You lead by setting the subject, and the comments will follow. Go a head, post something.
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
If an IMB (International Mission Board) missionary leaves the field earlier than expected they have to pay a 'fine'. In one case I know of, someone had to pay a significant amount. This really bothers me. People feel that God is leading them in a different direction and the response of the 'christian' agency is to charge them with a heavty fine? This just doesn't seem like the appropriate response for a ministry. What do you guys think?
This reminds me of an OT passage in which the Israelites were told to go to surrounding nations and utterly destroy them. While fulfilling this command an group of representatives from a far a way land come to them with crusty bread, broken down shoes and old wine skins. They say to the Israelites, make a pact with us seeing how we are from a far away land. Promise us you will not destroy us like you have done to the other nations surrounding you. The Israelites gave their word. As the Israelites go about fulfilling the command given to them, they come across a city they are about to destroy. This city is not in a far away land does not contain inhabitants from a far away city. None-the-less, the inhabitants were those who made the pact with the Israelites.
Now, the response I would expect would be that since you decieved us, the pact is null and void. That is not how the Israelites proceeded. They kept their word. They kept it, the scriptures say, because they feared God. It was more important to let their yes mean yes than it was to break a pact based on a lie.
I think the same thing holds true with missionaries. If a missionary is willing to sign a contract with the stipulation that they will remain in the field until the appointed time, then that is what they should do... let their yes mean yes. God is not one to flip flop on things. If He gives you the okay to go and be in a place for a set number of years, why would He later change His mind and tell you to go elsewhere?
That is a great point. I see where you are going with it. I need to go back and read that story in full. It is just frusterating to see how bad the IMB is with money.
3 comments:
If an IMB (International Mission Board) missionary leaves the field earlier than expected they have to pay a 'fine'. In one case I know of, someone had to pay a significant amount. This really bothers me. People feel that God is leading them in a different direction and the response of the 'christian' agency is to charge them with a heavty fine? This just doesn't seem like the appropriate response for a ministry. What do you guys think?
This reminds me of an OT passage in which the Israelites were told to go to surrounding nations and utterly destroy them. While fulfilling this command an group of representatives from a far a way land come to them with crusty bread, broken down shoes and old wine skins. They say to the Israelites, make a pact with us seeing how we are from a far away land. Promise us you will not destroy us like you have done to the other nations surrounding you. The Israelites gave their word. As the Israelites go about fulfilling the command given to them, they come across a city they are about to destroy. This city is not in a far away land does not contain inhabitants from a far away city. None-the-less, the inhabitants were those who made the pact with the Israelites.
Now, the response I would expect would be that since you decieved us, the pact is null and void. That is not how the Israelites proceeded. They kept their word. They kept it, the scriptures say, because they feared God. It was more important to let their yes mean yes than it was to break a pact based on a lie.
I think the same thing holds true with missionaries. If a missionary is willing to sign a contract with the stipulation that they will remain in the field until the appointed time, then that is what they should do... let their yes mean yes. God is not one to flip flop on things. If He gives you the okay to go and be in a place for a set number of years, why would He later change His mind and tell you to go elsewhere?
j razz
That is a great point. I see where you are going with it. I need to go back and read that story in full. It is just frusterating to see how bad the IMB is with money.
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