EMQ » January–March 2021 » Volume 57 Issue 1
By Glenn D. Deckert
Wipf & Stock, 2019
104 pages
USD $17.00
Reviewed by Marcus Dean, Professor and Chair, Department of Intercultural Studies, Houghton College; former missionary for fourteen years in Colombia and Puerto Rico.
One sentence in the introduction concisely sums up Working Abroad with Purpose, “It is my hope that you the reader will grasp the concept of taking your vocational skills abroad for strategic positioning to advance God’s kingdom” (xviii). In the short one hundred pages that follow, Glenn Deckert presents a coherent argument for tentmaking missions, that is, supporting oneself like the Apostle Paul did with the trade of tentmaking in Corinth (Acts 18:1–4). Each of the sixteen chapters discusses an important topic of interest that both set the foundation of tentmaking missions and challenges the reader to consider this option of service. The topics start with an explanation of tentmaking and then move through various aspects of ministry, such as discovering channels for outreach, and practical matters in living as a tentmaker, such as visas.
The basis of the book is Deckert’s personal experience in serving as a tentmaker with his family in six different countries, including sites that would not be accessible to a self-declared Christian worker. Deckert is straightforward in describing both the challenges and the rewards of this form of mission. One challenge that he gives to the reader who would respond as a tentmaker, is to live a lifestyle that is similar to locals who earn the same local wages “while maintaining a distinctly Christian lifestyle” (4). Another important challenge is to engage, if at all possible, with local believers.
An important chapter that helps the reader who is considering becoming a tentmaking missionary is entitled “Limitations and Logistics.” In six pages Deckert touches on four important themes that need to be realistically evaluated before becoming a tentmaker. These include time and physical energy. I appreciate that Deckert both challenges to serve as a tentmaker as a calling and addresses the unique challenges of being a tentmaker. This is true for those who follow this call by serving with a mission organization, or who go on their own to be a witness.
While it is clearly not exhaustive, Working Abroad with Purpose provides a clear basis for understanding tentmaking as a ministry opportunity. It serves as a valuable introduction that should be read by anyone who would like to serve abroad but does not feel called to raise support or prefers to build relationships for God as a peer rather than as a “missionary.” This is a great book to start exploring the possibility of tentmaking missions.
For Further Reading
Cross, David. Work of Influence: Principles for Professionals from the Book of Daniel. Professionals Global, 2018.
Reisacher, Evelyne A. Joyful Witness in the Muslim World: Sharing the Gospel in Everyday Encounters. Baker Academic, 2016.
