Characteristics of a Missionary

1. Every missionary must be a believer and should also understand how he was saved. (Exclusion of human good — Galatians 3:26).

2. He must be indoctrinated or must know doctrines by study. Doctrine is the basis for true motivation in missions. He must understand that all believers are in full time Christian service and that God has led him on way. He must have enough doctrine (at least a developing edification complex) to apply it from his frame of reference in unusual circumstances.

3. He must be oriented to the plan of God. Phase 1: Salvation; Phase 2: Oriented to GAP, going on to maturity.

4. He must be guided — this comes from the Word. God’s will for all unbelievers to believer, 2 Peter 3:9. A principle of divine guidance: God guides to a geographical area where there is positive volition.

5. They must be separated to study, and from the details of life. There is also separation from emotional believers (2 Corinthians 6:11-12; Romans 16:17,18) and cult-apostasy movements. A missionary who claims to be evangelistic (evangelical) and is in the tongues movement is in horrible apostasy and blasphemy.

6. He must be acclimatised to his field. He must be adjusted to all circumstances, i.e. weather, customs, language, etc. Must train his converts to go out and witness to their own people on the indigenous witnessing principle.

7. The Holy Spirit is responsible for appointing spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit is responsible for the placement of personnel on the mission field. No matter how sensational, personable, how much ability a man may have, if a person is not appointed by the Holy Spirit to the mission field, and he goes into this field, he is in the wrong slot. Missionaries are chosen by the Holy Spirit, not the church.

8. Missionaries must be taken from the leadership gifts (evangelism, pastor-teacher) and they must qualify on the basis of maximum amount of doctrine known.

9. There must be a stable local church for effective missionary work. Must have prayer support as well as financial support of the local church to function properly in the mission field.