How Missionaries Should Serve Where Churches Already Exist

I’m a missionary in Brazil, and I’m surrounded by churches—Baptist, Presbyterian, Nazarene, Assembly of God—the list goes on and on. Brazil has a rich history of missionaries who left a legacy of churches that are now sending missionaries to other countries. 

This raises a question: Should we send missionaries to countries where churches already exist? Shouldn’t we consider those regions “reached” and send our resources into more needy areas of the world? It’s a fair question, and worth exploring. 

Before we land on an answer, here are a few factors to consider:

REMEMBER THE EXAMPLE OF PAUL 

Didn’t Paul say his mission was to reach those who had never heard the gospel (Rom 15:20)? Yes, a significant part of Paul’s ministry was as a church-planting missionary. But he did not abandon these newly planted churches. 

Paul was also a church-strengthening missionary. He revisited the churches he planted (Acts 14:21-23; 15:36; 18:22-23). He wrote letters to these churches because there was more that he needed to teach them (1 Thess 3:10). He even sent out his own missionary workers to areas he had previously reached: Tychichus to Ephesus and Colossae, Titus to Corinth, Crete, and Dalmatia, and Timothy to Ephesus and other cities. Surprisingly, we don’t have any record of Paul sending missionaries to unreached areas, but only to areas he had already reached.

Paul creates helpful categories for us. We see Romans 15 pioneer missions, but we also see Acts 14 church-strengthening missions. Should we send missionaries where churches already exist? Paul shows us there is a biblical category for missions like this. In fact, Paul did it. 

CONSIDER THE HEALTH OF THE CHURCHES 

As I have trained pastors over the years, I have encountered alarming situations: churches that tolerate immorality, pastors who fail to understand the simple gospel message, and church leaders who unknowingly regurgitate heresy to their congregation. In my denomination, many churches are either embracing prosperity theology or depending on pragmatism to fulfill the Great Commission. 

Yes, I’m surrounded by “churches”, but when we only consider truly evangelical churches, the list is much smaller. And if we want to further whittle it down to healthy churches, the number gets very slim.

Consider the health of the churches. If we neglect “reached” fields, we run the risk of creating new unreached people groups in just a few generations. 

UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF GOSPEL INFRASTRUCTURE

So, what is the role of a missionary in a “reached” country? It is helpful to consider the missionary’s role in the big picture of what God is already doing in that country. 

This is where the rubric of gospel infrastructure is so helpful. Think of it this way: A city needs to put certain structures in place (such as road networks, water supply, and energy grids), so that it can continue to exist and thrive in the future. Similarly, the Great Commission requires far more than initial evangelism. For a national church to grow and reproduce, it will need to have “gospel infrastructure” in place. This begins with evangelism, Bible translation, and planting healthy churches, but also includes Christian literature, local pastor training, local worship music, and seminaries. The missions task involves everything a national church needs, so they can continue planting healthy churches for generations to come. 

When sending missionaries to areas that already have churches, we need to ask where the missionary’s gifts and the national church’s needs intersect. For example, Brazil probably does not need missionaries to plant more churches, but there are still great needs in the areas of seminaries and local pastor training. 

MISSIONS WHERE CHURCHES ALREADY EXIST? 

Should we send missionaries where churches already exist? 

Based on Paul’s own example, the answer is yes. We should continue sending Great Commission workers anywhere there is the need for healthy churches and gospel infrastructure. May we joyfully serve in whatever corner of God’s vineyard he has stationed us until the earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.