Why I like our deputation system

The following is a post I made on another forum (jackhammer), concerning the deputation side of missions. I have edited the post so it flows here.

When I was preparing for deputation, I was not at all for it. I felt this way even before the Lord called me to the mission field. However, shortly after deputation began, my mind was changed. I am all for deputation now, and I do believe it is much more scriptural that the cooperative program the SBC uses. Even though I can not stand the calling part, the calling part does have some benefits. It is very humbling. My family and I truly enjoyed deputation.

Let me give some reasons why I am for our current system, and what changes I would like to see.


Why I like the current system.
1) I believe it is scriptural. I do believe the Apostle Paul was supported by several churches, from his sending church in Antioch, to his most faithful supporting church in Philippi. (Acts 13:3, II Cor 8,9, Philippians 4:17) (The apostle Paul might not have had monthly support, but the local churches were the source of support for the Apostle Paul. He also used his tent making as well.)

2) The missionary gains much needed PRAYER support by virtue of all the people he is meeting. I can not tell you how often I received an email or letter from a church member from a supporting church letting me they have been praying for me and my family. Many times I would receive their correspondence during very difficult times and it really helped. How many times did the Apostle Paul say, “Brethren pray for us”?

3) Helps keep missions on the mind in the local churches. I believe the Lord can use the missionary to help assist the local churches in stirring their people about the importance of missions. Many companions of the Apostle Paul were from a variety of churches not just Antioch, and were stirred when they met the Apostle Paul and thus traveled with him. Consider Silas, (Acts 15:40) I believe Silas’s home church was Jerusalem.

4) The missionary’s eggs are not all in one basket. If only one church was supporting and they have trouble, it is very likely the missionary will be off the field for at least for at least one year.

5) It allows for churches to accomplish the great commission and gives fruit to their account. (Philippians 4:14-18)

6) The local church being able to give unto missions is well pleasing unto God. (Phil 4:18) Keep in mind the church at Philippi was not the Apostle Paul’s sending church, Antioch was.


What I would like to see changed or more common. (These are just ideas I believe would assist in the deputation stage of the missionary's life.)

1) I would like to see sending churches try to support for 1/6 to 1/5 of the total support needed. This would help greatly in the beginning stages, and cut down on the length of time of deputation. Of course, this would only be if the Lord enabled the sending church and it did not put them in a financial strain. (Many sending churches could not do this. I speak only of churches that are in a position to do something like this.)

2) I would like to see an average of $100 monthly and $70 at the very least. I still have several churches that support for $25 a month. Could you imagine if all churches supported for $25 of month! Deputation would take seven years! (I appreciate all of my supporting churches regardless of how much they support.) If churches took on fewer missionaries at greater amounts, it would cut down on deputation time.

3) I would like for all church secretaries to resign immediately. (Just kidding.)

4) If a pastor had a missionary in and the church really liked him and was behind what the Lord called him to, for the pastor to call other pastor friends and recommend him. This would assist the missionary getting meetings. The pastor getting the call would be less nervous about having a missionary in, if a fellow pastor recommended him.

Goal of Missions

I thought i would post some comments I made about missions from Jackhammer. The topic this month is missions and the discussion was over the goal of missions.


As a missionary, my goal is to obey the Great Commission in reagrds to the work the Lord has called me to do. I am to follow Matthew 28:19.20, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8 etc… (These verses, and other similar verses, are the Biblical authority behind missions.) I am therefore to preach the gospel and disciple those who trust Christ. As a result a church will be established. This is God’s design. Church planting is the ultimate goal.
Here is the Biblical pattern for Biblical mission work as I follow it in PNG:I am to go into new villages preaching the gospel. If there are converts as a result of the preaching, my next step is discipling, with the end goal a self supporting local church. If a local church is established, I have accomplished my goal for that village. A goal that I believe is Biblically mandated by verses like Matthew 28:19, 20. (The only way to fully accomplish Matthew 28:19 20 is by establishing a local church. These verses are the directive for missions.) Granted, I can not accomplish it backwards. I do not start teaching Bible doctrine to lost people. This is absurd. It has to start with the gospel followed by conversion.

Bro Kent made a very true statement today, “We’ve made “church building” so complex.” The fact is church planting on our end follows a simple pattern, and yet when I read books on the subject they usually have one chapter on Bible methodology and then dive into 14 other chapters of man made efforts. By the time your finished reading you have list of 98 things you need to do to plant/build a church.
We need to be Biblically driven instead of numbers driven in our efforts to accomplish the great commission. Please do not think that I do not desire to see multitudes saved. I truly dream and day dream of entire villages coming to the Lord with only one true church in the village. However, we must stay focused on how the Lord has directed us and leave the results to him. I will not be judged based on numbers, but on my obedience to the Lord. Let’s remember, many of the churches in the New Testament were house churches. We have come to the place in America, that unless you meet certain worldly requirements such has a separate church building, pews, choir loft, baptistery etc… you do not have a “real” church.
Now, I am a realist. I understand it will be difficult to build a church in the American culture with a house church. However, as I already stated, we need to leave the results to God. Jesus said, “I will build my church.” He did not say “he would build your church”, nor did he say “you will build my church.” God knows how for provide for his work. We simply need to follow the Lord and trust him to provide. Matthew 6:33 is very true! I would whether have a house church with true converts who love the Lord, then a church of 500 who are sheep in wolves clothing or carnal. (My point is not that big churches are wrong. A church that does not follow God’s design is wrong regardless of size. A church that does follow God’s design is right regardless of size.)

Here is a short 4 minute video I put together of clip and pictures from my first term. Hopefully, it comes out fine.

Video from the Field!

I just noticed I can now load video clips onto my blog! I have many different clips I can load from the field.

I will start of with one from my youngest son trying to start our generator back in May. He is about 19 months old at the time. Knowing how to start the generator is a very important part of life! :)

(Also I just posted a story yesterday about a lady who put her faith in Christ a few weeks back. Be sure to read that.)

Finding Faith at The Flea Market

I know, I know, it has been a very long time since my last post. It has been difficult for me to get into a normal routine thus far on furlough, with all the traveling. I appreciate some people letting me know they were looking forward to my next post, and they noticed I had not posted for awhile.

Several weeks ago, I was in Alabama reporting back to a supporting church. The church was Landmark Baptist in Lineville, pastored by Danny Rogers. The meeting was a Friday through Sunday morning. On Saturday, before the meeting that night, we spent a good part of the day making visits. One of the visits was very memorable. We went and visited a lady and her husband at a flea market. They had their own stall at the market. After making some small talk, I asked the couple what church they attended. The lady, Linda, told me she had been a member of Church of Christ, Methodist, AOG, and Baptist churches in the past. I knew right away that there was a good chance this lady was very confused about the gospel. I asked her to tell me what she would say if God asked her “Why should I let you into heaven?” She told me she prayed frequently asking forgiveness for her sins, she tried to do right and I think brought up baptism, but I can’t remember for sure. From there I went into the gospel, trying to present it as clearly as possible knowing her background. A small crowd started to gather as I presented the gospel. One lady came over and said, “I heard the word being preached, and that is free, so I came over here!”

It was difficult breaking through all of the false teaching she had learned, but I could see the Lord was working on Linda’s heart. I went into an illustration based on II Corinthians 5:21 (“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”) By this time, Linda had admitted she was guilty before God and on her way to a lake of fire. After the illustration, it was as if the Holy Spirit turned the lights on for her. She looked up at me and loudly proclaimed, at least two times, “I get it! I get it now! For the first time I get it!” She then began to weep uncontrollably. Linda did not care about the crowd that had gathered. While she was weeping I asked if she desired to put her faith in Christ and Linda said yes, and then by calling upon the Lord, put her faith in Him! I was rejoicing, as well as Pastor Rogers. Linda was also rejoicing. After we talked, she told me, with conviction, she would be in church the next day. Her husband, however, was hard to the gospel. He was polite and kind but did not put his faith in Christ. By his non verbal communication it did not appear he was thrilled with his wife’s decision. Linda did not come to church the next day, and I talked with Pastor Rogers a week ago and she still had not come. More than likely the husband is the reason for this. Pray for Linda and her husband. Her husband needs to be saved, and Linda needs to get into church to live for the Lord with boldness.

Mission Conference, Shady Grove Baptist Church

This last week, my family and I reported back to Shady Grove Baptist Church, during their mission conference. We had a great time during the week and the church really made us feel special. The last night of the conference one of the men in the church gave us a CD with pictures he took thoughout the conference. Here are some of those pictures.

The shoes in this picture represented one of the themes for the preaching during the week. Dr Joe West preached the conference. Each pair of shoes represented someone who played a big part in missions and has went home to be with the Lord. The question was asked over and over who is going to fill the shoes. The black shoes, on the top row fourth from the left, belonged to Dr. Lee Roberson. The brown shoes on the top row 6th from the right had belonged to Lester Roloff. The shoes on the second row belonged to missionaries. On the third row the shoes belonged to lay people who made it possible for missionaries to go to the field.

Dr. Joe West and his wife.

This is me in the dunk tank. My daughter Rachel is throwing the ball. For those at my home church, in the background you can see Eric Jones. He is standing close to the church building.

Men's Prayer Breakfast (Missionary Josh Adams and Missionary Jim Gulledge)

Missionary Bob Nichols. A second generation missionary to Brazil. (Again, for those from my home church, Mrs Paulette Jones is the background wearing blue, leaning against the wall.)

This the Pastor of Shady Grove Baptist Church, Dennis Blankenship

This is missionary Steve Anderson

The family and I singing after the international banquet.

Meeting new friends.

Pastor Blankenship and his wife, Karen.

Myself and fellow missionaries taking up the faith promise cards.

Traveling and Calling

I am doing alot of traveling. I am currently with my family in a mission Conference in Bossier City, Louisiana, at Shady Grove Baptist Church. This is one of my supporting churches, and we are enjoying the meeting. I have a few more meetings in Louisiana after this meeting, and then I have a few in Alabama and Georgia. I am also busy scheduling new churches for meetings. We will need to raise addtional support before going back.

Getting the new meetings is a humbling, and at times difficult process. Back when I started deputation I had no idea how difficult it would be to schedule meetings. To some degree I understand this as Pastors need to be careful as to who they have come in. Obvioulsy, Pastors want missionaries in they agree with, so this is not the frustrating part. I also understand many Pastors receive several phone calls a week from missionaries, and there is no way they can have them all in. The frustrating part is just getting past the church secratary! If I could just get the Pastor on the phone and have him tell me yea or nay as to a meeting or not, would be great. Many times, as soon as I mention I am a missionary, I am quiclky told the Pastor is not available, when it appeared he was availble just seconds before I mention I am a missionary. :) I found that to be humbling as well. I had this crazy I idea when I started deputation six years ago, that as soon as the person answering the phone at a church heard a missionary was on the line, they would be more thany happy to get the Pastor on the phone. When I was assistant Pastor, I always looked foward to talking with missionaries, so this was a suprise to me.

Although, I must admit the frustration leaves when I remember the Lord is in control and He will put me in the churches He wants me in. Romans 8:28 is a great verse, truth and help. When we come to frustrating times we all need to rember the Lord is in control and just stay faithful, trusting Him.