"Missionaries to France"? Americans spread gospel to Western Europe

In My Humble Opinion
1

Our local community of orthodox presbyterians is currently involved in raising funds to send missionaries to France.

That’s right, France. http://www.bgcworld.org/cplantin/france.htm

Apparently this is becoming a more popular thing to do among the pentecostals, baptists, and certain of the orthodox calvinists. Go to a western nation with a long history of Christianity, but which either has become secularized, or was the “wrong” sect of Christianity to begin with, (Catholicism) or both.

I have to say that I find this rather distasteful. For many reasons, but basically because I had thought that the Christian ‘mission’ was to go help the needy, give service to those who would most benefit (the hungry, the ill, the homeless), and by deeds demonstrate their faith.

But perhaps I’m off base. I’ve not considered myself a Christian for well over 3 decades, and what indoctrination I did have in that faith was far off the mainstream anyway (a rather liberal methodism back in the 60’s).

And some argue that it’s the safest way to evangelize to the muslims, by doing so in a nation not under Islamist law.

So what say you dopers? Is this what Christian missions are about these days? Is it what they should be about? If not, what should they be doing?

2

France has a very strict distinction between “religion” and “state” - what you believe and the religion you practise is your business and no one else’s. (Part of the idea being that you cannot be discriminated against on the basis of religion if no one knows what religion you are.) As a result whilst it is true that religion as a concept is absent from many many people’s lives - you have to actively seek it out rather than actively avoid it - I would suggest that of those who do practise Christianity in France there is a higher proportion of “true believers” compared to some more openly Christian countries where people may feel pressure to conform.

I’ve heard it said that France has both the highest number of Muslims and the highest number of Jews in Europe, perhaps that’s what makes the country so “needy” ?

I haven’t answered the OP I know but thought I’d give an idea of the situation in France.

3

This is ONE FORM of Christian missionary work today. A friend of mine did it, and another friend would have, but was rejected for not speaking good enough French.

It is certainly not the only form of Christian missionary work today–my church is raising funds to send yet another mission trip to Texas–a small, poor community there which was devastated by Katrina. This church has pledged to send work groups there for 10 years.

Other people I know are going to Uganda, Papua New Guinea, and India–to name 3 places. One who went to India went as a Medical Missionary–he’s a doctor in the U.S. and took his skills and supplies, while other members of the team did other things.

But I find the idea that Christian Missionary work should be “to go help the needy, give service to those who would most benefit (the hungry, the ill, the homeless), and by deeds demonstrate their faith.” interesting. Certainly it can be one of the motivations, but but the primary one? Only probably to a limited segment of the Christian population.

You have heard of the Great Commission, haven’t you? “All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world”(Mt. 28:18-20 ASV).

I don’t see anything there about doing nice things for poor people so that they will become followers of Christ.

(I’ll admit it–I, personally, would be happier on a mission trip dedicated to doing good, with only incidental preaching, but I’m not everyone.)

And I think that it is very important to keep in mind that Short-Term Missionary Work is (regardless of how it is promoted) much more about changing the lives of the Missionaries, than it is about changing the lives of those who are the recipients of the Missionaries’ attentions.

4

I’m not a Christian, but I was raised as one and my family still is. I have always seen the type of “missionary” trip described in the OP as a way for church members to get a visit to another country and have friends, relatives and fellow church members pay for it.

Yes, I am kind of cynical, why do you ask?

My uncle’s church does missionary trips, but they are usually to poor countries and they do things like build churches and schools. That just seems much more “Christian” to me.

5

Doesn’t seem distasteful to me, at least no more distasteful than the mere fact of trying to get someone else to convert to your religion. Their mission, as I understand it, is to spread the Word and get people to accept Jesus Christ as their personal lord and saviour. That can be done in France as well as Zimbabwe. Mormons have been sending missionaries to first world countries for years.

6

Wasn’t it the French who brought Christianity to the Great Lakes region in the first place?

Oh well. When you guys return it, be sure and get your deposit back.

7

One of the greatest goals of the early Christians was to spread the gospel in Rome. Those who are most in need of spiritual help (from the missionary’s perspective) need not be destitute in the worldy sense. Of course it is desirable to do both when possible, but the primary goal is to proselytize.

8

It does say something in there about “teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you,” though. Presumably that would include “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Mt. 7:12, Luke 6:31). But perhaps that doesn’t rank particularly high on his list of priorities.

It does seem kind of weird that Jesus himself spent so much time ministering to the poor and sickly, if he didn’t expect any of his followers to do likewise. “Hmmmm… France or Zimbabwe? Preach in a country with excellent health care, running water and electricity, or a country torn apart by disease and starvation? …I discern that Jesus would want me to preach his message from the comfort of the Hotel Raphael in Paris.”

9

The purpose is to convert people to a new religious belief. So you go where the heathens are and then decide what strategy is best for converting them. Doing charitable work like you’ve described is just one strategy that could be used. Obviously it would be less effective in France which already has a good social services system so other methods must apply.

And no doubt there’s some truth to what SnakesCatLady wrote. It’s surely a lot easier to recruit potential missionaries to work in Paris than Lagos or Calcutta.

10

I think it’s hilarious.

11

In one of the pieces on NPR talking about Jerry Falwell kacking it, someone pointed out that Jesus spent his time with the lepers and whores, not the wealthy folks. Personally, if I was going to do missionary work in France, I’d be spending my time trying to “convert” the women in the brothels, if you know what I mean. :wink:

12

“That’s right… do unto me… do unto me, baby…”

13

“The power of Christ compells you, baby! Can you feel the power? Who’s your Jesus? Who’s your Jesus?”

14

The Mormons have been doing this for years. They call it “missionary” work; it’s really prosletyzing. I could be wrong, but I’d be surprised if they were very successful – or welcome – in France.

15

I’m LDS, and I can say that European missions are often considered to be less fun in many ways, because the work is hard and unrewarding; there’s very little welcome and more rejection than the norm (which is already plenty). My SIL served her mission in France and got rocks thrown at her. Yes, there is scenery, but otherwise it’s difficult and thankless work compared to serving in, say, South America–everyone is poor, sure, but at least some of them are friendly.

16

I find it pretty distasteful. At least if you’re going to go try and convert the Japanese or something, most of them aren’t actually Christians. But this way, they’re deciding who is or is not a proper Christian, based no doubt on their distorted, new-fangled version of Christianity. Even ickier than ordinary missionary work, but only by a small margin.

17

He also hung out with tax collectors (who were not hurting for funds) and had a few named very well off friends - one of them even handed over a pretty nice tomb.

If Champs-Elysées is a church’s only mission field, I might wonder about the church. But it isn’t unchristian to think that the word of God can be spread to all social-economic classes.

18

Who said that they weren’t expected to? Preaching in France and ministering to the poor are by no means mutually exclusive.

Do you remember the Great Commission? Eureka cited in the post that you quoted. It says “Make disciples of all nations…” (emphasis added), not just the poor.

Besides, there could be all sorts of reasons why one would choose to minister in an industrialized country, as opposed to the Third World. Perhaps a missions organization already has contacts there. Perhaps some of their volunteers speak French, and are thus uniquely suited to teach in a French-speaking nation. Perhaps these people, through their particular talents and background, are simply better equipped to address French cultures and mindsets than, say, those of the Hindi. Or perhaps they hope that by teaching people who are well-educated, they hope to raise more future missionaries than teaching within an underdeveloped nation.

Should missions organizations attempt to help the underprivileged? Certainly! AT the same time though, it would be foolish to suggest that they should spend all of their missions efforts within Third World nations, while completely ignoring the spiritual needs in other developed nations.

19

Hell, the LDS sends missionaries to Seattle. I assume they’re trying to get converts away from the evangelical churches that are trying to recruit the younger folks.

20

BTW it’d not only proselytist evangelical churches, JWs or LDS who seek converts among “first world” societies – for decades now there has been much talk at the Vatican that parts of historically-Catholic Europe could qualify as “mission lands” due to a steep attrition to outright nonpracticing secularism, or to living their lives by secularist values while maintaining merely ceremonial christening-wedding-funeral religiosity.

And Sunrazor, the primary purpose of “missionary work” IS proselytizing, *always * has been – whether by providing an example of Christian (or Muslim, don’t forget the world’s other major expansionist religion) charity or by direct preaching and advocacy of conversion.