Thoughts on the Missionary Call, Part II

We are taught that God's word contains everything we need for life and godliness (2 Pe 1:2ff). It is profitable for our guidance in every way; it is how we become equipped for every good work (2 Ti 3:16-17). God's word is a light for our path; it holds the principles by which we are accountable to conduct our lives and make decisions. It is the content by which our minds are renewed and by which we attest the will of God in our lives (Ro 12:1-2).

The progressive sanctification process of renewing our minds to discern God's will does not include extra-biblical revelation. Meadors makes a good case for understanding God's will through developing a strong biblical worldview (see Decision Making God's Way, Baker 2003). A biblical decision-making process certainly does include searching God's word for applicable principles, seeking godly counsel, and accurate information.

So, what does all the preceding have to do with a “missionary call”? Simply, there ought to be no requirement for or expectation of a special missionary call (in the sense of some extra-biblical revelation or insight). The so-called biblical evidence or models of a special missionary call are descriptive rather than prescriptive. They are individual cases or unique directives given before the completion of the canon of Scripture. Some present-day missionaries may claim special revelation as a basis for their missionary call. Yet, if you pry beneath the surface, their real basis has much more to do with objective than subjective things. It is usually weak, non-repeatable, and insufficient when primarily subjective. Subjective stuff is not normative or consistent! Stepping back from a mystical, devotional commitment to subjectivism, you can see how fickle and wild such a position can be.

Note: I'm not arguing that subjective experience doesn't happen or should be disqualified entirely or discredited. I am arguing that it should never be the foundational basis of a missionary call. A subjective experience should not be a prerequisite for becoming a missionary. Mysticism or subjectivism can have many unbiblical sources or causes. Such extra-biblical experiences are unreliable, untestable, and unrepeatable. They may be valid and significant to the individual. Yet, they are a poor footing when confirming someone's missionary call.

Unfortunately, legends persist. Though there is much good in Sills' book The Missionary Call, he winds up being inconsistent by allowing too much credit to subjectivism and using examples of great missionaries of the past who, in my view, put way too much emphasis on a personal experience of extra-biblical revelatory guidance. As I mentioned above, when you dig deeper into those dear saints' testimonies, I think you'd find that they have much more solid footing for their call in God's word, a passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and a personal commitment to ministry. If you read their stories carefully, whatever personal subjective event they experienced was, in their heart, a tipping point of decision or assurance to keep moving into missions rather than a brand new direction which they had never considered previously.