Redefining Furloughs

Not long ago a small newsletter published an article recommending that the length and frequency of missionary furloughs be reevaluated, specifically the 4-to-1 year field/furlough ratio which has become the standard practice and assumed right of North American missionaries.

While I agree wholeheartedly with the discussion, I disagreed with the article’s comparison of furlough to “paid vacation” and “absence from duty.” Indeed, such a characterization concurs with Mr. Webster and may be the case for many missionaries. However, “furlough” may be one of the busiest seasons of a missionary’s life—a hectic and stressful time of displacement for the entire family. Just like on the field, the extent of a missionary’s enterprise or idleness while on furlough depends primarily upon his character and partially upon the accountability structure he functions under.

God has blessed us with a variety of supporting churches who love us, stay informed and battle in their prayer closets for us and Albanian souls. When we get a chance to visit them, they often treat us as heroes—and God bless their hearts for it. Inevitably someone from every church tells my wife they are glad there are people “like her” in the world, as if she is different from them, as if she enjoys the aroma of third-world refuse and is fearless amidst the crackle of gunfire. Little do they know that there is no transforming spiritual magic in foreign geography and that sometimes, the sin that so easily besets us is the urge to cuss when the electricity goes off. So we don't feel like heroes—but it is nice to be treated so well at missions conferences! I imagine it would be easy for a non-missionary to get the impression that furloughing is cushy, traveling from conference to conference, being treated to golf, new suits, site-seeing, yummy food and endless fellowship. More than once someone has quipped something like, “Wow, that church bought you a new digital camera?! Must be nice to be a missionary!” Indeed it is! We are sincerely humbled by the gift-gushing we receive now and then. But only missionaries understand the real and constant stress of missions conferences and meetings: I could elaborate, but will not publicly for fear of dampening local church spirits. We love and need the conferences! We want to be invited, but NO, it is nothing close to "paid vacation"; the article got that wrong.

Notwithstanding, I want to build on what the article got right! As a missionary, I am called and sent to plant churches in unchurched territory. To put the matter simply, when I am in the USA, I am not in Albania. No matter how active, fruitful, stressed or relaxed my furlough may be, time off the field is time off the field. Do we need one year out of four?

I think we must redefine furloughs based on their purpose. Once we define why we need them, then we can discuss their frequency and duration. Instead of deciding on a length of time we should be in the USA and then filling that time with activity (or non-activity), we should first decide what stateside activities are necessary for us to fulfill our calling overseas, and then plan the furlough’s length accordingly. In my opinion, there are many valid reasons for trips to the USA, including family and financial needs, health issues (curative and preventative), personal vacations, and ministry opportunities to promote or teach missions. These trips should be efficient, like pit stops in the race for souls.

The most common reason we cite for our furloughs is reporting back to churches—but this may be overrated. In 14 years, many churches have asked me to preach and give a field report, but never as a condition of financial support. Most churches I know are willing to forego my visit if it means more of my time (and their money) winning Albanians to Christ. Churches who want to keep informed about us can read our prayer letters and scour our website. The missions conferences of the future may even feature “live-via-satellite” feeds! The bottom line is this: while reporting back is essential, we have many options at our disposal which can free us to stay on the foreign frontlines and off the American freeways.

It is unreasonable, of course, to suggest that missionaries scrap visits to supporting churches altogether. Such visits are indispensable to independent Baptists. One reason we choose to go on the deputation trail rather than relying wholly on a cooperative program—is because churches must see our passion, hear our message, and connect with our mission. Nevertheless, until a foreign church plant is indigenous, a missionary’s long-term absence causes a setback at the very least, no matter who “fills in.” We’ve seen this over and over and all over the world. It is probably irresponsible to leave a fledgling work because “our term is up.” Who invented a “term,” anyway?

Admittedly, we do need furloughs, real ones, that is—times of renewal for our battered bodies, weary souls, and culture-stressed families, something so-called “furlough” is usually not. Although everyone tends to think the grass is browner on his own side, foreign missionaries arguably have more demanding circumstances than stateside church planters, producing a greater need for seasons of rest. We minister in different languages among hostile people in oppressive cultures, all without fellowship and the Christian infrastructure Americans take for granted. We start from scratch and almost never admit members by “transfer-of-letter.” We raise and educate our children without the help of relatives, libraries and good schools. We cook our food and run our lives without the help of electricity, dishwashers or Sam’s Club (try turning off your A/C at your home and church for one week). We damage our health and live far from medical services. Our time and energy is siphoned away by the red tape of the host country. We and our families struggle, and surviving is sometimes a triumph in itself.

Despite all this, God works through us “earthen vessels” and does impossible things for His Kingdom, receiving all the glory. Along the desert way, we are better footmen if we rest our bodies and refresh our souls at some oasis. It doesn’t have to be America, and it certainly doesn’t need to be one year in four! In my opinion, all who take part in prescribing or approving furloughs ought to wrestle with these issues and make flexible guidelines which are purpose-driven. However, in the end, good missionaries rarely need guidelines, always pushing for less time away from their field, not more. After all, “the night cometh, when no man can work.”