NRM: the 21st Century Missionary
by Justin D. Long
Anyone looking at the data we have amassed would ask one obvious question: "With all our plans, with all our resources, with all our potential, why haven't we done better?" And it is a tragic truth that a vast number of our global initiatives have simply collapsed, fizzled out, or never been implemented. Out of 788 plans proposed since AD 33 surveyed for our book, "788 plans to evangelize the world," over half had already fizzled and 17% were in the process of dying.
Many problems have been identified with today's existing global plans. Some of these problems were enumerated in the same book. Others have heatedly debated additional problems right here in our very own MMRC-discuss forum: lack of finance, lacking of concern on the part of the Western world, lack of contextualization, lack of support for indigenous missions, too much empire-building, too much ecumenism, not enough evangelicalism, etc. The key is that in every fizzle there is at least one problem, and perhaps many. Further, no plan holds the single key to evangelizing the world. We have identified to date 10 key ministries which all have a significant role to play, and there are more besides.
At the heart of every plan, the common denominator is the missionary. Even with missionaries there is a significant debate: charismatic vs. non-charismatic, Western vs. Third-world, indigenous vs. cross-cultural, and so on. But there is one type of missionary which was "invented," so to speak, in the late 1980s, which answers many of these issues: the non-residential missionary, or NRM.
Beginnings of the non-residential missionary
The NRM concept arose in answer to the biggest challenge of the 1980s: ministry to 120 closed or closing countries. Mission theorists have proposed many ways to penetrate closed countries, and agencies were trying new strategies. The variety of these approaches can be defined according to four criteria:
1. Professionalism. Ministries could be either professional (full-time) or amateur (part-time). This criteria was important. Amateurs of course have a role to play, but everyone knows a part-time Christian worker, however gifted, could translate the Bible into Mongolian or broadcast evangelistic messages in the language of the 14 million Zhuang. These sorts of tasks require thoroughly professional skills used full-time with the backing of Christian agencies.
2. Residence. Ministries can be based either on residence inside the country, or outside. This second criterion asks, where does the person reside? He may have his home in the target country, or live abroad in a foreign country. He may have a fixed residence or he may itinerate. These distinctions are important because many countries have exact regulations relating to or controlling each category.
3. Citizenship. Ministries can be undertaken either by citizens or by aliens. This criterion relates to workers as seen by the government of the target population. A person is either a citizen (or national) of the target, or a foreigner (or alien). Again, exact regulations to control these categories are often enforced.
4. Legality. Ministries in closed countries can either be legal or illegal, in answer to the question of whether the government permits their presence. Across the centuries Christians ministering in closed or difficult areas have usually sought to obey the laws of the ruling regime and minister within them. But they have not hesitated to operate illegally or secretly in situations where their basic rights and roles as Christian workers have been denied. Legality is not an ethical matter, but purely a descriptive term describing the government's requirements--which may be arbitrary, harsh, cruel, unjust, ephemeral, inconsistent, unstable or simply impossible to comply with.
Because residential foreign missionaries are being banned in country after country a new alternative was needed and discovered.
The concept of a non-residential missionary
There are four vital elements to a NRM:
1. A full-time professional missionary recruited, appointed, sent and supported by a mission board, society or agency. He/she may be of any citizenship and sent from any country in the world.
2. Unhindered pursuit of the evangelization of each missionary's single clearly defined target population segment through residence in a covenient open city anywhere in the world (a world class city, or at least one with good telecommunication and networking facilities, with total freedom of activity and freedom from surveillance).
3. Not attempting to evangelize one's segment alone, but strategizing for the segment's evangelization in cooperation with all other involved or concerned Great Commission Christians who want to target that same segment.
4. Setting as a goal, or overarching objective, the full evangelization of the segment--with all persons having heard the gospel and having had the opportunity to respond--by a specific target date (e.g. 2025).
The tasks of an NRM include:
1. Accept as his personal vocation a full-time ministry concentrating on strategizing for the evangelization of his segment in cooperation with other Great Commission Christians and organizations.
2. Research and survey the whole secular, religious, and Christian situation of that single segment, thus becoming expert on the subject within the first 6 months.
3. Learn and become proficient in that segment's main language and culture (market fluency, that is the ability to get around), thus gaining an entree and providing credibility among all specialists in the subject of that population segment.
4. Draw up and help to see implemented a wide range of ministry and megaministry options directed toward that segment.
5. Report briefly on a monthly standard form or short telecommunication to his board, outlining progress with that segment, to enable adequate monitoring and assistance to proceed.
6. Become an advocate or lobby at home and abroad, among his own constituency and wider, for his segment's legitimate rights to mission, evangelization and all necessary resources.
7. Relate as part of a global team to his board's other nonresidential missionaries, each of whom has been assigned to a different segment, possibly with small clusters of 2 to 6 couples and singles assigned to widely separated segments, but all sharring accomodation in major world-class cities.
Notice as we proceed through here that an NRM's basic calling is to become an expert on a specific people group and help to network every resource, both indigenous and expatriate, both secular and Christian, together to forge an evangelistic force which will see his target group saturated. This is further developed in the following 12 dimensions and 84 characteristics of a NRM:
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CALLED:
- called. He is =called= to follow Christ across today's world.
- missionary. He is a =missionary= working within the Christian world mission.
- foreign. Most of the time he crosses political frontiers as an alien or =foreigner=.
- cross-cultural. His ministry is =cross-cultural=, from his own culture to a different culture.
- evangelizer. His primary role is as =evangelizer= among unevangelized populations.
- global. He is =globally= oriented, combing the world for other Great Commission cooperators.
- professiona. He and his spouse are =professional= missionaries.
- career. Being a missionary is his =career=, possibly & probably for life.
- monovocational. Though he may have secular skills, mission is his =overarching vocation=.
- full-time. He undertakes it as a =full-time= job, not a part-time interest.
- legal. In whichever country he visits, he =obeys the laws= concerning overt evangelism.
- nonpolitical. He is =apolitical= and secure from future state hostility, evictions or bannings.
- nontraditional. As traditional residential mission becomes impossible, he becomes =nontraditional=.
- nonresidential. Unable to reside in his target segment, he becomes =nonresidential=.
- mobile. Resident with his family 70% of the time, he remains =mobile= and flexible.
APPOINTED
- recruited. He is =recruited= by a foreign mission board or agency or church or support body.
- selected. They test his vocation & qualifications and then =select= him for service.
- trained. In missionary learning centers he becomes =trained= in missions & missiology.
- appointed. He is =appointed= by his board as one of their recognized missionaries.
- sent. He is employed and =sent= by his board or sending body out on mission.
- supported. He is subsequently =supported= by his board regularly (money, aid, prayer, travel).
MATCHED UP
- targeting. He holds discussions to locate a =target= population (people, city or country).
- matched-up. His talents & vocation are now -matched up= with possible segments.
- focused. He finally =focuses= on one single unevangelized population segment.
- concentrated. It becomes his =concentrated= evangelizing ministry, avoiding diversions.
- commissioned. His board agrees to engage this segment and =commissions= him to his new ministry.
RESEARCHING
- language-learning. He learns the =language= (market fluency) and thereby wins credibility.
- studying. He masters his segment, =studying= maps, books, bibliographies, reports, tapes.
- consulting. He actively =cooperates= with them all involved Great Commission Christians.
- researching. He =researches= his target population, making new discoveries.
- specializing. He takes vernacular newspapers and journals, and joins =specialist= societies.
NETWORKING
- surveying. He =surveys= the entire spectrum of Great Commission activities within his segment.
- recognizing. He =recognizes= and aligns himself with all involved Great Commission Christians.
- cooperating. He actively =cooperates= with them, and gets them to cooperate with each other.
- networking. He documents the existing =network= and becomes a major node, makes it a team.
- team=player. He forges a de facto Great Commission =team= out of all working for his segment.
- informing. He develops a wide-ranging =information= network and keeps the team informed.
- catalyzing. Where necessary, as a =catalyzer= he urges new work and new approaches.
- contextualizing. He helps the network honor the =global context= of all segments and their interests.
STRATEGIZING
- biblical. He studies & emulates =biblical= strategic roles (Paul, etc).
- diserning. He analyzes and =discerns= bridges and barriers to the gospel in his segment.
- strategizing. He works out, privately and through the network, an overall =strategy=.
- coordinating. He =coordinates= any other approaches or ministries when necessary.
- integrating. He supports holistic ministry by helping to =integrate= evangelism and social concern.
- communicating. Even when isolated, he =communicates= continually via phone, modem, e-mail.
- translating. He circulates strategic concepts =translated= into the language.
- prioritizing. He assists the network to =prioritize= its Great Commission activities.
- telecommunicating. If he has become a laptop computer user, he =telecommunicates= discreetly.
- databasing. He utilizes multilingual infobases and =databases= to keep up to date.
- updated. He receives monthly computerized =updates= on his segment: literature, data, contacts.
- reporting. He =reports= monthly to his agency on one short standard form or computer screen.
- updating. He provides fuller =updating= status material, as available, regularly to his base.
- monitoring. He tracks and =monitors= his segment's unevangelized status continually.
- calendaring. He =calendars= (keeps track of future dates) and ensures items occur on schedule.
INTERCEDING
- praying. He gets the network =praying= that the overarching objective may be met.
- prayer-mobilizing. He =mobilizes prayer partners= in any country where this is possible.
- interceding. He develops a ministry of informed =intercession= by home churches and agencies.
EVANGELIZING
- evangelizing. His main task is =evangelizing=, in its 200 distinct dimensions and methods.
- goal-oriented. His =goal= is that everyone in his segment become evangelized by a specific date.
- responsible. He accepts =responsibility= to see to it that the whole network achieves this goal.
- future-oriented. He orients his ministry to his target date (i.e. 2025).
- teaching. His main =teaching is, informally, on how the network can achieve this goal.
MINISTERING
- ministering. He continually draws up new =ministry options= and gets the team implementing them.
- megaministry. He plans for =megaministry= approaches to his target.
- proclaiming. He sees to it that by all methods a continuous =proclamation= of Christ goes on.
- seed-sowing. His goal is to see adequate scripture distribution, broadcasting, literature, etc.
- disciple-making. His goal is: at least 100 new disciples made in this segment by his target date.
- church-planting. His goal is: 4 or 5 new beachhead churches planted and leaders trained by his target date.
- indigenizing. He encourages emergence of new indigenous expressions of Christianity in his segment.
IMPLEMENTING
- visiting. He =visits= his target as a tourist or for secular events (conferences, etc).
- entrepreneurial. Creative and versatile, he exploits =opportunities= as and when they occur.
- facilitator. As a =facilitator= he actively assists others to get their roles performed.
- locating. He advises on possible =location= of tentmakers or others resident in the segment.
- mobilizer. As a =mobilizer= he locates new resources & finds additional personnel.
- implementer. As an =implementer= he ensures all agreed steps actually get implemented.
- conflict-avoiding. He =avoids conflict= between his segment's interest and outside Christian work.
ADVOCATING
- relating. He maintains =good relations= with secular, religious & Christian authorities.
- advocating. He serves as an =advocate= anywhere for his segment & their evangelization.
- lobbyist. He =lobbies= energetically on behalf of his segment.
- low-key. Aware of the dangers of publicity, he keeps a =low profile=.
- sensitive. He alerts and =sensitizes= the network to needs for confidentiality and security.
TRAINING
- equipping. He sees to it that indigenous leadership emerges =equipped= and resourced for ministry.
- traqining. He assists with =training= seminars for new nonresidential missionaries everywhere.
- recruiting. He keeps alert to =recruit= nonresidential missionaries for segments elsewhere.
