The Role of Pastoral Visits in Missionary Member Care

EMQ » April–June 2023 » Volume 59 Issue 2

Summary: While both agencies and churches can engage in member care with their missionaries, churches can focus more on personal care. Field visits can be a particularly impactful aspect of member care. These visits can bring missionaries hope and strength when they are need, while also providing pastors first-hand experience in the life of a missionary their church supports first hand.

By Ed Grudier

Recognizing the need to care for our missionary partners has been an important development in the missions enterprise over the past generation. In the 1970s, authors began to write on the topic. In 1980, the first meeting of what would eventually become the annual Mental Health and Missions Conference was held in the United States. Member care became an officially recognized field of study and practice by the 1990s.^[1]

Member care can have a profound impact not just on the missionary but also upon their ministry outcomes as noted by member care advocate Kelly O’Donnell. He says, “Doing member care well helps us to do missions well. It strengthens missionaries so that they can effectively love, evangelize, and disciple people groups, endure hardship; and grow as people. It is a pioneering, practical, and deeply personal ministry.”^[2]

Member care is a broad field that has many facets because missionaries have a variety of needs. As a missionary in Central Asia for twelve years and then a pastor in the US for the past fourteen years, I have personally experienced the benefits of member care. I have also observed the benefits in the lives of numerous missionaries.

Field visits are a particularly impactful aspect of member care which afford both quality communication, as well as firsthand experience with the missionary’s living and ministry situation.^[3] The felt need for a personal visit is not a sign of spiritual immaturity or of a character flaw. Scripture reveals that the apostle and great missionary Paul, himself, received personal visits and felt the need to be ministered to by those visiting him.

Paul, the Recipient of Field Visits

There are multiple examples in the New Testament of field visits involving Paul. We will focus first on two actual visits with noted benefits to Paul. Then we’ll look at an example where Paul requests and desires a visit during a time of need.

In 2 Corinthians 7:5–7, Paul is in Macedonia wearied from his missionary service. He was visited by Titus, a past co-worker and pastor of the Corinthian.^[4] Paul described himself in verse 5 with physical weariness (“our bodies had no rest”) and emotional challenges (“afflicted”). These difficulties came from external sources (“fighting without”) as well as internal sources (“fears within”). The cumulative result left Paul feeling “depressed” (NASB) or “downcast” (ESV). Paul was comforted by God through the instrument of Titus’ visit.^[5] Similarly, today’s missionaries often have multi-layered needs that may be best met by a pastoral visit.

Sometimes Paul had practical needs. Philippians 4:10–20 describes a visit from Epaphroditus, a member of the Philippian church.^[6] In 2:25, Paul describes Epaphroditus as the Philippian church’s “messenger” (apostolos) sent to Paul care for him. He did this by bringing Paul financial resources while he was under house arrest in Rome.

This visit was about much more than the transfer of money. Gordon Fee observes that Paul’s joy (4:10) came from much more than the Philippian church helping financially. Fee explains, “…it is what the gift represents – tangible evidence of ‘friendship,’ and a demonstration of their ‘partnership’ with him in the gospel.”^[7] A pastoral visit communicates to the missionary that there is more to the church-missionary partnership than financial support.

In the third example described in 2 Timothy 4:9–13, Paul requests a pastoral visit. He was likely imprisoned in the Mamertine prison in Rome which was known for its harsh conditions.^[8] However, Paul’s needs were more than just physical (“cloak”) and spiritual (“parchments”). Paul found himself alone with only Luke.

Demas had abandoned him due to “loving this world.” Crescens and Titus had been sent out on mission to take the gospel to Galatia and Dalmatia respectively.^[9] The result of all this personnel movement left Paul feeling lonely and in need of companionship and fellowship.^[10] Paul’s solution was to write Timothy and ask him to come to him quickly and to bring Mark with him.

Just like Paul, missionaries today often face loneliness and sometimes distress and grief from tensions with co-workers, or the loss of co-workers for a variety of reasons. During times of critical missionary needs, field visits can bring hope and strength.

Field Visits – Who Should Do Them?

In the effort to provide member care for missionaries, both church and mission agency play an important role. We have observed from an examination of Paul’s life, how he received visits from fellow missionaries, pastors, and members of churches. All have unique strengths and contributions to make in the health of missionaries and their ministries.

Member care, in our day, has largely been taken on by mission agencies, most of which have member care departments and personnel devoted to this ministry. Many churches are engaged in sending teams overseas to be involved in short-term mission trips.

Yet in my experience, precious few have set aside funds and personnel for the sole purpose of providing pastoral care trips to their missionaries. Field visits to missionaries from both the mission agency and sending or supporting churches are needed since they often have different purposes. However, missionaries and supporting churches uniquely benefit from field visits from a pastor.

Wilson, a missions pastor serving in a church committed to being actively involved in member care, explains this dynamic. He says, “Our view of effectiveness is often different from that of the mission agency. The agency tends to care more about the effectiveness on the field and the end results. The church-based care team model strives to care more about how the missionary is doing personally, emotionally, and relationally, not just field results.”^[11] 

Andy Johnson, also a pastor, further explains the importance of a pastor or elder being involved in field visits to missionaries. “Along with regular calls or emails, it’s hard to overstate the value of occasional pastor visits to overseas workers.  I’m not talking about short-term trips or coming to do projects. I mean a pastor (or elder) visiting missionaries with the sole purpose of seeing how they are doing and encouraging them spiritually.”^[12]

Seeing Deepens Understanding

Firsthand observation of the missionary’s ministry context provides unique insights. The visiting pastor can experience the culture and living conditions, meet the nationals with whom they are ministering, and meet their missionary’s co-workers. Pastoral visits provide the opportunity over coffee, meals, or at the end of the day for missionaries to open up and talk through issues or challenges they are facing with cultural adaptation, relational tensions, ministry challenges, and innumerable family issues.

Visits also provide the opportunity for an outside perspective on the challenges a missionary is experiencing to which they may be unaware. Do they exhibit signs of burnout or depression? Have they allowed unhealthy communication patterns to creep into their marriage or their parenting?

Are the missionaries viewing the culture and the people they serve with appreciation and love, or has their perspective become jaded? Observing these can bring greater understanding and lead to conversations on topics that may not normally arise in written correspondence or during home assignments. 

My wife and I visited one of our single missionaries in North Africa living in a town several hours from the capital. We learned during this visit that most missionaries in the country lived in the capital city because of the significant challenges faced living in more rural locations. So when we discovered that her roommate was getting married and returning to the US, we understood the loneliness she would be facing.

This spurred the church to pray with more fervency than we otherwise would have if we had not experienced the remoteness of her living situation. Later, when she mentioned the opportunity to move to a new city and join a new team, we were able to ask better questions and provide wiser counsel because we had seen the places and met the people involved.

In addition to helping the pastor in his counseling of missionaries, this deeper understanding gained by firsthand observation can be passed on to the church body through the leadership and ministry of the visiting pastor.

There are often issues in missionary prayer letters that due to their complexity, security related issues, or to protect the privacy of others, require reading between the lines. Pastoral visits can provide a kind of Rosetta Stone for interpreting missionary updates and as the pastor shares deeper insights it can help the congregation engage in more informed prayer. Likewise, the increased level of understanding can assist a church’s missions committee during decision-making while evaluating needs, projects, and concerns.

Actions Speak Louder than Words

Sending a pastor to visit missionaries in their field of service requires a commitment and a sacrifice from the church. Money needs to be budgeted to cover expenses. The church misses out on the service of that pastor for ministry responsibilities within the church during the time they are away. This commitment and sacrifice communicate the depth of a church’s partnership.

Likewise, when the congregation sees one of their pastors going to visit a missionary to shepherd them and give them personal pastoral care, they begin to realize that missionaries are active members of the church and a vital global extension of the church’s ministry. It also helps the church pray for missionaries and relate to them, recognizing they are fellow believers who face similar issues in their sanctification and service to the Lord.

In our church, when our missionaries are on home assignment, they personally share with the church about their life and ministry at a luncheon after our Sunday church service. During this report it is common for our missionaries to specifically thank the church for being the only church to have ever sent a pastor to visit them.

Our church regularly deals with conflicting emotions with this report. Encouragement that these missionaries appreciate the depth of relationship a pastoral visit represents, but also sadness that no other pastors have visited them on the field even though some of these missionaries have served for many years.

Recommendations for a Pastoral Visit

Considering the value of pastoral visits, sending churches would be wise to add them the overall support plan of their missionaries. The following list of recommendations is intended to help facilitate a fruitful and effective pastoral trip to missionaries:^[13]

1. Purpose. Keep in mind the main purpose of a pastoral visit is to see how the missionary is doing spiritually, physically, emotionally, and relationally and to minister to them in a personal way. It is also to observe their normal life and ministry context. A pastoral care trip is not to see tourist sites or measure ministry results.
2. Expectations. Communicate expectations clearly. Before the trip, ensure the missionaries to be visited understand that you have no expectations of them giving you a vacation, but rather you are coming to minister to them.
3. Mindset and Attitude. Be encouraging and pastoral. If challenge is needed, be prepared to speak the truth in love. Let humility, love, and servanthood characterize your disposition.
4. Preparation. Review the past year of the missionary’s prayer updates to refresh your memory of what situations they have been facing. Equip yourself to minister effectively to any special needs they may be facing. Most of all, make extra time to pray before going and recruit the church to pray. Ask God to make you alert and sensitive to the best ways to minister to the missionaries you will be visiting.
5. Courier. During the planning process, at least a month before departing for the trip, connect with the missionaries to see if there is anything they would like for you to bring to them. They may have items for you to purchase or items from family that they would like for you to carry into their country. Budget for extra baggage if needed to accommodate this request.
6. Budget. The church should budget enough resources for transportation, food, and lodging for the pastor or pastoral couple. Do not presume that the missionaries will house you and provide all your meals for you. Communicate with them before arriving that staying in a hotel, a guest house, or some other arrangement is fine. If they want you to stay with them, they will offer. Food is a major part of many cultures, taking the missionaries out to eat for a treat and for you to experience more of the culture should be factored into the budget.
7. Release. The church should release their visiting pastor from all responsibilities while on a pastoral visit to a missionary. Do not expect the pastor to participate in meetings remotely or to keep up with e-mails. The pastor should be free to focus on the missionaries they are visiting and for that to be their sole responsibility while on a pastoral visit.
8. Couples. If married, the pastor and their spouse should travel together as a team, when possible. Our church recognizes that more than half of our missionaries are females, so they willingly cover the expenses for my wife to travel with me so that she can minister to the women. For missionaries that are married, this provides an opportunity to get both the husband’s and wife’s perspectives on life and ministry separately. When notes are compared you will discover that missionary husbands and wives often see things very differently. This provides helpful insights for pastoral care and counseling.
9. Pastoral Care. Prioritize time for pastoral care, this is your primary purpose for the trip! Your days will likely be very full, so utilize time over meals or over coffee to talk about how the missionaries are doing, not just what they are doing. Ask questions about their health, stress levels, marriage, children, family back home, co-workers. Plan a block of time, preferably towards the end of the trip, when you can discuss insights, and have extended prayer time with and for the missionaries you are visiting.
10. Communicate. While on the trip, provide updates each day about what you are experiencing and learning so that your church can be supporting you in prayer in real time. Keep updates focused on items that need prayer. Keep security issues in mind and confirm with the missionary you are visiting to ensure you know the best security protocols. Include photos, but do not post them without the missionary’s knowledge and approval.
11. Debrief. After returning from the trip schedule a time to give a verbal report to the church. You do not want to keep all of the needs, information, insights, and prayer requests to yourself. Help your church get to know your missionaries better and how to pray for them in a more informed way.

Committing to a Multi-Layered Partnership

The sending church which prioritizes pastoral visits to the missionaries they support will discover they have made a wise decision. Pastoral visits require sacrifice of time and resources, but as we see in the life of Paul, the benefits are manifold.

Benefits received by the missionary include the comfort received during the hardships of missionary service, help and companionship in times of crisis, and the joy of knowing that the church has a multi-layered partnership. The church is likewise benefited as they receive deeper insights into the complexities of the missionary’s life and ministry which fuels more informed and fervent prayer and it also helps those in the church to view their missionaries as extensions of their own gospel witness among the nations.

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[1] Kelly O’Donnell, Global Member Care: The Pearls and Perils of Good Practice (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2011): 5–11. The writings from the 1970s noted by O’Donnell were two articles by Joseph Stringham on the mental health of missionariesappearing in Evangelical Missions Quarterly in 1970 and the book Who Cares About the Missionary? by Marjorie Collins in 1974.

[2] Kelly O’Donnell, ed., Doing Member Care Well: Doing Member Care Well (Littleton, CO: William Carey Library, 2002), 9.

[3] David J. Wilson, Mind the Gap: Engaging the Church in Missionary Care (Believers Press, 2015), 155.

[4] Merrill C. Tenney, ed., The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1975), 758.

[5] Gordon D. Fee, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The First Epistle to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987), 369–70.

[6] Sean M. McDonough, “Introduction to the Letter of Paul to the Philippians,” in ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway), 2275.

[7]Gordon Fee, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), 426–27.

[8] R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus (Wheaton, IL: Good News Publishers, 2000), 259.

[9] J.N.D. Kelly, Black’s New Testament Commentaries: The Pastoral Epistles (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998), 213.

[10] George W. Knight, The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1992), 464.

[11] Wilson, Mind the Gap, 147.

[12] Andy Johnson, Missions (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017), 53.

[13] This list was adapted and expanded from Maroc Padgett’s Recommendations from (sic) a pastoral care trip, Rob Hay, Valerie Lim, Detlef Blöcher, Jaap Ketelaar, and Sarah Hay, Worth Keeping (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2007), 159–60.

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EMQ, Volume 59, Issue 2. Copyright © 2023 by Missio Nexus. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from Missio Nexus. Email: EMQ@MissioNexus.org.