Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

This was posted by a missionary, on Facebook, yesterday. After reading this post, and several others she created, I began to seethe. This person was attacking my country, my giving, and my love for souls, in order to raise money for her missions work. It bothered me that she was using Facebook as the vehicle to raise that money. It bothered me that she was using guilt and insults to try to motivate "unmotivated" American Christians.

This is what really got to me. After several people expressed outrage at her careless words, she began to post about all of the hardships she had endured, as if a missionary is the only person in the world who suffers hardship. Later, she began to delete the responses of her Facebook friends as they pointed just how abusive her posts were.

Her general attitude led me to remove her from my friends list.

The American church gives plenty. Most foreign missions works would collapse without the gifts of hard-working American men and women who sacrifice to further the work of God.

Americans are hurting right now. Many churches struggle to keep the doors open. Most pastors work a secular job just to get by. This is a new economic environment, and the notion that we are drunk on wealth is antiquated. Most American men and women, including pastors, must work to live. Some of us are working two and three jobs to provide for our families.

Believe me, the pastors I know would love to enjoy the income stream that missionaries receive. Not only do missionaries receive a salary from the American church, pretty much the entire work is funded by the American church.

So please, stop with the God complex. Stop with the guilt trips and insults. It's awfully cold out here, and your whining is drowning out the sound of my kids crying for food.

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

In our city, the Lutheran church is the second largest religious body. They have been here for 150 years. They have a congregation of well over 500.

They are struggling to pay their power bill. Most of the families that attend are out of work because the steel mill closed.

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

it happens, i knew a missionary that thought all americans were fat and lazy, till he needed them to support him, oops, dt

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Yeah, lets compare dying souls, and judge each other. That will surely help the cause of Christians.

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This is very true. America spends much more on beer than missions.

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I posted...

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I figured that. Love y'all, so thankful for you and your family, and other missionaries. And pastors, preachers, and saints that carry the gospel to lost souls.

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several people did not post in anger only two...

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

When we factor how much Americans have given charitably to non for profits that often do "missionary" work ..

The scale tips over

In 2007, Americans donated over 295 billion dollars
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...aritable_N.htm

Beers sales that year ... about 213 million
http://www.beer-brewing.com/beer-bre...beer_sales.htm

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

sad that someone would start a thread like this.

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The biggest chunk of the donations, $96.82 billion or 32.8%, went to religious organizations. The second largest slice, $40.98 billion or 13.9%, went to education, including gifts to colleges, universities and libraries.

Small part is sent to missions? so sad.

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

Very sad.

To many of these countries, just living in the US seems to them we are rich. Is there needs in the US, of course, but as a whole, Americans are blessed.

A friend I work with just returned from Peru - a very poor nation. It was a vacation not a missions trip. They visited a school while they were there and gave $7 US to provide the children a "treat" that day. Each child was giving a small piece of cheese and crackers and he said they were so excited.

He stood and just cried to witness that.

Are there needs in the US - - yes, of course and we do need to take care of our own too. But, I wasn't offended at all by what was said - - these countries live in huts with dirt floors - they don't have government programs helping them provide school lunches, provide groceries, etc.

I think some were a little hyper sensitive to the heart of what was being spoken.

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So we are putting the beer companies out of business by speding way more on non-profits than on beer?

Disgraceful.

I wonder if the wine makers were upset when Jesus turned the water into wine?

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

great post Renda

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Or of they'd consider that "missions" :)

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

I went to Brazil for a few weeks in 1997. I didn't meet the Alvears, but I was very impressed with the work in Manaus that I witnessed. Did everything make sense to me? Absolutely not-but then again, I hadn't lived there for 30 years like the missionaries I visited had. I couldn't even speak the language. Nothing seemed unsensible to me, either, though.

Missions has been rather glorified in some American churches. We see the missionaries fly in, nice suit, nice dress, going out to eat at nice restaurants... we see pictures of their homes and hear about the church that donated a brand new vehicle to them. I'm not sure any of us-even me, even after having lived with missionaries for a few weeks-really has any concept what the daily life of a missionary is like. That's not a sob story either. Here's some of what I saw during my trip though:
The missionaries had several people who worked for them in their home. (but I overheard later that they had been hired to take care of us for the time we were there, since we couldn't operate the wringer washer and didn't have time to cook...) I saw those workers debone the chicken that they put in our soup... and ask permission to take the bones home to put in soup for their own families.
I watched people brush their teeth in water straight out of the Amazon, and knew that the facilities in the missionaries' home had been installed specially so the water to the house-pumped into most homes without proper purification-wouldn't make the Americans who visited sick.
They had air conditioning for the comfort of the Americans who visited too. Actually, the missionary slept out in the front room in a hammock while we were there because he couldn't stand the air conditioning-he was too used to not having it.
The vehicles the missionaries drove us in weren't the nice Land Rovers and such that I'd seen in missionary pictures. They were rattly, dented vehicles they could drive through the bumpy streets. If they had nice vehicles from mothers memorial or whatever, they were in service at some of the other works-the missionaries weren't driving them, certainly.

I went back to America with a different concept of what it might mean to support missions, what missionaries face in their countries, and the value of an American dollar. Not everyone in America has it easy. But not every missionary does either.

If missions work were easy and lucrative, there would be a lot more missionaries.

:heart

*I don't know Sis Alvear, I am not on her FB, and I'm not trying to guilt trip or guild anything. I just think the original post is very sad, and at least somewhat misinformed.

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

Those are great points, Renda.

My dissatisfaction has nothing to do with the fact that there truly is a need for missions giving. It has more to do with the fact that a missionary insulted one of the most giving nations in the world and all of the hard-working Apostolics in it. She insulted the very nation most responsible for her continued ability to preach in Brazil.

No one is holding a gun to her head. A missionary becomes a missionary by choice. The martyr shtick wears thin, especially when it is slathered with excessive amounts of gooey guilt.

The light of American Christianity was once a bonfire. It has now faded to a smoldering flicker. America is in desperate need of evangelism, or she will soon become as dark as Europe.

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

As far as Im concerned, that missionary is right about American in general, but I doubt it was aimed at Owl.

As far as Im concerned, compared to my relative life here in America many missionaries DO have a harder life and needs that we here in America are in a good position to provide for. I doubt that missionary was aiming their comments at all Americans including those that have recently lost jobs and such.

Perhaps the way the missionary posted rubbed a few the wrong way. Perhaps the missionary just went about it the wrong way. Perhaps even that missionary was distressed where they are at and under their present circumstances too. I don't know.

But I've talked to enough missionaries to know that their mission field are often in third world nations and not a Disneyland vacation. They are far away from home, family and friends and no unlimited credit card.

I could not read the posting for myself but maybe this person needs more patience and understanding :-)

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

I am sorry that I offended 2 AFF posters that are on my friends lists...that was not intended at all...I was speaking in general terms. Not one person at all in mind...

I remember when one of my boys was little we went to a church to preach and the boy saw a dog house, riding lawn mower, a barn for the horses...He said mother, these people are so rich....I never could convence him they were not rich...

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Will you forgive me?

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I did not mean it like it was taken but anyway...

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sOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO EXPRESS OUR INNER FEELINGS AND NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS WOULD i INTENTIONALLY INSULT SOMEONE... SOMETIMES I AM OVERWHEMLMED BY THE NEEDS ON THE FIELD....

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ SOME ARTICLES not BY ME ...

Shame on us
Christians in America know very little about serious giving | Joel Belz
ALARM BELLS ARE RINGING. EVER MORE LOUDLY and more ominously throughout the nonprofit world, warning buzzers are sounding a grim caution: Charitable giving is in a perilous dip.
The worst reports are coming from secular situations. In a report on major foundations, The Wall Street Journal notes that several have cut back their giving by 50 percent. "I haven't been hit as badly as the World Trade Center," billionaire Ted Turner told the Journal, "but there's a little smoke coming out of my ears." With his stock in AOL Time Warner Inc. off by 75 percent over the last year, he decided to spread one $250 million charitable pledge to seven years instead of just five.
And some corporations that for years have matched the charitable gifts of their employees have now ended that practice. (WORLD MAG.)

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

If missions is a priority for God, how is it reflected in local churches? A George Barna survey of senior Protestant pastors taken in December 2004 found that only 15% had missions as any one of their top three priorities for the coming year3. One-tenth of one percent (ten cents per hundred dollars) of all Christian income went to global foreign missions, estimates David Barrett in his annual “Status of Global Mission” report for 2005. Seven-tenths of 1% went to churches and another 1.2% went to parachurch organizations globally4. Fundamentally the issue is stinginess among Christians (at least nominal ones)—churches being composed of Christians—and even more fundamentally, the issue is failing to avail ourselves of the grace of God5.

In twenty-nine American denominations, benevolence giving as a part of total church income declined from 21% in 1968 to 15% in 20026. Giving to “benevolences” is defined as funds given to the local church for local, national and international missions, as well as for denominational support. Benevolence giving declined from .66% of personal disposable income to .38% of disposable income in that same time span, remembering again that probably not more than half of even this tiny income did not go to global missions. In real numbers, this means an average of $101.00 per member was designated in those denominations for all church benevolences in 2002. This does not include giving directly to missions, apart from giving through the church, but overall, giving to missions was minimal. Denominations vary considerably in the amount given per member for missions. Giving by Christian Evangelicals is considerably higher (14% of them tithe, compared to 5% of the general population7), but they represent only 7% of the US population8.

http://www.rmni.org/financial-minist...-missions.html

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

Shame on you, Owl.

The truth is, that while Americans DO give huge amounts of money to charitable and mission-oriented causes, we do NOT give as much as we could. Nor do we suffer poverty the way that those in third world countries suffer poverty. When we "give till it hurts", truthfully we are not hurting, and we still have our needs (and our families' needs) met.

The TRUTH is, only those who have sacrificed everything for the sake of the kingdom will understand these sorts of posts. Missionaries definitely endure more hardship and SEE more hardship than your average American Christian. Therefore, I respect what missionaries have to say, assuming that they have more experience with these things than I do.

The TRUTH is, we give to missions and charities, but we most DEFINITELY could be giving more.

The TRUTH is, we give our dollars, because sometimes that alleviates the guilt we feel for not actually DOING anything.

The TRUTH is, if something that was posted bothers you that much, maybe it isn't the speaker's motives you should be analyzing.

The TRUTH is, there's nothing productive in you coming here and maligning a very dear woman, simply because you felt a little guilt when you read her posts. Perhaps you should take that guilt and do something with it.

The TRUTH is, if you get out and start making concerted efforts to evangelize and do outreach, you will be unpleasantly surprised at how FEW American Christians really want to get their hands dirty. (statistically speaking) They might be willing to donate money to your cause--just so they don't have to wash their hands later.

You should be absolutely ashamed of this thread, Owl.

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

Giving to missions totaled $1.33 billion in 2009, a decline of 1.8 percent, reflecting the economic downturn. Through the denomination's Cooperative Program (CP) and special mission offerings, local churches voluntarily pool funds to support mission efforts in their states, throughout the nation and around the world. For example, Southern Baptists support more than 10,500 missionaries who engage nearly 1,200 people groups throughout North America and around the world.

(southern baptist mag.)

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

Some other stats available here:

http://library.generousgiving.org/page.asp?sec=28&page=

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

Sister,

The TRUTH is, I have not maligned anyone. I merely exposed the saccharine sweetness that insults and guilts good people into opening up the pocketbooks.

The TRUTH is, I have given my entire adult life to ministry, with little expectation of compensation. Yet I realize that lack and hardship is shared by millions of pastors and missionaries around the world. I don't get on the internet and whine about it incessantly.

The TRUTH is, no one is obligated to give homes and food to foreigners, although that would be nice. Our responsibility is not housing the lost, it's preaching to the lost.

The TRUTH is, your post smacks of judgment and "seer"ism.

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

Would there be foreign missions without Americans?

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

No of course not ..

Some of the problem has been overhead costs ... I know that UPCI has been under the microscope for a lot of money being stuck in overhead fees and administrative costs...

It's led to others like I-AM to step in and create other missionary networks ...

More on I-AM led by Jonathon Alvear: http://theapostolicreport.wordpress....am-foundation/

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

Can you imagine how blessed a Home Missionary would feel if he received life time funding like Foreign Missionaries do?

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There have always been missions that didn't originate in America.

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Don't forget foreign currencies can suffer severe fluctuations and loss of value.

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OWL really neeeds to REPENT of her bitterness, or fly to a different tree.

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

Both missions and Christianity originated outside of America. :rolleyes2

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Maybe the local church struggles to stay afloat? Maybe they view their own community as a mission field? Maybe they don't trust overseas charities?

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True, but if America is so insignificant, why all of the whining about our lack of giving? Why do missionaries come here to deputize? They come here because they know Americans are compassionate and giving.

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That's not very nice. Good thing I don't give a hoot.

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This is the case for most, not all though. Just saying. I don't know Owl or Sis. Alvear, but I do remember a time several years ago when I was working 3 jobs and missing meals and my electricity and gas were turned off in the middle of winter, etc. I walked to the church in my neighborhood one night during this time to attend service and a missionary was there that night and railed at the congregation for not giving more, us rich lazy Americans. I am thankful that I live in a country where I was able to work myself up out of that situation. I realize that many people in third world countries don't have that opportunity. My point is though, the 'truths' you pointed out Mrs. B don't always apply to everyone, and when you're in a bad situation and struggling hard against cold and hunger, the broad brush used by people (usually people with good intentions) hurts.

From everything that I've seen of Sis. Alvear on here she appears to be a very kind lady who's doing a great work. I don't know Owl and don't know what their driving factor was for posting this thread, I just wanted to present another perspective.

Re: Misssionaries With God Complexes
 

Maybe there's a bit of a personal rub in the response.

My cousin is a UPC foreign missionary and their "funding" is HARD WORK. I think deputation is wrong, wrong, wrong, but that's how it's set up and they are willing to spend their time back at the states going from church to church trying to raise their own funding.