What is a Missionary Anyway? 

Words like “missionary,” “missions,” “mission agency,” and “mission field” can be very confusing words. In some parts of the world, a “missionary” is seen as someone who tries to overthrow the government or plant seeds of subversion in foreign lands. To them a missionary is a spy or even a terrorist. In other parts of the world, “missionaries” are high-level Christians. To them, missionaries have some kind of special connection with God that makes them a lot less likely to do bad things. Suffice it to say that all over the world “missions” is loaded with meaning.

At ICCD, “missionaries” are people who are driven by love. They are people who follow Jesus’ command to love God with every fiber of their being and to love people in the same way that they love themselves. Missionaries are Christians who go to other parts of the world (different countries or different cultures in the same country) to share Jesus’ love. They do this by adapting to local cultures and ways of life, by helping meet people’s needs, by telling people that Jesus cares for all people and wants all people to worship him, and by just being a friend. Missionaries do NOT try to overthrow local governments; rather, they submit to the laws of their host government and find appropriate ways to help local governments meet people’s needs. Missionaries do NOT force people to worship or accept Jesus. Missionaries respect people’s need to make their own decisions freely. Because missionaries are Christians who have been changed by Jesus’ love, they feel compelled to tell other people that Jesus cares for everyone. Missionaries understand that many people will reject Jesus, but they continue following Jesus’ example and teaching to love everyone, even those who reject Jesus.

While being a missionary is not easy, missionaries are still just normal Christians. Missionaries are not a different “class” of Christianity; they are just Christians who love Jesus. They still make mistakes; they still miss their families at home; they still struggle to love Jesus completely, but they still go wherever God asks them to go and love everyone God places around them. Often times they do not feel like going or loving, and sometimes they fail, but they trust Jesus and keep asking for his help.

Are you interested in becoming a missionary? Is your soul eager to love people who have never been told about Jesus? ICCD is ready to help you start your journey.