In a prayer
letter several years ago, a single missionary in Scotland explained
that the missionary pastor under whom she served was planning his
regular furlough and no one was available to take his place. The
work had basically folded up during their previous furlough, she
said, and she was determined not to let that happen again. Four
months later my wife and I, along with our two-year-old daughter,
were living in that missionary pastor's home, and I was preaching
in his pulpit. That one-year ministry was my introduction to furlough
replacement.
Today, twelve years later, furlough replacement has become more
common. Men who have retired from their careers and pastors who
have turned over their churches to a younger generation are being
recruited by mission boards to fill this important need. One retired
couple, presently on their third consecutive furlough replacement
assignment, have stated that they view their entire adult lives
as a time of preparation for this crowning ministry. They have served
as furlough replacements for missionaries in Japan and Australia
and are currently in Scotland. Preaching in Japan was done through
an interpreter. In Australia and Scotland no interpreter was necessary,
at least not after the first week or two!
Those who volunteer for this type of ministry must realize that
the requirements are nearly the same as those for holding the office
of a pastor. The man must possess the qualifications listed in I
Timothy 3 and Titus 1. He must possess more than an ordinary knowledge
of the Word of God and must be "apt to teach," able to communicate
what he knows to a group. Since church planting is essentially an
evangelistic ministry, he must also be able to "do the work of an
evangelist"
Anyone who fills in for a missionary pastor for a given period of
time must be willing to, in a sense, become that man. He must be
totally supportive of the missionary pastor, since the missionary
pastor will one day return to his congregation. Before I left for
Scotland, my pastor counseled me to remember that the flock I would
pastor belonged to another earthly shepherd. Nothing should be done
that would undermine his future ministry with those people. For
this reason, the ministry of furlough replacement differs significantly
from the interim pastoral ministry.
Those who fill in for furloughing missionaries typically go for
short terms of service (usually six months to a year) and therefore
require less financial support than a full-time missionary. Seniors
with retirement income or personal savings may be able to consider
such a ministry without needing to raise support from churches or
individuals.
In our case, my wife and I were in our late twenties at the time.
Certain of the Lord's direction to pursue this ministry opportunity,
I resigned my position with an engineering firm and trusted the
Lord for the future. (As it worked out, the same firm rehired me
with a promotion on my return.) The fact that we were raising support
for a one-year assignment made our deputation period very short,
a total of three months. It also gave us firsthand experience of
raising missionary support, as well as the blessing of seeing God
provide for what He had ordered.
Since it is extremely difficult to develop a burden for a ministry
you know nothing about, becoming informed about missionary endeavors
is the natural first step toward becoming involved in a furlough
replacement ministry. Begin with the missionaries that your local
church supports. Read their prayer letters with the question in
the back of your mind, "What can I do to help meet this need?" Subscribe
to missionary journals. Correspond with missionaries. Invite missionaries
into your home, and ask questions that will increase your ability
to pray intelligently for their ministries and needs. Expose yourself
to the need for laborers in God's harvest. Taking these kinds of
steps may open doors to specific ways you can assist missionaries,
including the possibility of replacing a missionary during his furlough.
If you become aware of a need you believe you may be called to fill,
visit your pastor to discuss the matter. He will have a God-given
view of your qualifications and spiritual gifts. He may also have
a fuller knowledge of conditions on that particular field. You should
be open and sensitive to his insights as your spiritual authority.
Then speak with a representative of the mission board. He may ask
you to contact the missionary directly. He may ask some probing
questions. This is only natural since you will be caring for his
people for up to one year, not to mention the possibility that you
may be driving his vehicle as well!
The Lord used my year on the mission field to teach me many lessons
about myself and to identify my own spiritual gifts (and lack thereof!).
When the missionary pastor returned to a church that was still moving
forward, I felt as though the Lord had allowed me to have a part
in a small but important victory.
Above all, the opportunity to serve the Lord by replacing a missionary
on furlough put me in many situations that enabled me to see God
at work in my own life and in the lives of others. If the Lord should
open the opportunity for you to replace a furloughing missionary,
you can be assured that it will be one of the most spiritually profitable
times in your life.
Doug Becker is employed by a large engineering firm and serves as
an adult Sunday School teacher, missions committee member and elder
at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina.