Hudson Taylor on Essential Missionary Qualities
Having missionary teammates and local co-laborers in the Gospel can be great... if they are the right people. Having the wrong people on your team can cause great heartache and frustration. We know that life is hard and ministry is hard, and we’ll never agree 100% with anyone all of the time... nor they with us. Yet, as my wife and I think about some of the challenges that we have faced during this term, we have realized the absolute necessity of having like-minded co-workers in ministry. We are praying for like-minded teammates (Thai and missionary) and brainstorming about who we can recruit to come join us on a new church planting team in the future. A lot could be said about the type of co-workers we are looking for but the following quote from Hudson Taylor lays down the foundational qualities necessary for anyone who wants to be a missionary. These are the kind of people we need.
“In encouraging other young men to come out as missionaries, do us the greatest concern. One strong-headed, contentious, obstinate man would ruin us. Humble men, of sound, sterling talents (though, perhaps not brilliant) quiet, persevering men, of decent accomplishments and some natural aptitude to acquire language; men of amiable yielding temper, willing to take the lowest place, to be least of all and the servant of all; men who enjoy much closet religion, who live near to GOD and are wiling to suffer all things for His sake, without being proud of it, these are the men.” - J. Hudson Taylor
