We had heard this information before but now it was proven in a new study. What is the greatest influence in people becoming missionaries? Well we heard it again. The number one influence is meeting missionaries.
A study was conducted of students who had become missionaries and from interviews they determined the number one influence was meeting real missionaries. “Every person we interviewed spoke about the influence a missionary had on their decision to become missionaries.”
This was certainly true to Elaine and I over 30 years ago. This was very encouraging to us as we are now on Home Assignment. Last Home Assignment one new missionary came up to us and told us that he remembered our visit to his home church decades ago. He is now on the mission field with his family. So we know that we are a key part of influencing new missionaries. “Meeting missionaries face-to-face helps to make the idea of becoming a missionary a concrete possibility.”
So what does this all mean. Well “missionaries need to visit churches…. In order to become missionaries, people need to meet missionaries…. The findings of our study suggest that missionaries should be encouraged to visit a larger number of churches in order for more people to meet them…. There seems to be no substitute for the impact of meeting with missionaries.”
They also showed the two valuable experiences for short-term workers. First, a trip to catch a vision for mission in the future and to see the needs close up. These can be short. Second, a longer trip to help understand the challenges of the particular field they are preparing for.
From “Mobilizing New Missionaries” Richard and Evelyn Hibbert & Tim Silberman, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, April 2016, pp. 172-179