What Do Christian Missionaries Do with GFA World?
What do Christian missionaries do? They serve as ambassadors of Jesus, dedicating their lives to fulfilling the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20. Traditionally, this has meant leaving one’s cultural and national boundaries to share the Good News to people groups that have never heard the name of Jesus. In addition to preaching, missionaries engage in acts of service, helping to fulfill physical needs, thus demonstrating the love of Christ in practical ways.[1]
The activities of Christian missionaries are broad and can change over time, expanding or contracting in new seasons and situations. Their roles may include humanitarian aid―providing food, shelter and emergency help to those affected by poverty, disasters or conflict; education, which involves running schools and organizing literacy classes; healthcare―founding hospitals, providing medical supplies and offering health education; and advocacy, which is working to protect human rights, welfare and dignity. The ministry’s shape can vary, but its primary objective is always to nurture relationships and share the Good News of the love of God.[2]
To fully answer the question of what do Christian missionaries do, it is beneficial to look at examples of missionaries through time. For example, David Brainerd was one of the first missionaries to bring the Good News of Jesus to the Native Americans of New Jersey in their own language.[3] His work translating the Bible made that possible. Amy Carmichael served as a missionary in South Asia for many years. Her most well-known ministry was opening an orphanage and rescuing children from being trafficked.[4] Brother Andrewvan der Bijl’s missionary work involved smuggling Bibles into closed countries during the Cold War. Helen Roseveare was a missionary to Congo for twenty years, and she served the people by establishing dozens of medical clinics.[5] Each Christian missionary testimony reveals another facet of what missions work has looked like in the past and what it can look like today as it plays out in various areas of the globe.
When discussing missionary work throughout the world, the question, “Where are Christian missionaries needed most?” naturally comes up. The answer is: in the 10/40 Window. The Joshua Project defines the 10/40 Window as a vast expanse from North Africa to Asia, bordered by the 10 and 40 degrees north latitude. Here, amidst widespread poverty and illness, reside billions untouched by the transformative power of God’s love. The Joshua Project reports that around 3.31 billion people within this zone, often called “The Resistant Belt,” are yet to receive the Good News due to the prevalence of traditional Asian faiths, complicating efforts to spread the message of Christ’s love.[6]
Currently, more than 85 percent of Asian countries do not allow Western missionaries to minister freely, making it difficult to fulfill the Great Commission there.[7] But GFA World’s national missionaries are uniquely positioned to share God’s love in this area. These workers were born and raised in the countries where they minister, so the restrictions on outsiders do not apply to them. In addition, they have fewer or no cultural barriers to overcome, so they can immediately begin sharing the message of Jesus Christ with those who have never heard. National missionaries instinctually know the best ways to communicate with the people around them in a way that makes linguistic and cultural sense.
As they serve God and people, our missionaries look for specific and tangible ways to meet needs and show God’s love and concern. This looks different for each situation—a slum does not have the same needs as a village or a city—so sometimes the missionaries provide Jesus Wells and sometimes they distribute income-generating gifts. Whatever the need, GFA World’s missionaries seek to help their countrymen both physically and spiritually.[8]
Pastor Reinhard is just one of GFA World’s missionaries. The area where he served was particularly rife with diseases, including typhoid. The town had no medical facilities, so the villagers had to take long and expensive trips to the nearest facility or just let the illnesses run their course. Many lost their lives to various diseases at young ages. Pastor Reinhard saw the great need for improved health in the village, so he and other volunteers organized a Global Handwashing Day program. The workers at the program demonstrated proper handwashing techniques and shared how washing hands decreases the risk of getting sick by removing the germs that cause pneumonia, diarrhea and typhoid.[9]
As Pastor Reinhard’s ministry shows, the answer to “What do Christian missionaries do?” can be much broader and more practical than we might think, but it is always with the aim of blessing their community and demonstrating God’s love. You can sponsor a national missionary with GFA World for just $30 a month and help them continue to serve full time, sharing God’s love with those who have never heard about it before.[10]
Learn more about how to support Christian missionaries through GFA World
[1] “Who Are Christian missionaries and What Do They Do?” Compelling Truth. Accessed December 4, 2024. https://www.compellingtruth.org/Christian-missionary.html.
[2] Koering, Jeremy. “What do Christian missionaries do?” Nations Outreach. March 8, 2024. https://nationsoutreach.org/stories/what-do-christian-missionaries-do.
[3] Contributors to Wikimedia projects. “David Brainerd.” Wikipedia, December 30, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Brainerd.
[4] Ortiz, Kenneth. “10 Christian missionaries every Christian should know.” Theology for the Rest of Us. January 18, 2023. https://www.theologyfortherestofus.com/10-christian-missionaries-every-christian-should-know.
[5] “24 Famous Missionaries.” Bibles.net. Accessed December 4, 2024. https://www.bibles.net/meet-24-famous-missionaries-and-their-stories.
[6] “What Is the 10/40 Window?” Joshua Project. Accessed December 4, 2024. https://joshuaproject.net/resources/articles/10_40_window.
[7] GFA World. “Sponsor a Missionary.” Accessed January 25, 2025. https://www.gfa.org/sponsor/why-national-missionaries/.
[8] “National Missionaries: About National Missionaries.” GFA World. Accessed December 4, 2024. https://www.gfa.org/sponsor/why-national-missionaries.
[9] “Protecting Lives through Clean Hands.” GFA World. October 14, 2021. https://gospelforasia-reports.org/2021/10/protecting-lives-through-clean-hands.
[10] “National Missionaries: Sponsor a National Missionary.” GFA World. Accessed December 4, 2024. https://www.gfa.org/sponsor.