Changing Missions to Better Fulfill Missions

Mention “religious missionaries” and the mind immediately conjures up visions of pious men and women taking lengthy trips to exotic international locales to do good deeds and convert the locals. But these days, missions also include numerous shorter service-immersion trips by younger congregants to foreign lands. As the Washington Post noted earlier this week, some critics have raised concerns about these jaunts, calling them “religious tourism.” The churches are responding.

To make missionary work more meaningful, some churches are taking a different approach. In response to the criticism, a growing number of churches and agencies that put together short-term trips are revamping their programs and establishing new standards.

For the past four years, for example, the Fairfax Presbyterian youths have stayed closer to home, in places such as Welch, West Va.; Lansing, Mich., and Philadelphia. Last week, a team of 44 were in St. Petersburg, Fla., to clean and paint low-income homes, assist the homeless and volunteer at a free health clinic.

This shift gets to the heart of the new emphasis on nonprofit outcomes. As the Post wrote, one Mexican “church was painted six times during one summer by six different groups.” This not simply about making “missionary work more meaningful” for its participants — it’s about ensuring that the work has a truly beneficial impact for those it’s meant to help. Isn’t that what mission means? | 501(c)