What Is the Indigenous Missionary Definition?
While many might picture a missionary as an American who leaves his job and country to go serve in Africa, Got Questions clarifies that this is a simplistic view. The Indigenous missionary definition shows the breadth of what missions can look like.[1] In fact, statistics from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity reports that national missionaries are far more prevalent than foreign missionaries, exceeding a 30 to 1 ratio, and projections estimate a significant increase, to 17 million national workers compared to 600,000 foreign workers, by the year 2050.[2]
The term “indigenous” refers to any person or thing originating or occurring in a particular place, so an Indigenous missionary is one who seeks to share the Good News with his or her own people group.[3] There are many advantages to national workers as opposed to foreign, or cross-cultural, missionaries. Currently, about 85 percent of Asian countries do not allow Western missionaries to minister freely. National missionaries do not face the same restrictions. Foreigners may have to leave countries for various reasons, but local workers can stay and minister without interruption. Because national workers look and speak the same as the local people, these men and women do not represent a foreign country or a strange religion. Plus, local workers grow up knowing their country’s culture and instinctively know the best ways to communicate the love of Jesus so people around them will understand it. They know the needs of their neighbors and how best to meet them.[4]
GFA World recognizes and supports the strengths of local workers. One example is GFA Pastor Nikolos, who lived and served in a rural village where the main source of income was day labor and farming. Most families barely made enough to keep themselves afloat, and almost every penny went toward food and providing for emergency needs. Buying anything more was out of the question—including toilets. The villagers used any private place they could find; often, it was the area around their homes. This led to increased chances for diarrheal diseases, which are among the foremost causes of death in children. Pastor Nikolos and our ministry leaders identified five families that could benefit most from a toilet, and construction began. With these new facilities, the families were better protected against illness or infection, as well as from animal attacks in the dark.[5]
With GFA World, you can sponsor local missionaries like Pastor Nikolos, who live among the people and see their needs. By providing hygienic toilets or food or clean water, they show Christ’s love and care, opening the door for hope and better futures.[6]
Learn more about GFA World’s local missionaries in Africa and Asia[1]. “What Is a Christian missionary?” Got Questions. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-missionary.html
[2]. “Status of Global Christianity, 2021, in the Context of 1900–2050.” Center for the Study of Global Christianity Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.gordonconwell.edu/center-for-global-christianity/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2020/12/Status-of-Global-Christianity-2021.pdf
[3]. “Indigenous Missions.” HeartCry Missionary Society. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://heartcrymissionary.com/about/what-we-do/indigenous-missions
[4]. “National Missionaries: About National Missionaries.” GFA World. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.gfa.org/sponsor/why-national-missionaries
[5]. GFA Pastors Provide Toilets for Village.” GFA World. “October 7, 2021. https://gospelforasia-reports.org/2021/10/gfa-pastors-provide-toilets-for-village.
[6]. “National Missionaries: About National Missionaries.” GFA World. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.gfa.org/sponsor/why-national-missionaries.