developing world]”.[6]
Women Missionaries
Women missionaries have an important role in the great commission that was given to Jesus’ followers. While these women often face real challenges in their environments, they also have distinct advantages, especially in parts of Asia.
Missionaries in Africa
With 1.2 billion people living on the continent of Africa, more help is needed by those populating its 54 countries. Missionaries in Africa can bring the help, and more importantly, the hope these people truly need. Children in poverty in Africa To address these pressing issues, it is important to consider the various challenges facing the continent.
Disaster Relief Organizations
Floods, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis and avalanches: These natural occurrences are unpredictable and can have immediate, devastating effects on large populations. This is why disaster relief organizations are essential to humanitarian efforts worldwide to address needs in the wake of devastating storms and natural disasters.
Cold Weather Relief
Cold weather crises are often overlooked in regions like the Middle East and Afghanistan, where frigid temperatures pose significant risks to vulnerable populations. This article sheds light on the vital role of private relief agencies in responding to these crises, offering assistance when governments are slow to react.
10/40 Window
The 10/40 window is a rectangular area between approximately 10 degrees and 40 degrees north latitude, covering North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. This window is home to some of the world’s most remote people, and includes most of the world’s Muslims and also Asia’s traditional religions, earning the region another nickname— “The Resistant Belt.”
10/40 Window Map
The 10/40 window map is a visual way of seeing where the most people live who do not ascribe to the Christian faith. The ‘10’ and ‘40’ refer to 10 degrees and 40 degrees north latitude on the earth’s globe, from Morocco to Japan. The original map of 10/40 window countries only included countries with at least 50% of their land mass within those latitudinal degrees.
What Is the 10/40 Window?
When answering, “What is the 10/40 window?” the most basic definition according to Ends of the Earth Ministries is “a rectangular area of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia, between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude.”
What Is the Great Commission
People have asked, “What is the Great Commission?” for centuries. Christians want to understand and follow this injunction, but there has been some debate about what the Great Commission means and how it applies.
What Is a Charitable Gift Annuity
Generous people have so many options for charitable donations, it can be overwhelming: cash, time, advocating for the charity on social media, sponsorships and much more. One option that is often forgotten is a charitable gift annuity. But what is a charitable gift annuity?
Sponsor a Family for Christmas
When you sponsor a family for Christmas, you make a life-changing contribution to a needy family. In areas like Africa and South Asia, a family Christmas gift from a generous donor like you can dramatically alter their future.
How to Sponsor a Family for Christmas
The holidays have long been considered the time of year to reflect on what we are grateful for, like the abundance and goodness we experience. Often, families choose this time to designate funds for charity to give back a portion of what they have received. Many may be wondering how to sponsor a family for Christmas.
Medical Missions
In many places in the world, all we have to do to see a doctor is make a phone call or go to an urgent care center. We have choices in all these things, even different kinds of doctors. But many do not. That is why medical missions is desperately needed worldwide. Christian medical missions seek to take health care to regions where doctors are rare or are many miles away and especially to those who cannot afford medical attention.
Making Disciples of All Nations
Making disciples of all nations was the point of Jesus’s last command before He ascended into heaven. Nations look different today than they did when Jesus walked the Earth, but His command remains. In order to reach as many people as possible, Christians now ask the question: Who are the unengaged people groups?
National Missionaries in Asia
In the heart of Asia, amidst the bustling cities and remote villages, there is a world where the marginalized and neglected endure lives of silent desperation… In these places full of such profound need, the comforting presence of the Sisters of Compassion, a specifically trained group of GFA World’s national missionaries in Asia and Africa, conveys hope and refreshment.
Charitable Christmas Gift Ideas
Charitable Christmas gift ideas are a blessed opportunity to impact lives in ways that extend far beyond the holiday season. You can give a gift with lasting ramifications by partnering with GFA World, a Christian organization dedicated to helping those in need across Asia and Africa. Through our charitable programs, you can give gifts that transform lives—bringing hope, dignity and lasting change to those who need it most.
Charitable Christmas Gifts
From sending shoeboxes to giving canned items to food pantries, from donating clothing to dropping money in the red buckets outside stores, there are a lot of ways to give charitable Christmas gifts each year. The tradition of charity at Christmas has been in place for a long time, as Charles Dickens wrote in A Christmas Carol, “But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round…”
[1] “Status of Global Christianity, 2021, in the Context of 1900–2050.” Center for the Study of Global Christianity. https://www.gordonconwell.edu/center-for-global-christianity/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2020/12/Status-of-Global-Christianity-2021.pdf. Accessed July 2021.
[2] “Status of Global Christianity, 2021, in the Context of 1900–2050.” Center for the Study of Global Christianity. https://www.gordonconwell.edu/center-for-global-christianity/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2020/12/Status-of-Global-Christianity-2021.pdf. Accessed July 2021.
[3] McQuilkin, Robertson. “Should We Stop Sending Missionaries?” Missions Fest In-ternational. https://missionsfestinternational.org/resources-2/should-we-stop-sending-missionaries/. Accessed February 2021.
[4] Corbett, Steve & Fikkert, Brian. “When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself.” Pages 172-173. Moody Publishers. 2009.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.