Overview

Culture shock. Marital strife. Depression. Addictions. Disillusionment. Organization and team tensions. Family trauma. Medical issues. This is not what you signed up for when you pursued missions. Field workers cross linguistic, cultural, and ministry boundaries, but they still experience the same mental health challenges as everyone else--and often more. When the missionary unit includes a spouse and children, the complexities multiply as each person undergoes stressors. Needing psychological or psychiatric help too often leads to burnout or worse. It's time to let go of the stigma and embrace mental health. Missionaries, Mental Health, and Accountability opens with stories of scriptural saints who also struggled and still made profound impacts for the kingdom. Then, global contributors--comprised of an equal balance of Korean and Western writers--reach into the complexity of missionary mental health with the added component of accountability in church and agency support systems. Specifically, four important areas of missionary mental health are considered: 1) disillusion, discouragement, and depression; 2) relational dynamics and tensions; 3) contributing factors in missionary psychological duress; and, 4) resources and organizational structures that address missionary mental health. Every chapter demonstrates courage, personal conviction, and judicious honesty. Significant insights provided through case studies, surveys, and personal reflections will offer action steps for increasing mental health awareness and developing mental health best practices for individuals and teams. Written for field workers and those who support them, Missionaries, Mental Health, and Accountability is a critical resource in member care.

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9781645082842

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Reviews

The mental health issues of missionaries are a topic that rightfully deserves our attention for missions in the twenty-first century. This publication sheds light on the dark and morbid problems hidden behind the heroic accomplishments far beyond our expectations. Both the missionary and the church communities will find the candid discussions and the alternatives presented herein vitally indispensable. The comprehensive and professional resources contained in this book unravel an inconvenient truth of missions in our time. All churches that are committed to missions should consult this publication. Kyu Sam Han senior pastor, Choong Hyun Church, Korea I commend the publication of these honest reflections. This book is an essential resource for leaders of denominations, churches, and mission agencies as they wrestle with the significant challenges of sharing the Good News of Jesus across cultures in the twentyfirst century. Malcolm McGregor former SIM international director 2003-2013 currently, seconded to Langham Scholars as Associate Director for Scholar Care This collection of essays offers a fresh--and much needed--appraisal of the challenges of intercultural Christian ministry, especially in terms of the psychological and interpersonal challenges that arise. Of special value are the papers dealing with the phenomenal rise and expansion of Korean cross-cultural ministry the past four decades. One hopes this model of ministry will grow as a fruit and witness of the global body of Christ. Wilbert R. Shenk Fuller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies These essays call the church to a new level of best practices regarding how we screen candidates for missionary service, the support systems at home and abroad which surround the missionary, the intentional provision for space, self-reflection and renewal, as well as ongoing pastoral care for missionaries and their families. This book may challenge our conceptions of what it is like to actually serve as a missionary, but it will be a balm of Gilead for those whom we have entrusted with that sacred work to make Christ known among the nations. Timothy C. Tennent, PhD president, Asbury Theological Seminary

"The mental health issues of missionaries are a topic that rightfully deserves our attention for missions in the twenty-first century. This publication sheds light on the dark and morbid problems hidden behind the heroic accomplishments far beyond our expectations. Both the missionary and the church communities will find the candid discussions and the alternatives presented herein vitally indispensable. The comprehensive and professional resources contained in this book unravel an inconvenient truth of missions in our time. All churches that are committed to missions should consult this publication. Kyu Sam Han senior pastor, Choong Hyun Church, Korea I commend the publication of these honest reflections. This book is an essential resource for leaders of denominations, churches, and mission agencies as they wrestle with the significant challenges of sharing the Good News of Jesus across cultures in the twentyfirst century. Malcolm McGregor former SIM international director 2003-2013 currently, seconded to Langham Scholars as Associate Director for Scholar Care This collection of essays offers a fresh--and much needed--appraisal of the challenges of intercultural Christian ministry, especially in terms of the psychological and interpersonal challenges that arise. Of special value are the papers dealing with the phenomenal rise and expansion of Korean cross-cultural ministry the past four decades. One hopes this model of ministry will grow as a fruit and witness of the global body of Christ. Wilbert R. Shenk Fuller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies These essays call the church to a new level of ""best practices"" regarding how we screen candidates for missionary service, the support systems at home and abroad which surround the missionary, the intentional provision for space, self-reflection and renewal, as well as ongoing pastoral care for missionaries and their families. This book may challenge our conceptions of what it is like to actually serve as a missionary, but it will be a ""balm of Gilead"" for those whom we have entrusted with that sacred work to make Christ known among the nations. Timothy C. Tennent, PhD president, Asbury Theological Seminary"

Author Information

Jonathan J. Bonk is Research Professor of Mission at Boston University, President of the GMLF, and has been actively involved with the KGMLF since its inception. J. Nelson Jennings has served as Mission Pastor, Consultant, and International Liaison for Onnuri Church since 2015. Jinbong Kim has served as Coordinator for the Korean Global Mission Leadership Forum since 2008 and Managing Director of the Global Mission Leadership Forum. Jae Hoon Lee is Senior Pastor of Onnuri Church and Chair of the Korea Lausanne Committee.

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