I love pastors. I respect men who have spent years studying theology, learning Scripture, caring for people, preaching the Gospel, counseling families, and shepherding churches. I have tremendous respect for them.
But as a missionary traveling in some of the most remote and difficult places in the world, I prefer not to travel with a pastor beside me.
I will tell you why.
I grew up in the country, on a farm, where you learned early that when something broke, you didn’t always have the luxury of calling someone else to fix it. You had to figure it out yourself.
My stepfather never graduated from the eighth grade, but he was one those can-do individuals that could do anything himself. He was the jack of all trades. He was a handyman in the truest sense of the word. And he taught me to do the same.
He taught me how to pour concrete, work on engines, repair a lawn mower, hang windows, install siding, put on a roof, bail hay, split firewood, and repair things that probably weren’t supposed to ever work again.
Before there were YouTube how-to videos, he taught me how to put Bondo on a dent and make an old vehicle look halfway respectable. He taught me how to shoot a rifle. He even taught me how to chop down a tree between two houses without destroying either house.
Growing up that way taught me practical skills that I have used endless times on the mission field. When my vehicle broke down in the remote desert of Sudan, I didn’t need or want a Bible teacher. I wanted a mechanic.
When my toilet stopped working in a hotel in North Korea, I didn’t need an Biblical professor to explain the Greek word for “plumbing. I needed a plumber.
If government officials are chasing me in Iran, I want someone beside me who understands movement, security, and how to stay calm under pressure. I need a soldier, not a pastor.
That time I had a truck loaded with supplies that needed to be backed into a tight loading bay in Somalia, I wanted the guy who has spent twenty years driving semi-trucks. When I was in the Himalayan Mountains in Tibet and was gifted with a young goat, I wanted a butcher, not an evangelist.
Don’t get me wrong. Pastors are absolutely necessary! Unfortunately, many of them have been trained for a special job that isn’t much good for traveling with me on the mission field. A good Bible teaching degree may be extraordinary for building a congregation in America or Europe, but if those skills do not translate into the practical act of changing a tire, repairing a diesel engine, fixing a water system, driving a heavy truck, repairing a generator, or figuring out why the electrical system just stopped working, then you are dead weight on the mission field.
The mission field needs blue-collar workers that come to serve equipped with skills. There is a desperate need for individuals who are both spiritually and practically useful.
If I’m assembling a team to conduct ministry in a comfortable city with reliable electricity, paved roads, functioning plumbing, and a hardware store around the corner, I might want several pastors.
But if I’m putting together a team to travel through remote areas to hand out Bibles to unreached tribes then I will select the missionary with raw practical skills.
Some of the most useful people I’ve traveled with on the mission field do not have theological degrees. They have have worn Bibles and calloused hands. They’ve spent their lives on their knees in prayer and fixing things. They know how to look at a broken heart and a broken machine and figure out what went wrong. That’s an incredibly valuable skill set on the mission field.
Do I dislike pastors?
No. Quite the opposite.
I love pastors.
I love good pastors who faithfully teach the Word of God, shepherd their people, visit the sick, counsel the hurting, disciple young believers, and faithfully preach the Gospel.
But when I’m heading into a place where the nearest mechanic might be three days away, I’m probably leaving the pastor at home and taking the missionary mechanic, because on the mission field, there are times when the most spiritual thing a man can do is fix the truck.
And sometimes the Kingdom of God needs a man who knows how to turn a wrench.
Super refreshing to read this! Thank you for acknowledging the lowly people! I always love how practical individuals can be!
Interesting article! However, we must also consider the other side of the coin… “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few,” says Jesus. There’s a difference between pastors trained in theological schools and pastors who have a gift from God!!! In the affairs of this world, we need practical people, but for the Kingdom of Heaven, we need people who have spiritual authority from Jesus. There is such a great need for these people—true pastors… Even a large vehicle used by a mission can often’t be repaired by real mechanics, because the problem is spiritual ))) The fervent prayer of the righteous is powerful; so if we knew how to value this and call on true pastors when we face various problems, things would go much better. Everyone has their own gift, but the gift of being a pastor from Jesus cannot be obtained anywhere on earth except directly from Him. Many practical matters in the Church cannot be resolved until a true pastor offers a powerful prayer before God. I’m sure you know of examples or have seen them yourselves. When Satan attacks Christ’s flock, mechanics don’t know what to do—nor do people in other professions. A mechanic is very good for traveling in difficult areas, but that’s just a small part of the puzzle )) GBY [This article has motivated me much more to make progress in practical matters; I’m not a pastor, but Peter was told to take care of Jesus’ sheep… top]
Truth. Practical knowledge gained through experience is valuable even when discernment of spiritual matters is needed. God gives us wisdom if we seek it.