Review of "On Being a Missionary"

On Being a Missionary. Thomas Hale. Pasadena, California: William Carey Library, 1995. 422 pp.

On Being a Missionary addresses a broad range of practical issues that anyone “being a missionary” will likely face. Author Thomas Hale writes to those with an interest in missions, with the purpose being to educate them by painting a holistic picture of the issues which will face missionaries in their careers – both positive and negative. Hale uses examples from his own missionary experiences in Nepal to illustrate the topics which he presents.

Hale organizes his book to follow the general course of a missionary’s career. The first chapters set the foundation for rest of the book. Hale acknowledges that God is the one who sends missionaries, and that missions is the task of every church member. He furthermore limits the usage of “missionary” to refer to cross-cultural witnesses. He identifies both a general and a specific call to missions. The general call, which is discovered primarily from Scripture, is for all Christians to follow God, obey his commands, and sharing the Gospel with others. This general call is for life. The specific call for missionaries calls them to a specific missions assignment. This call, though primarily from the Holy Spirit, is confirmed by the body of believers and is not received in a personal vacuum. This specific call can change over time, so missionaries need to be aware that “the call to leave the field should be as definite as the original call to go” (22).

Early in the book, Hale states a theme which runs throughout the rest of the book: “Missionary life is two parts joy and fulfillment and one part frustration and defeat. We can only hope to reduce the frustration and defeat by facing it, not by denying it” (2). Whether the proportions are correct is not the point; the point is that frustration and defeat will come, and the missionary needs to be prepared to face it.

Hale identifies ways that missionaries can prepare for their assignment, through professional training, field-specific orientation and general missionary training. Hale deals considerably with very practical field issues such as culture shock, how to deal appropriately with people in various social classes, and what the missionary’s standard of living should be. He also addresses some of the potential problems on the mission field, such as interpersonal conflicts between missionaries, stress, burnout, fatigue, and depression. Although not the most favored of subjects, these are issues which will face the missionary, and the missionary needs to be aware of them. Hale also looks at single missionaries, married missionaries, and missionary children. He looks at reasons missionaries leave the field. And he looks at furlough – including the benefits of it and how to use it as a time to evaluate one’s ministry.

Overall, On Being a Missionary successfully presents a holistic picture of missionary life, from the call and preparation of a missionary, to the struggles which will be faced on the field. Hale presents many possibilities for the missionary reader. One possibility is how missionaries bond with the people to whom they minister by identifying on both physical and psychological levels. Another possibility concerns how a missionary from a rich country can deal constructively with the poverty in the country where one has been called to minister. Hale looks at various aspects of this problem, looking at the individual person’s need, the social setting, as well as the biblical mandate.

Hale also presents several possibilities when dealing with the problems one faces on the field. When dealing with interpersonal conflicts, often with other missionaries, one must maintain an attitude of humility and servanthood, be understanding of the other missionaries’ perspectives, and avoid sinning in the situation.

While Hale does talk a great deal about the missionary family on the field, he does not write very much about relations with the family (and friends) back home, other than saying that a reason some people have to leave the field early is to take care of aged parents, and that furlough is a time to catch up with friends and family in the home country. It would be beneficial if he would address what types of relations are expected between missionaries and their families in the home country.

Thomas Hale’s book On Being a Missionary is a helpful resource for those interested in missionary service – whether in the preparation stage, or already on the field. Hale uses his own experiences from Nepal to illustrate the principles he wishes to convey to readers. His treatment of the issues at the various stages of a missionary’s career provide guided thought processes that the missionary can use to help identify, correct, and avoid potential problems. Since frustration and defeat will accompany joy and fulfillment in missionary life, it is best to be prepared for and expect both of these extremes. In On Being a Missionary Thomas Hale instructs readers on what to expect and how to be prepared for the various components of missionary life. It is a book which I plan to take with me to Romania.

Note: This review has been published in Engage Magazine.