MC Sync-Link 4

MC Update--April 2017

During 2017 we are syncing our CORE MC entries with our monthly MC Updates. Essentially, we'll add a monthly weblog entry that contains brief excerpts from the MC Update for that month. By linking their two straplines together, the purpose and potential for connecting these two MCA tools becomes clear: "expanding the global impact of member care...reflections, research, and resources for good practice." May these materials encourage and equip you as you endeavor to practice member care well, with character, competence, and compassion.

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Re-Member Care

MC Pioneers and Developers

 (click HERE to access this issue)

 

This Update focuses on some amazing people--remembering several deceased colleagues who have been instrumental in pioneering and developing member care. It includes a photo of each colleague and a link to our MCA website to access information about their lives (several links to tributes/short histories). Although they are no longer with us on the earth, their voices and examples still speak clearly to us today. We miss them dearly, yet know they are in the best of care as they are "away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8, NIV). We finish the Update with an invitation to journey further into member care by engaging with an article that overviews 100 years of member care history. Re-member care!

We want to invite you to continue in the "re-member care" flow of this Update by journeying further into our member care history.... One way to undertake this historical journey is to download, reflect on, and interact with the article, The Missional Heart of Member Care (IBMR, April 2015). Starting in the pre-1960 era and traveling into the mid-2010s, the article highlights trends in member care development and features commentary around a selection of core quotes from some of the outstanding colleagues who have contributed to the development of the member care field. Their exemplary lives of faith in action and the compelling voices in their writings still speak clearly and powerfully to us today (Heb. 11:4).

Share your comments/resources about this Update on the MCA Facebook page..
Share this Update with your colleagues and networks.

Kelly and Michèle

MC: Global Letters for a Global Community—2

Friendships and Consultations

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A loyal friend is a powerful defense:

whoever finds one has found a true treasure.

A loyal friend is something beyond price,

there is no measuring his/her worth.

A loyal friend is the elixir of life,

and those who fear YHWH will find one.

Ecclesiasticus 6, NJB

*****

We are writing to member care workers and all those with member care responsibility within international mission/aid who identify with the historic Christian faith. We write to encourage us all to stay the course in our service to God and humans and to take full advantage of the many opportunities to provide and develop member care. We write fully aware of the problems that can discredit, divide, and disable the church-mission community (CMC) and all of our member care efforts. We write with a commitment to the love that is necessary to resolve these problems and to promote health within the global CMC.

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Where were you in September 1998? We were in Oxford, where the above photo was taken. Twelve international colleagues met in Oxford, UK for three days to discuss the development of member care, Participants were from seven countries and four continents. One key outcome was the formation of the Member Care Task Force (MemCa) as part of the World Evangelical Fellowship (Alliance). This helped set the stage for future MemCa work, including forming relationships, convening consultations, and doing projects. At this first MemCa consultation, we took time for developing our friendships (and having some fun!). We stayed together at a lovely English manor (Stanton House), and in addition to discussing the serious matters at hand, we visited C.S. Lewis’ house together and we walked together along the Thames River after an enthralling Evensong service.

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Above photo, left to right: John Powell (USA); Melody Min (Korea), Paul Ralph (USA), Naomi Famonure (Nigeria), Betty Lou Pollock (USA), Marcia Tostes (Brazil), Kelly O’Donnell (UK/USA), Pablo Carrillo (Spain/Mexico), Ken Gamble (Canada), Michele  Lewis O’Donnell (UK/USA), Dave Pollock (USA)

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In April of this year, the first major international member care consultation will be convened (major in terms of size). We are really looking forward to the gathering of so many people from so many places and backgrounds. To help prepare for it, here are several historical notes-quotes over the past 20 years. We highlight two of the central and overlapping aspirations that routinely appear in the docs: a) the commitment to developing the member care field via solid relationships and strategic projects; and b) the commitment to intentionally meeting around the world to “knit the net” of member care colleagues and ultimately convening a major international consultation.  

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Notes and Quotes

1992

“ I believe there are three necessary steps for launching member care in a more coordinated direction….Step two is to convene a major member care conference which will attract participants from various countries and organizations….Finally I am convinced that the time has come to actively pull together the various pockets of member care workers around the world. It is also time to systematically train and mobilize many others for this strategic ministry. And the time is here for anointed leaders to step forward and help steer this field in response to the Lord’s direction.” An Agenda for Member Care in Missions, Missionary Care (1992, pages 294, 297)

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1993-1994

The first of several member care consultations for the Middle East region (Cyprus) and for the North Africa region (Spain) took place in these years, in association with regional mission partnerships.

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1995

“The current effort to reach the world’s unreached peoples requires hardy folk who are willing to work together, make sacrifices, become vulnerable, and serve the lord wholeheartedly in the midst of stressful situations. But understand this as well: it also necessitates a concomitant, cooperative effort to undergird the missionary personnel involved in these demanding endeavours” On Behalf of the 10-40 Window of the Heart, International Journal of Frontier Missions (special issue on member care, page 169).

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1996

“There is a need to deliberately join together with a core group of like-minded colleagues in order to further develop the member care field, especially within frontier missions…We must develop a ‘macro model’ of member care….In short, we would be an interagency, informally affiliated group of friends, who are highly committed to work together on consensually-derived, cutting edge member care projects which will be of direct, strategic benefit to those serving in frontier missions.” For Everything There is A Season…And a Summons (July 1996, pages 1, 2; email-letter sent to many colleagues).

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1997

Examples from 1997: Meeting on member care (pastoral care) for Latin American workers at COMIBAM II in Acapulco Mexico; and forming the Asia MC-MK group at the Asia Mission Congress II in Pattaya, Thailand (photo is of the member care people who met, with significant involvement and direction from Met Castillo and Polly Chan)

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1998

“Here is a brief summary about our current thinking [for developing a member care task force, initially referred to as MECA]…. 3. We want to develop relationships within MECA, based on both friendship and task. ….4. We sense that MECA is to complement and encourage the different facets of member care throughout the world….6. Here are some of the main contributions MECA can make: a. Convene an international member care consultation—the first of its kind—before or after the WEF Mission Consultation on Missiology, to be held in Brazil October 10-16, 1999...Colleagues from around the world would be invited.” Summary of the first member care meeting with Dave Pollock at the home of Michèle and Kelly O’Donnell in Oxfordshire, UK, 1-3 April 1998, pages 1, 2)

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1998

“We think a primary way forward for MemCa is to work alongside Asians, Africans, and Latin Americans to support them in developing appropriate member care resources for their respective regions and to encourage them to share their resources and experience with the global missions community. MemCa will thus be truly an international effort….Who are the missing faces from our MemCa group? Representatives from India, Central Asia, the Chinese World, the Arabic World, and Eastern Europe. …It will likely take “five years to “knit the net” at the regional level and the global level—to develop some basic member care resources to fill in important gaps….Potential Projects [seven:] 5. Convene a global member care consultation, possibly in three years time.” Summary of the first MemCa Consultation, Oxford, UK, September 1998)

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1999

Above photo: Second MemCa Consultation in October 1999 in Brazil, following the Latin American Member Care  Consultation. Photo, left to right: Kelly O’Donnell, Dave Pollock, Esly Carvalho, Ken Grant, Marcia Tostes, and Marjory Foyle

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2000

“The Member Care Task Force (MemCa) is an affiliation of international colleagues committed to help develop member care resources within missions…members are also committed to provide personal/professional support for each other as needed. Our friendship and Christian fellowship provide the foundation for our joint work…. Working Together: Projects: Help establish and strengthen member care affiliations—national/regional groups, strategically located member care hubs, and Partnership working groups….5. Convene a global member care consultation, and smaller more informal gatherings/retreats.”  (Member Care Task Force and Global Network—Guidelines, pages 1, 2)

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Photo above: Working together to establish and strengthen member care affiliations—The special member care meetings at Mission Africa, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 2000.
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2001

“We believe the Lord was really with us, guiding us, and strengthening both our friendships and our joint efforts….2. Here is a brief report on our overall agenda items that we had proposed to cover: …. c. The need for member care consultations and efforts in the Newer Sending Countries, especially Africa, India, etc…. We want to support each other as we go after projects related to our overall MemCa goals….12. Consider planning an international member care consultation (this has been one of our goals but we have not made any plans).” Summary of the third MemCa Consultation, held in Port Dickson, Malaysia 2001, pages 1, 2,4)

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Participants: Belinda Ng—Singapore, Sarah Yap—Malaysia Beram Kumar—Malaysia, JJ Ratnakumar—India, Pramila Rajendran—India, Harry Hoffmann—Thailand, Steve Burgess—Philippines, Susan Burgess—Philippines, Tonica van der Meer—Brazil, Naomi Famonure—Nigeria, Marjory Foyle—UK, Hartmut Stricker—Germany, Kelly O'Donnell—France, Bruce Narramore—USA, Kathy Narramore—USA, Dick Gardner—USA, Brent Lindquist—USA, Dave Pollock—USA. And there were two guests: Mike Culy—USA, Bill Mauger—USA.

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MemCa members who could not come: Marina Prins--South Africa, Ken Grant—Ecuador, Esly Carvalho—Ecuador, Marcia Tostes—Brazil, Don Smith--New Zealand, Ruth Myors—Australia, Kath Donovan—Australia, Laura Mae Gardner—USA, Friedhilde Stricker—Germany, Michele Lewis O'Donnell—France.

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2002

“Doing member care well helps us to do missions well. Here is an update about a group of 30 international colleagues who are working together to develop member care around the world.  By “member care” we mean the investment of supportive resources to help mission personnel (including home office staff and children) remain healthy and effective, from recruitment through retirement…. Members are also committed to provide personal/professional support for each other as needed. Our desire is for our friendship and Christian fellowship to provide the foundation for our joint work…. Working Together and Projects….5. Convene a global member care consultation within the next two years, and help organize smaller gatherings/consultations at the regional level.” Global Member Care Resources, 2002 description for WEA-MC Connections journal, page 2)

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2003

“In our first issue (October 2001) we looked at the crucial importance of developing working relationships and personal friendships with one another in member care ministry. In the February 2002 issue, we explored the nature of 21^st century networks, observing that they have a unifying purpose, independent members, voluntary connections, multiple leaders, and multiple levels. Then in the July 2002 issue, we listed 10 core principles (taken from chapter 48 in Doing Member Care Well) to help form and maintain member care affiliations…. The final item we would like to share is a list of some thoughts that can help us all "kit the net" together more.” Member Care Network Briefing, February 2003, Number 6, pages 1, 2)

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2003                                                                  

“Thirty member care colleagues met in Vancouver, Canada for our MemCa Consultation, over a six day period. The Consultation was part of a broader conference on globalisation, sponsored by the WEA Missions Commission. This was our fourth such Consultation since MemCa was launched in 1998. Our purpose for meeting in Vancouver included: Relationships—building closer friendships among ourselves and the Missions Commission…We spent several hours listening to different members share updates and issues about member care within their regions….12. Additional  Projects This last item is actually a grouping of various projects that were either discussed in Vancouver or else have been discussed in the past. We include them here as they are important to keep track of and pursue.    g. We want to continue to link with other networks outside of the Evangelical missions world, such as the international health care and humanitarian aid communities. h. We have had discussion in the past about organising an International Member Care Consultation. There has been no further progress on this idea.”  Summary from the MemCa Briefing 2006—Global Member Care Resources Consultation  (MemCa) 31 May—6 June,  2003 Vancouver, Canada

Participants: Africa: Karen Carr, Darlene Jerome (Ghana), Naomi Famonure (Nigeria), Dirk Visser (RSA); Asia: Pramila Rajendran (India), Belinda Ng, Gracia Wiarda (Singapore), Harry Hoffmann (Thailand), Philip Chang (Malaysia), Byun-Moon Kang, Grace KS Lim (Korea); Australasia: Murray Winn (New Zealand); Europe: Anke Tissingh, Rosangela Amado (Spain), Kelly O’Donnell (France), Siny Widmer (Switzerland),  Annemie Grossshauser, Hartmut and Friedhilde Stricker (Germany), Marion Knell, Marjory Foyle (UK), Arie Baak (The Netherlands), The Americas: Marcia Tostes (Brasil), Dave Pollock, Brent Lindquist, Richard and Laura Mae Gardner, Bruce and Kathy Narramore, Denny Milgate (USA)

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2004

“1. Help establish and strengthen member care affiliations and regional consultations…International Member Care Conference. Still an option but no clear way forward. May want to hold one on different continents.  For now there is the sense that we need to focus on/strengthen Asia and Africa regions first. One idea though was for an International Consultation in April/May 2007 as part of the European MC Consultation, in The Netherlands. (Discuss this broadly and inclusively with those inside and outside of MemCa).” MemCa Projects and Updates, June 2004—June 2005 (these action points emerged from the overall and ongoing goals for MemCa, since 1998; page 1)

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2005

“Global Faces facilitates personal and professional relationships between member care workers. We do this primarily by inviting qualified colleagues to participate in strategic member care gatherings around the world. Phase One: including several MCWs from NSCs to participate at PTM in the USA and EMCC in Europe; Phase Two: inviting experienced MCWs to attend regional NSC member care/mission gatherings; Phase Three: involving several groups to convene international member care consultations on different continents.” Global Faces Brochure (a proposed joint project with MemCa and other organizations)

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2006

“In MemCa we build ongoing relationships in order to support quality people with strategic influence who are doing quality projects with strategic impact. We prioritise four "clusters of projects" which we call our "Four Directions"…. Direction One: Strategic Gatherings (Connections). Global Faces. Connect influential member care workers (MCWs) from the A4 regions with international MCWs at specific consultations around the world, including UPG partnerships.” MemCa description prepared for the fifth MemCa Consultation, South Africa, June 2006

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2006

“MemCa is an affiliation of international colleagues (currently about 20) committed to help develop member care resources within the mission/aid community. Our members come from different organisations and churches, and represent various geographic and speciality networks in member care. We are a “partnership of networks” and the networks connect to MemCa via their leaders/liaisons who are part of MemCa. Our special emphasis is on working together and with others to support personnel from the A4 regions (Asia, Africa, Arabic-Turkic, America-Latina), and those working among UPGs (unreached people groups). Members are also committed to provide personal and work-related support for each other as needed. Our growing friendship and Christian fellowship provide the foundation for our joint work.” MemCa is part of the Mission Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA).” Member Care Briefing, June 2006, Number 17

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2007-2010

“Our reticence to tackle “tough stuff” is even more apparent when the stakes are raised and we are faced with the choice of whether or not to confront serious deviance and evil…Your task is to be true, not popular…espouse virtue and expose evil.” High-Virtue Humans, CORE Member Care, 25 January 2010; retrieved from:
http://coremembercare.blogspot.com/search/label/virtrios

Detail, The Descent from the Cross,

by Rogier van der Weyden, circa 1435

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2011-2012

“The Global Member Care Network is excited to announce the First Global Member Care Conference…The heart of the conference is to create a platform to hear global voices about member care in a borderless world, which is characterized by increasing hostilities and schisms. The environment that workers are serving in is getting harder, more dangerous, more challenging, more persecution, more risks, and more suffering. We need to hear how workers can overcome these challenges and thrive in their lives and their ministries. Out of this gathering we will see great opportunities for networking, sharing our stories and resources, and learning to care for His workers effectively.” Global Member Care Conference –Global Voices on Global Challenges, 23-27 April 23-2012, Chiangmai, Thailand. (retrieved from the Global Member Care Network website:

http://www.globalmembercare.com/index.php?id=187 )

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Kelly and Michèle

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Reflection and Discussion

In light of the above notes-quotes: Share a few thoughts about forming international friendships in member care and/or convening international consultations in member care.--past, present, future.

Global MC—Pearl One

Highlighting Member Care History

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls;

each one of the gates was a single pearl.

Revelation 21:21

This new set of entries explores member care by using brief quotes from the book, Global Member Care: The Pearls and Perils of Good Practice (published February 2011). There will be one quote from each of the book's 12 chapters. Each quote is like a huge pearl--a pearl gateway--that allows us to enter more fully into the global field of member care.  https://sites.google.com/site/globalmca/

Pearl One

"Over the last twenty years, a special ministry within the Christian mission/aid sector, really a movement, has developed around the world that is called member care. At the core of member care is a commitment to provide ongoing, supportive resources to further develop mission/aid personnel. Currently there are an estimated 400,000 full-time "foreign missionaries" and over 11.8 million national Christian workers from all denominations (Johnson, Barrett, and Crossing, 2010). Our member care parish (or catchment area), so to speak, is huge! But these figures do not reflect the number of Christians involved in the overlapping area of humanitarian aid, nor do they reflect the unknown number of "tentmakers" or Christians who intentionally work in different countries while also sharing their good works and faith. Sending organizations and churches, colleagues and friends, specialist providers, and also locals who are befriended are key sources of such care. ...Member care, I have learned over and over again, is not about creating a comfortable lifestyle. Nor is it about trusting people instead of trusting God. Rather, it is about further developing the resiliency to do our work well which includes our character, competencies,and social support. It is also about developing relational resiliency, which includes working through the inevitable differences and impasses with international and local fellow-workers." (pages 5, 7)

Reflection and Discussion

**Recall one aspect of your life/work that relates to the quote above.

**Have a go at connecting the above quote with a current international area that interests/concerns you.

MC History: 40 Years-40 Quotes (2010s)

2010s

Flowing Forward

Illustrations representing the four gospels.

Book of Kells, Ireland circa 800AD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells

It is encouraging to recall the flow of many folks with member care responsibility who have worked together over the years to help truly make a difference in the lives of mission/aid workers and the people whom they serve. Our next decade will hopefully continue this flow.

*****

Member care work is filled with many opportunities to support the dedicated workers who serve in very challenging places. To do our work well we need to diligently continue in our own journeys of personal and professional growth. We must be “good practitioners” who develop character (resilient virtue), competency (relevant skills) along with compassion (resonant love). We must be willing to face the journeys that God allows in our life, journeys that call us to cross new borders:

• crossing domains
(e.g., health care, humanitarian assistance)
• crossing disciplines
(e.g., human resource management, organizational management)
• crossing deserts
(e.g., internal challenges of faith in the context of external stressors).

As good practitioners, we must not shirk from our duty to sojourn into difficult settings, including places permeated by conflict and calamity. We must acknowledge that those in greatest need are often in places with greatest risk. And we must have clear ethical commitments that will propel us towards doing good and providing quality services to the diversity of workers and senders in mission/aid.

This next decade is a special opportunity to continue to “to grow deeply as we go broadly.” Take advantage of the many opportunities and resources. Do new things as you provelop member care (provide and develop!) Risk as necessary and sacrifice. Stay refreshed and support one another as we flow further into what the Lord of history has for us.

Finally, we believe we must be committed to develop quality member care workers from all ethnê: those who can work within their own cultures and cross-culturally. Member care is based upon the trans-ethnê, New Testament practice of fervently loving one another—agape. Our love is the ultimate measure of our member care.

*****

What an amazing flow of international witnesses-practitioners

who have worked over the past four+ decades in member care.

 May we flow forward together as we head into this next decade.

May we diligently love truth and peace--and people.

May we intentionally grow deeply and go broadly.

May we resolutely be willing to sacrifice and risk

on behalf of:

 the mission/aid community

our very needy world

and each another.

Zech. 8:16, 19

Let's celebrate!

 

Enjoy the video.

*****

Note: For more information and perspectives on member care history, see these five articles: “Some Historical Notes on Member Care” by Ruth Tucker and Leslie Andrews in Missionary Care (1992); The Annual Conference on Mental Health and Missions: A Brief History” by John Powell and David Wickstrom, and “Missionary Care and Counseling: A Brief History and Challenge” by Laura Mae Gardner in Enhancing Missionary Vitality (2002); and "Staying Healthy in Difficult Places" (2009, part one includes six pages on member care history) and "50+ Books for a Member Care Library" by Kelly O'Donnell.

MC History: 40 years-40 Quotes (2000s)

The 2000s

Global Faces and Facets

The 2000s were characterized by the accelerated expansion of the member care field. It was amazing!

Regional and national affiliations and networks formed or were strengthened. The Global Member Care Resources group (MemCa) become a major recognized presence in the member care field, providing a practical rallying point to help connect people together (consultations, quarterly updates, web-based resources).

Member care-related departments/emphases within sending groups became much more common. The term “best practice” was linked with an international member care model (five spheres of care) and this influential model circulated broadly (in Doing Member Care Well, 2002). Many new practitioners emerged, including those who were now writing in their own languages/cultural contexts.

Many more books were written. Materials were translated. Organizations and people put up web sites filled with helpful resources mostly in English but also in Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, etc.

There was an intentional effort to launch into new areas and learn from them. Such areas included international health care, the perspectives of local workers/newer sending countries, applications from personnel programs in the military, trauma care, human resource management, etc. (Doing Member Care Well, 2002, p. 3).

In the midst of this decade's incredible development, unresolved relationship issues and protracted serious dysfunction took their toll in a few influential places. Member care continued onward nonetheless as it was now so widespread and not dependent on one country, discipline, group, or organization for its continuance.

In short, member care became even more firmly established as it expanded. It consolidated and it grew globally. It was indeed characterized by many global faces and facets.

*****

The 10 quotes below are just a sampling from some of the many excellent materials from this decade. There are different regional/national emphases in the quotes and over ten passport countries represented among the authors.

2000: B. Kumar

Member Care Handbook: A Guide to Caring for Our Missionaries

As we enter into the new millennium, the call and challenge to the Church to fulfil her missionary obligation is louder than ever. The Church of developing nations ,who for a long time has served only as a backdrop to the strong sending churches of the developing nations, is beginning to move to the forefront of missions…Much of the emphasis of this book is on “responsible sending”, the failure of which, we feel, is the greatest cause of missionary failure (attrition)…The primary target readership for this handbook are pastors, mission leaders, missionaries, and missionaries-to-be in MALAYSIA. However, the principles and problems discussed here would apply for most “new sending countries of the two-thirds world”…. “let the shipwreck of others be our beacon of light.” (pp. 16-17)

2001: Joi Van Deventer

Caring for Hungarians

Caring for the Harvest Force in the New Millennium (pp. 181-198)

During the past ten years of freedom, most states in Central and Eastern Europe have graciously received volumes of literature and “how-to” programs from many Western Christian brothers and sisters….During these ten years, while living in Budapest, Hungary, I have been involved in designing training materials for a variety of ministry efforts….The obvious need for a new approach in curriculum design compelled me to investigate tenets of cross-cultural education. This led me to examine the complex relationship between educational materials and the entire education process, which can be said to ‘contain’ the “hidden curriculum”—the methods, models, roles, expectations, values, content, and context—of the setting….I want to focus on four specific vehicles [to get learners involved in various types of corporate and self learning]: narrative, modelling, mentoring, and promoting community in the classroom. (pp. 182, 183, 193)

2002: Marina Prins and Braam Willemse

Member Care for Missionaries: A Practical Guide for Senders

It is thrilling to see so many churches becoming involved in the sending of workers—either to render service in communities where there I a need, or as fellow workers and supporters to other churches I target areas, or to reach out as missionaries to less reached areas or groups. Today hundreds of South Africans are being sent and supported in this way by their churches. When however it comes to the sending and the support, problems frequently arise. The whole process requires a church’s sustained involvement. This includes the individual sense of call, the confirmation of that call by the church, the screening, preparation and orientation, the choice of a target area and/or church partner, to the sending by the church and its continuous support and involvement and finally ,the return of the person who has been sent. It is saddening to meet people who were sent by a church without having first gone through a process of screening and preparation—even worse when it becomes apparent that we do not have the right person In the right place….On the other hand. It is wonderful when churches are actively and responsibly involved from the outset and continue to be involved with the people they have sent out. (p. viii, from the Foreword by Martin Pauw)

2003: John Fawcett

Stress and Trauma handbook: Strategies for Flourishing in Demanding Environments

…the most stressful events in humanitarian work have to do with the organisational culture, management style and operational objectives of an NGO or agency rather than external security risks or poor environmental factors. Aid workers, basically, have a pretty shrewd idea what they are getting into when they enter this career, and dirty clothes, gunshots at night and lack of electricity do not surprise them. Intra-and inter-agency politics, inconsistent management styles, lack of team work and unclear or conflicting organizational objectives, however, combine to create a background of chronic stress and pressure that over time wears people down and can lead to burnout and even physical collapse. (p. 6).

Global Member Care Resources (MemCa) Consultation, Vancouver, Canada, 2003

2004: Leslie A. Andrews
The Family in Mission: Understanding and Caring for Those Who Serve

[This edited book] addresses two major questions—what we know about missionaries and their families’ ways of being and functioning and, based upon that knowledge, how we can best care for families while they are serving Christ in cross-cultural settings. The Missionary Family is a collection of essays based on collaboration between researchers and practitioners who reflect on implications of findings of three major studies conducted over a period of fifteen years. The Boarding School Study (BSS) examined roles of the boarding school administrator and teacher and boarding home parent in an effort to understand the qualities an best practices of those who care for the children of missionaries. The Adult Missionary Kid Study (AMKS) sought to understand the impact of the third culture experience upon MKS ads adults, including their well-being and life satisfaction. The Missionary Family Study (MFS) explored family dynamics between parents and children and searched for relationships that help to explain the observed patterns….At the center of MK-CART/CORE[the research] were six professionals, who, in addition to their personal ministries, serve serve the worldwide missions community in a variety of ways, including consultation, education, member care, and research: Nancy Duvall, Dave Pollock, John Powell, Phil Renicks, Glenn Taylor, and Dave Wickstrom. (p. xvii)

2005: Margaret Hill, Harriet Hill, Richard Baggé, Pat Miersma

Healing the Wounds of Trauma: How the Church Can Help (2004, first reprint 2005)

In many parts of the world today, wars, ethnic conflict and civil disturbances, crime and natural disasters have left people traumatised. Often those traumatised are Christians, and the church has a clear responsibility to care for them. Beyond the church, Christians are to be light and salt to the world. This is particularly important in times of conflict and suffering. The Scriptures are included throughout this book because it is the knowledge of God, his character, and his relationship to people that are foundational for healing….This book seeks to help church leaders who are called upon to help members of their congregations after major trauma has occurred…These things can happen to whole communities, to families, or to individuals….The intention of the authors of this book is that it be translated into the language of the people where it is used[primarily in Africa], and that the Scriptures in the local language be used. (p. 7)

2006:

Gladys Mwiti and Al Dueck

Christian Counselling: An African Indigenous Perspective

Africa hobbled into the twenty-first century covered with wounds from genocide in Rwanda, war in Sierra Leon, and ethnic cleansing in Darfur. HIV and AIDS kill even more people than war. The year 2001 began with 24 million Africans infected with AIDS—who will all die by 2010 unless a cure is found. IN some countries, life expectancy will decrease by half by the year 2010….Chains of corruption mark many governments in Africa, as well as heavy burdens of national debt….Africans are blessed with many gifts, including the sense of peoplehood, an abundance of natural resources, deep faith, a love of education, and concern and care for the family. Africans pride themselves on the presence of a strong community element…Despite the challenges described above, there are new signs of hope…whereas Africa has been raped repeatedly and is still being ravaged by external forces, there still remains a resiliency that can serve to rebuild what was broken….Discerning alternatives; rediscovering meaningful symbols, proverbs, rituals, and myths; reclaiming the lost; and legitimizing Africa experience through Christian faith—these are the tools with which we can rebuild and reclaim. These are the vitalities still alive in Africa waiting to be reclaimed so that after remembering the broken, African vitality can be restored. Christian counsellors within the Church in Africa will play a significant role in filling the vacuum and bringing restoring life to the peoples and families of Africa. (pp. 13, 17, 18, 19)

2007: Rob Hay, Valerie Lim, Detlef Blöcher, Jaap Ketelaar, Sarah Hay

Worth Keeping: Global Perspectives on Best Practice in Missionary Retention

The mission movement from Latin America (which includes Costa Rica) is a relatively young force. The first missionaries sent from Costa Rica were sent out about 25 years ago. Much was learned by trial and error. Two key events prompted one Costa Rican mission agency to0 begin a programme of pastoral care. The first event involved a missionary couple and domestic violence. The couple returned home from the field, but the problem did not get solved until the wife turned to a government agency ,where she was able to receive counselling and protection for herself and the children….The second event involved a couple sent out from one of the mega-churches. IN time, the family returned to Coast Rica due to health problems, but hey found no support from their sending church because few members knew who they were. The above mentioned events were catalysts for a new pastoral care project that includes: Preventive care (pre-field interviews and counselling); Corrective care (a mission centre that will provide housing for missionaries on furlough with counselling and medical treatment as required); Active care (pastoral visits on the field and follow-up); Re-entry care to help missionaries returning from the field with adjustment to their home culture. (Pastoral Care to Costa Rican Missionaries, brief case study by Marcos Padgett, p. 158)

2008: Bennet Emmanuel

Missionary Upholders Trust (MUT)

Christian Manager, July 2008, (pp.16-23—for the full article: http://www.cimindia.in/)

Shamala and Livingstone (names changed) are dedicated missionaries, serving God faithfully in Orissa through a mission agency. Tragedy struck when Shamala was detected with breast cancer and the malignancy forced her to undergo surgery. The chemotherapy took a severe toll on her…To make matters worse, the steady increase in the medical expenses had put the family under tremendous strain, pain and misery…Completely left in the lurch, they had to fend for themselves. Until MUT stepped in. A story such as this is commonplace among missionaries who serve through mission agencies and work oftentimes in far flung and inhospitable terrains. An estimated 40,000 missionaries and their family members operate under the umbrella of different mission organisations in India. The sheer number of missionaries and the magnitude of needs in mission organisations have unwittingly created a gap in the care of its members. Some missionaries are fortunate enough to be taken care by the organisations or other sources, but most of them do not have any form of support. With their measly resources, most missionaries are unprepared to meet any eventuality in the course of their daily lives. Barring few exceptions, missionaries have had to fend for themselves in other areas of need. This prompted the birth of Missionary Upholders Trust. Missionary Upholders Trust (MUT) was formed in 1993 as an off-shoot from Missionary Upholders family (MUF). Leaving behind his career in the corporate world, J.J. Ratnakumar, MUT’s General Coordinator, volunteered along with his wife, as full time honourary workers of MUT. Ratnakumar has provided the leadership impetus for the movement since MUT’s inception. The organisation’s vision statement reads: “As followers of Christ, we care for, share with, and meet some of the common unmet needs of missionaries, at their affordable cost, working beyond all man-made boundaries, in a spirit of Christian love.” (p.16)

2009: Kelly O'Donnell
Staying Healthy in Difficult Places: Member Care for Mission/Aid Workers

Paper/presentation at the annual Integration Seminar, Fuller School of Psychology, USA

Over the last 20 years, a special ministry within the Christian mission/aid sector, really a movement, has developed around the world that is called member care. At the core of member care is a commitment to provide ongoing, supportive resources to further develop mission/aid personnel. Currently there are an estimated 458,000 full-time “foreign missionaries” and over 11.8 million national Christian workers from all denominations (Barrett, Johnson, and Crossing, 2008—note the 2010 estimate by these researchers is 400,000). These figures do not reflect the number of Christians involved in the overlapping area of humanitarian aid, nor do they reflect the unknown number of “tentmakers” or Christians who intentionally work in different countries while also sharing their faith. Sending organizations and churches, colleagues and friends, specialist providers, and also locals who are befriended are key sources of such care. The development of member care is reflected in the many conferences and special training symposia that have taken place. Such events have been occurring in the USA for 30+ years, gaining major momentum in the 1990’s and beyond. Similar events have also occurred over the last 15 years in countries like India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Korea, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Nigeria, Cyprus, Germany, The Netherlands, Brazil, El Salvador, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Member care has truly become international, is increasingly mainstreamed into the ethos of sending groups, and is considered to be a central part of mission/aid strategy. (p.2)

What a very special time as the member care field grew broadly

and consolidated further around the globe.

Let's celebrate!

Enjoy the video.

MC History: 40 Years-40 Quotes (1990s)

The 1990s

Connecting and Contributing--Broadly

The 1990’s saw member care increasingly developed and appreciated throughout the mission world. The term “member care” began to be widely used to describe this emerging field, replete with its growing body of research, practitioners, materials, models, concepts. Many noteworthy books related to the broadening field of member care were written by authors from diverse backgrounds, including pastors psychologists, trainers, mission leaders, and physicians. Most however were still being written by people from the Newer Sending Countries.

In addition to the books quoted below, some of these books include: Serving as Senders (1991), Naturally Gifted (1991), Missionary Care (1992), Too Soon to Quit (1994), On Being a Missionary (1995), Raising Resilient MKs (1998), Thriving in Another Culture (1998), Building Credible Multicultural Teams (1998), and The TCK Experience (1999). Also noteworthy are the continuing stream of member care-related articles in Evangelical Missions Quarterly, the special issue on member care in the International Journal of Frontier Missions (October 1995), and the special issues on psychology and missions in the Journal of Psychology and Theology (1993, 1999).

The member care field went international and step by leap began to shift from being a field dominated by the Older Sending Countries. People from many regions were intentionally connecting to discuss issues and share resources regarding staff care, ranging from family adjustment to crisis care to team development to physical health to interpersonal skills/conflict management to organizational development to leadership training etc. Three key illustrations of member care’s international growth are: a) the number of member care consultations that occurred, held in regions such as the Middle East and North Africa (early 1990s), Europe, Latin America, and Central Asia (later 1990s) as well as many individual nations; b) the massive international study on mission workers undertaken by the World Evangelical Fellowship and published in the 1997 book, Too Valuable to Lose; and c) the birth of the Global Member Care Task Force in 1998 which would quickly develop into an international network of member care leaders/resources (MemCa).

Parallel to the growth of the member care movement in the mission community was the development of the human resource emphasis in the humanitarian sector. Three noteworthy examples among dozens are: a) the establishment of the Psychosocial Support Programme by the International Federation of the Red Cross (Denmark in the early 1990s) with its focus on staff (delegates) as well as survivors of conflicts/calamities; b) the 1997 launch of People in Aid’s Code of Good Practice for the Management and Support of Aid Personnel; and c) the ongoing influence of special types of resources such as those in travel medicine (e.g., health screening, briefings, check-ups) and in crisis/trauma care (e.g., training courses in debriefing).

Member care thus continued to travel deeply into the core of mission/aid as it continued to travel broadly around the world. The next major step –heading into the 2000s—would be for member care as a practice to become increasingly contextualized by sending groups/workers in different countries and organizations and as a field to become further organized, visible, and inclusive.

*****

1990: Jo Anne Dennett

Personal Growth and Encouragement for Every Missionary

Those [previous four] years had been difficult, and devastating to my self-esteem and confidence. I had been the lone doctor, responsible for building and operating a mission hospital. It was in an isolated desert area…[The people there] grudgingly condescended to accept our Western medical care, but were very hostile toward the gospel, and youths often stoned our ambulance. The two nurses and I were constantly referred t o as “prostitutes” because we were unmarried, and all Christians were contemptuously called “deceivers.” Being continually denigrated is demoralizing even though we were not expecting anyone to throw bouquets…Memories of the first-term clamoured through my mind—trials in the medical work, personal failures, conflicts with others. At the mission headquarters, I looked forward to sharing my inner turmoil with someone who could understand and help. Sadly, during the first few days of tending to office matters, no one expressed any real concern about how I had coped on the field. The attitude seemed to be, and still prevails, that if you survived you must be alright. My inner conflicts f=remained unresolved throughout that furlough. This incident was not the only time in my thirteen years of service that I was in great need of personal encouragement and counseling. (p. 8).

1991: James Beck

Missions and Mental Health: A Lesson from History

Paper presented at the 12th Annual Mental Health and Missions Conference; expanded in the author’s book: Dorothy Carey: The Tragic and Untold Story of Mrs.William Carey, 1992; published also in the Journal of Psychology and Theology volume 21, pages 9-17, 1993)

The life of Dorothy Placket Carey comes to us through the pages of history as a sad chapter in the chronicles of modern missions. Her sacrifice of sanity, however, could lose all potential value to us if we fail to see her story as more than just a tragic biography. Her story is also very true, painfully true. In her train have come many others who have suffered from the ravages of mental illness while serving in the modern missionary movement. We have an obligation to learn from lives such as Dorothy Carey’s and thereby to reap some of the benefits that can emerge from the costly sacrifice that she made. She would not wish us to merely pity her. Perhaps she would want instead that we benefit from the example of her life so as to help others. (p. 1)

1992: Ruth Tucker and Leslie Andrews

Historical Notes on Missionary Care

Missionary Care: Counting the Cost for World Evangelization (pp. 24-36)

Mission societies held high the ideal of sacrifice. Strong faith in God, it was reasoned, was the prescription for a healthy mind and spirit…self-reliance was the mark of a missionary—tempered only by dependence on God through prayer. (p. 24)

1993: Greg Livingstone

Planting Churches…A Team Approach

Finally a successful church planting team is a group that is composed of people who are confident in their convictions to the point that they do not need others to conform to them in order to feel secure Thus, although it is important that they have substantial agreement in their theological stances, the team members need to be able to easily discus everything from formulas of sanctification to ecclesiology and contextualization in a non-censorious environment. …The team leader must have an understanding of the big picture and be prepared to tolerate ambiguity and inconsistency even steps backward, in order to assist the team to persevere without schism, in keeping with the goal or producing a congregation that will have the same kind of resiliency….All missionaries, like all other Christians everywhere, have blind spots, that is, areas where we do not recognize sin, selfishness, self-centeredness, or neurotic addictive behaviour and how it affects our colleagues. (pp. 114-115)

1994: Christine Aroney-Sine

Survival of the Fittest: Keeping Yourself Healthy in Travel and Service Overseas

In the early 1980s I worked briefly in the refugee camps in Thailand. The dirt and disease that surrounded me made my heart ache, and the pain and suffering of the refugees often made me ignore the health regulations I knew to be essential to my own good health. Water was scarce, so it was easy to rationalize my failure to wash my hands. Patients often relieved themselves on the dirt floor, and we had to ignore the smells and pollution. Inevitably I succumbed to the dreaded shigella dysentery that affected many in our team. For three days I battled high fever, severe diarrhea, and vomiting….How I longed for the convenience of a modern bathroom and a flush toilet. To me, in my dehydrated, befuddled state, that would have been paradise. This remains in my mind as one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life. (p. 15).

1995: Jeffrey Ellis

Stephanas: A New Testament Prototype of Member Care

International Journal of Frontier Missions, Volume 12 (pp. 171-175)

Call it member care, pastoral care, coaching, mental health and missions, personnel management, or simply missionary development; but regardless of its name, the Apostle Paul found himself on the receiving end of an innovative ministry, initiated by believers young in their faith but mature in their vision. In acting out their commitment to the Lord, they found themselves compelled to support Paul—a man on the frontiers of mission work—making him a more effective vessel for spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. A closer look at I Corinthians 16: 15-18 will help us in understanding this first century example of member care in the frontiers and its implications for the modern missions community….There [in Ephesus] during his final missionary journey, Paul became the [beneficiary] of what we now call member care. It is heartening to read Paul’s response, “I rejoiced at their arrival for they refreshed my spirit.” Such “spirit refreshing” ought not to become a lost art. It is as needed today on the frontiers, as much as it was nearly 2000 years ago. Considering the demands and complexities of modern mission to the frontiers, it is needed more so today! (pp. 171, 174)

1996: Larry Ferguson

Individual and Family Interventions: Brief Therapy on the Field

Presentation at the 17th Annual Mental Health and Missions Conference

In 1986 the Link Care Center granted me a special assignment to serve in the Philippines as a missionary with Conservative Baptist International as a psychologist working with missionaries and families….Thus, from 1986 to 1991 my work covered a tremendous range of issues. Let me just identify that range: MK issues; family issues; marital concerns; spiritual problems (crises of faith); trauma and crises (robberies, hostage aftermath); personal problems (depression, bipolar disturbances, anxiety, eating disorders); organizational problems…. Since 1991, regular scheduled short trips of one month each have occurred to the Philippines and Saipan. These have taken place once or twice a year. The purpose of these trips is for maintenance of the family units and to serve as an “outside expert”, which allows people to talk about mission concerns with someone outside their agency. Building of relationships, exposure to the stressors that the families face in their setting ,familiarity with the work and living areas, and offering assistance when needed have allowed for serious questions to be asked. Sometimes unscheduled trips are needed when an emergency has arisen. We have learned that we are not able to deal with every problem, not to work with everybody. Cultural issues are at play even among expatriates, especially when they include everyone from Americans, Canadians, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, German, New Zealanders, and Australians.

(pp.1-2)

1997: Belinda Ng.

Some Reflections on Pastoral Care: Perspective of the New Sending Countries

Too Valuable to Lose (pp. 277-286)

Before we embark on thinking about the caring tasks, we need to consider some misconceptions and views about missionaries and their work that exist in the Asian church today….The first misconception realities to who the “real” missionaries are. Many churches in Asia still consider only church planting ,evangelism, and training as the frontline ministries in which to be involved. Support ministries are low in rank….Too often, Christians do not understand why missionaries on home assignment need support or even a furlough….Missions takes more than missionaries an finances, but the value of partnership between churches and agencies has yet to be recognized to a great degree. A large number of churches still lack a vision for cross-cultural missions. These churches are often involved only in local ministries and in reaching their own ethnic people….Missions success depends critically on logistic support from the base….Missionary wives who leave career, home, an country for missionary service need all forms of affirmation and encouragement from the sending church. (pp 278-279)

1998: Pramila Rajendran

Mum, The Great Influencer

Indian Journal of Missiology: Care for the Missionary Family (special issue), Volume 3, Number 1 (pp.33-36)

One of the mother’s greatest assets is her power to influence her children. She has a unique way of leaving the impression of her character and words up in every life she touches….Godly grand-mothers can also exert great influence on their grandchildren. Timothy’s faith was outstanding due to the influence of his mother and grandmother. ..The goal of a Christian mother is to see that her children are guided to self-sustaining maturity in Christ Jesus….It may take a lifetime for her to see the results of her influence, but she will see it…may Christian mothers be a blessing to the nation and a witness for Christ. (pp. 33, 35, 36)

1999: M. Elizabeth Hall Lewis and Judith L. Schram
Psychology and Missions: The Role of the Mental Health Professional in Member Care
Journal of Psychology and Theology, Volume 27, (pp. 83-86), special issue on Psychology and Missions
...over the past 20 years, psychology and the behavioral sciences have been able to move away from a defensive role as the contributions of mental health professionals to the missions movement have become clearer....The pioneering efforts of many professionals have provided a foundation for the current trends in mental health and missions. Three such trends will be discussed: a trend toward networking and partnering, a focus on prevention, and a mobilizing of resources for crisis intervention....Mental health professionals have had a major impact on the field of missions and are attempting to mobilize their resources toward current missionary needs. However, certain important gaps remain to be filled. Although many could be mentioned and explored (e.g., the need to develop long-term member care team on the field, the need for cross-cultural applications for mental health resources, the need to focus on the internationalization of member care) we will focus on three of these: the need for more sophisticated ethical standards, the need for further research, and the need to expand the role of mental health professionals in missions beyond member care. We hope that [the readings in this special journal issue] will be a source of inspiration to mental health professionals contemplating involvement in this area and a valuable resource to those already in the trenches. (pp. 84, 85, 86) 

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What a very special time it was for connecting together

and exchanging key principles of member care around the globe.

Let's celebrate!

Enjoy the video.