Should Christian Missionaries Risk Their Lives?

Missionaries are heroes in Christian culture. We read their biographies, turn to their perseverance through trials for encouragement, and we say, “I could never do what they do.” When a young person declares an intention to serve as a missionary in some remote part of the world, we cheer. Until we don’t… We love the victories, but criticism creeps in when harsh realities come into focus. Many missionaries risk their lives to minister across the globe, and we have a lot of opinions about that. The question keeps coming up whenever there is danger. Should Christian missionaries risk their lives?

Safety First

As I began writing this, a missionary was being held for ransom, and his story made national news. Thankfully, he has been rescued. While believers around the world prayed and waited for news, though, other Christians seemed put off that a family would serve somewhere we might deem unsafe. I’ve seen this reaction countless times to missionaries who are, by all appearances, walking in obedience to the Lord.

Somewhere along the way, some Christians have decided that missions work is only meant for “safe” places and definitely isn’t appropriate for families. I’ll say it at the beginning. I don’t agree with this view on missionaries, but I think I can understand the concern. I don’t want to see missionaries risk their lives. Who would actually want that? Let’s take a look at some statistics to understand the mission field a little better.

What’s Going On With Missionaries?

Basic Stats

Below are statistics concerning missionaries from all denominations according to Nations Outreach:

430,000 – the current number of full-time missionaries on the field (full-time: serving at least two years and self-described as a missionary)
1,135,000 – the number of full-time missionaries on the field in 2001
47% – missionaries who serve five years or less
71% – missionaries who leave the field for preventable reasons (i.e., burnout, insufficient financial support, lack of communication from home, etc.)

Mental/Emotional Struggles

Serving in missions, as in any other area of ministry, comes with a number of challenges. Unfortunately, the mental and emotional struggles many missionaries encounter are often unseen or ignored. Oasis Rest International is able to help us have a clearer understanding of the mental battle missionaries face.

80% – missionaries who don’t finish their term on the field due to burnout.
46% – missionaries who receive a psychological diagnosis
87% – missionaries with a psychological diagnosis who have depression

Missionaries Risk Their Lives And Sometimes Lose

Finding concise and well-researched information about missionary fatalities is a difficult task. There just isn’t a lot out there to find. The Catholic Church and the LDS Church appear to have more information than any other denominations on the subject, but the denominational focus skews the data too much for our purposes today. Deseret News offers some insight into how many missionaries die each year, but these numbers come with quite a bit of guesswork.

189 – the number of missionaries who died between 1999 and 2006.

If you’re like me, that number seems much too low. That comes out to about twenty-seven missionaries a year. Maybe I’m a pessimist to think that’s too low, but I’m not alone. David B. Barret (1927-2011) believed many more missionaries were killed each year than records indicated. He used his years of experience to estimate the annual missionary death toll. His estimates?

130 – missionaries killed each year (most not reported by press)
1,700 – missionaries killed each year (if we count all missionaries instead of only full-time clergy)

In case you aren’t familiar with Barret, among other accomplishments, he served as a missionary, SBC missions consultant, missions researcher, and co-producer of the second edition of World Christian Encyclopedia in 2001. His numbers may seem startling, but they come from a man who had plenty of research and real-life experience guiding his estimates.

The numbers are not perfect, but we can walk away from our research certain that the number of missionaries is drastically declining, burnout and mental health struggles add to the difficulty, and yes, missionaries risk their lives. In fact, some give their lives.

Do Missionaries Have To Go?

Given what we know so far, I can understand why there are people who encourage missionaries to stick to safe regions of the world. Anyone who cares about someone would advocate for that person’s safety. When my husband leaves the house, I don’t call out, “Drive fast and ignore traffic signs!” I tell him to be careful because I love him…and I need help with these five kids. But mostly it’s because I love him. Although God isn’t instructing my husband to disobey traffic laws, He is telling Christians to reach the entire world with the gospel. Moreover, He convicts particular Christians regarding missions. You might say He calls them to the mission field. Who are we to stop them when God calls?

The Call For All

Do you remember that missionary song from childhood (if you grew up in church)? “Be a missionary every day. Tell the world that Jesus is the way.” With that cute little song, we are teaching our children an important truth. We are all missionaries. I don’t want us to lose sight of that as we discuss international missions. You might not enter Russia for Christ, but your neighbor needs Jesus, too. Don’t forget what Jesus said before ascending to be with the Father.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Matthew 28:19-20

That wasn’t a suggestion or meant only for the super spiritual students in Bible college. It’s for every believer. Thankfully, some Christians take the gospel further than the county and state lines. These brothers and sisters in Christ are determined to present the gospel to every nation, and they are in good biblical company.

Biblical Examples Of Missions

God has a desire to be known, and He has used people to spread His message throughout history. However, His very own acts demonstrate His strength and power. Why?

“For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.”

Joshua 4:23-24 (emphasis mine)

He was showing Himself to the whole world by demonstrating His power. God has never been one to hide Himself away. Even by His creation, we can know He exists (Romans 1:20). Even so, He chooses to use people to tell others about Himself.

The Prophets

We worry about whether or not missionaries risk their lives today, but consider the prophets for a moment. What were they doing exactly? They acted as God’s mouthpiece, sharing His message to the world around them. Meanwhile, the people they declared God’s Word to often hated them and wanted them dead. Prophet wasn’t exactly the most desirable gig if staying alive and uninjured was a must-have guarantee for you.

I, of course, can’t help but think of Jonah. Oh, Jonah… You know the story. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn the people there of their impending judgment. Jonah, knowing they were wicked and dangerous people, opted to flee. This wasn’t his best decision. Understatement of the year?

After the crew of a ship threw him overboard and a big fish swallowed him, Jonah had a change of heart. The fish “threw him overboard,” too, in its own way. (Gross.) God’s plan remained the same, and Jonah obeyed this time. That man walked directly into Nineveh and told a murderous city they needed to shape up. I’m putting it in my own words, of course. Here’s what the Bible says:

“And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.”

Jonah 3:4-5

They repented! Nineveh of all places! God knew they needed to hear from Him, and God wanted them to have the chance to repent. He could have used anyone to go there, but He chose Jonah. We see he has some lessons to learn later in the book, and it’s obvious Jonah is not perfect. Yet, God sent him. He knew better than Jonah. And He knows better than us.

The New Testament Example

Missions became a whole new endeavor in the New Testament. The gospel was open to Gentiles. Suddenly, God opened the door to more than the Jews, and the Apostle Paul jumped right in to preach Jesus to them. Well, he jumped in after he was converted.

Believers didn’t immediately go out into the world to share Christ, though. They stayed home, but God had a plan to get them moving. Christians faced dangerous persecution in the Early Church, and they scattered to find safety. You may hear this referred to as the diaspora. If the people wouldn’t go out into the world to spread the gospel, then God would scatter His people around the world. And it worked. Missions was at the center of the Church right from the start. God made sure of that.

New Testament Missionaries

Early Church Christians were dedicated to sharing the gospel. Here are some examples from a few New Testament missionaries.

Thomas – We can’t be sure, but Church history has recorded Thomas as a missionary to India. Though we can’t be absolutely certain on this side of eternity, I’m rooting for this to be true. Thomas is often remembered for one “bad” moment. I’d like to think he went on to do great things for the Kingdom after earning his moniker, Doubting Thomas.

Peter – In Acts 2, ol’ “foot-in-mouth” Peter preached an eloquent gospel message at the day of Pentecost. Approximately 3,000 people were saved. His ministry continued and was to both Gentiles and Jews, but his primary focus was the Jewish people.

Philip – Philip evangelized in Samaria (Acts 8:5-6), which we know had a bad relationship with Jews. Later, an angel of the Lord told Philip to go to Gaza, and he obeyed. On his journey he came across an Ethiopian eunuch who he led to Christ. At the Ethiopian’s request, Philip quickly baptized him. He left and continued his missionary journey.

The Missionary You Were Thinking About

You thought I was going to mention Paul, right? Of course I am! Paul faced beatings, arrests, traveling dangers, and near-death experiences. He’s the missionary we all want to be but also absolutely don’t want to be. I’ll give a really short summary of his journeys.

Journey 1 (Acts 13-14)

Paul and Barnabas left Antioch to preach the gospel and were rejected by Jews in the synagogues. So, they moved their attention to the Gentiles. Paul was stoned and left for dead on this journey. His first journey was a clear example of Christian missionaries who risk their lives for the gospel.

Journey 2 (Acts 15:36-18:22)

This time Paul left Antioch with Silas, and they headed to Asia Minor. He ended up in Greece, bringing the gospel to Europe. In Philippi, they were beaten and put in jail. The missionaries praised the Lord in song while imprisoned, and thanks to an earthquake, they had a chance to escape. Instead, they led the jailer and later his family to the Lord. From there they made their way to Athens.

Journey 3 (Acts 18:23-21:16)

Paul preached in Asia Minor, but he suspected he would be killed soon. His life, it seems, was always in danger. However, he never swayed from his mission to tell the world about Jesus.

Journey 4

There is some debate on a possible fourth journey. We don’t find it in the Bible, but it’s commonly understood that he probably had one more missionary journey. The timeline is difficult to nail down, but it is likely he went to Rome and met with Nero and then traveled to Spain before being arrested for the final time before his martyr’s death.

Are You Meant To Be Paul Or Peter?

Let’s admit the obvious. American Christian, we aren’t living in the times of the Early Church. Our persecution is laughably insignificant. There are churches everywhere, and we can go to them without fear of violence. We aren’t the apostles, and our experiences are, in general, going to look different. On the other hand, there are places all over the planet that need the gospel, and sharing it in some of these regions is decidedly unsafe. Should we stay away? Should we not allow Christian missionaries to risk their lives? And if that’s what we are saying, then how are we supporting that stance? All I see in the Bible is example after example of believers obeying God’s call on their lives and being willing to put His plan before all else.

No, most of us won’t live a Paul or Peter life, but God’s not done using us to spread the gospel. Why would we judge other Christians for following His call on their lives?

It’s Biblical For Christian Missionaries To Risk Their Lives

I’m not calling for missionaries to be put in danger. I prefer when they are relatively safe and able to live a life without constant threat to their well-being. Crazy of me, I know! That said, to suggest that missionaries shouldn’t be ready to risk their lives is missing the mark. The Bible has already given us examples of missionaries who were willing to travel to new and unpreferred places to tell sometimes dangerous people about God. Paul, for example, continued to do God’s work even after nearly being killed. Even when he knew he would certainly face death.

Scripture has other evidence that it is not inappropriate for missionaries to risk their lives. One of the more prevalent themes in the Bible is self-sacrifice. When we become Christians, we stop putting ourselves first in order to serve the greater purpose. God’s purpose.

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Romans 12:1-2

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”

Luke 9:23-24

“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

Matthew 10:38

None of these verses mean you must physically die to follow Christ, but they do mean you need to be willing to lose everything. If God asks for it, whatever it is, then you have to be willing to give it up. That could be your nice house, your stable job, or yes, even your life. Jesus died for us, so what should we be willing to do for Him?

Far Worse To Keep The Gospel To Ourselves

We are not responsible for the salvation of any person. We don’t save people. It’s important to remember, though, that God has told us to share the gospel to the whole earth. And if we love Him, we will obey Him (John 14:15). Moreover, have you ever thought about what happens to those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior? Knowing what eternity holds for the unsaved, I wonder why so many of us remain silent. I wonder why more of us aren’t storming the mission field.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Romans 10:13-15

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 14:6

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Acts 4:12

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

Mark 16:15-16

Over and over again, these verses remind us that Jesus is the only way, and no one can be saved without Him. The world needs missionaries willing to put themselves at risk. They’re doing God’s work.

Final Thought

Should Christian missionaries risk their lives to spread the gospel? It’s difficult to say “no” after examining God’s Word. Perhaps the answer is that missionaries should be willing to risk their lives if God asks them to do so. Being a faithful Christian doesn’t require reckless behavior or a lack of care for one’s well-being, but it does necessitate a willingness to take on burdens and face challenges for Him. There is a cost.

Rather than judge missionaries who find themselves in precarious situations or choose to serve dangerous regions, why don’t we pray for them and the people they minister to? Why don’t we trust God to lead and care for those He chose to enter the mission field?

What do you think about missionaries going to dangerous places to share the gospel?

Image courtesy of Lydia Matzel via Unsplash.