The present system of sending out Americans (and Canadians and Australians and Koreans and others from industrialized countries) is a tradition left over from the 19th Century that should have been phased out 50 years ago. And, as I will discuss later, it has no precedent in the Word of God. Here is a sampling of some problems related to its continuation.

1. Economic Disparity. When we send Americans, Canadians or others from affluent countries abroad as resident missionaries in poorer countries, they appear fabulously rich in comparison to the people they hope to reach. How then can they represent our Saviour "who though He was rich yet for our sakes became poor?" They misrepresent Him, and their presence is generally a hindrance to His cause.

2. Political Implications. When comparatively affluent foreign missionaries move into countries like Pakistan, Cuba, China or Vietnam they are often thought to be spies sent by the CIA or its equivalent. Otherwise, where would they get all that money they appear to have? By thus identifying the Christian faith with foreign governments we stigmatize it and bring irreparable harm to our fellow believers who are citizens of the countries to which we go.

3. Cultural Offenses. When a missionary from an industrialized country invades a people group of diverse culture, he identifies the gospel of Christ with aliens who appear weird to those people. By so doing he erects artificial barriers of prejudice against the gospel and hinders its acceptance. Often it takes one or two whole generations before those artificial barriers can be overcome and the Christian faith can become acceptable to an unreached people group which has been so invaded. Among native Americans the barriers have persisted in many tribes for more than 300 years.

4. Sending the Wrong Message. Colonial-type mission boards generally assume an attitude of superiority toward our fellow believers in poorer countries, taking the position: "We are superior, they are inferior; therefore we have to go over there and train them." But the American missionary usually goes with a personal support package greater than the entire budget of the school where he is teaching, or the local ministry with which he works. No way, then, can he teach "Love your neighbor as yourself" when he is rich and they are poor. It would be laughable for him to say, “Deny yourself, take up your cross and be crucified with Christ.” The foreigner’s presence is likely to breed covetousness and destroy any sense of self-sacrifice which may already exist among Bible school students or native workers in poorer countries.