IFB Missionaries

[Pastorj]

We had a missionary in our church today. His wife was commenting to my wife that one of the problems with furlough is that she has to clean the house herself instead of the locals.

Is it common for missionaries to use our money to pay locals to clean their homes and do other work around the house?

[holster]

interesting... I've never heard that... Where is their field?

[trc123]

Yes, it is common, depending on the field. I've been overseas and known many missionaries and this is definitely a common practice, depending on the field. It does not carry the same connotation on the field that one thinks of here in the states. Many of the locals depend on this for their living and are extremely grateful, it provides an opportunity to witness about the Lord and it really is pennies on the dollar, which frees the missionary family to tend to the harvest.

[Pastorj]

So you have no problem with it?

[Pastorj]

Holster, the one today is in Haiti, the one a month ago was to Papua New Guinea

[Wilchbla]

Yes, it is common, depending on the field. I've been overseas and known many missionaries and this is definitely a common practice, depending on the field. It does not carry the same connotation on the field that one thinks of here in the states. Many of the locals depend on this for their living and are extremely grateful, it provides an opportunity to witness about the Lord and it really is pennies on the dollar, which frees the missionary family to tend to the harvest.

Makes sense once you hear the missonaries side of the story. I wouldn't have a problem with it.

[holster]

I think my problem would be more the wife's "dread of having to clean" than the fact that on the field someone does it for her. Perhaps this was said in "fun"???

[holster]

We had a missionary in our church today. His wife was commenting to my wife that one of the problems with furlough is that she has to clean the house herself instead of the locals.

Is it common for missionaries to use our money to pay locals to clean their homes and do other work around the house?

Pastorj... I asked for opinion on a Pastor email group I'm on (IFB-preachers) without mentioning details of course. Most thought that having someone come in to clean was OK but that it was not good to make a statement such as "I have to clean myself instead of the locals." So the the statement showing "a lack of servitude" seems to be the bigger issue.

We all do and say things in "fun." I would not want judge anyone's ministry on a single statement like this. These people might be fantastic missionaries. Much more would have to known to make a determination.

my two cents

[trc123]

Pastorj... I asked for opinion on a Pastor email group I'm on (IFB-preachers) without mentioning details of course. Most thought that having someone come in to clean was OK but that it was not good to make a statement such as "I have to clean myself instead of the locals." So the the statement showing "a lack of servitude" seems to be the bigger issue.

We all do and say things in "fun." I would not want judge anyone's ministry on a single statement like this. These people might be fantastic missionaries. Much more would have to known to make a determination.

my two cents

Agreed, the bigger issue would be the statement made in jest. But as you said, it's hard to say without full context, etc.

[Pastorj]

Quite frankly I am appalled that a missionary would use missions money to hire servants. I wouldn't have a problem hiring someone to do a project or two, but to have servants in your home doing jobs that you should be doing is wrong.

How would you react if your pastor hired a cleaning person to come in and clean his home? I know the two churches I pastored would have had a serious problem with it and rightfully so.

[trc123]

So the money that the Pastor receives from the church is under the church's scrutiny for everything the pastor does with that money down to the last penny?

How far do you take that precedent?

[Pastor Matt]

Quite frankly I am appalled that a missionary would use missions money to hire servants. I wouldn't have a problem hiring someone to do a project or two, but to have servants in your home doing jobs that you should be doing is wrong.
How would you react if your pastor hired a cleaning person to come in and clean his home? I know the two churches I pastored would have had a serious problem with it and rightfully so.

I really do not have an opinion yet if it is right or wrong, but I was wondering if this may be a cultural thing.

[Anon]

I think once the paycheck goes to the pastor, its his to do with as he wills. If he hires a cleaning lady, so be it, but he shouldn't be whining that he doesn't have enough for other things.

I will admit at first response I was thinking "Ew that doesn't sound right" but then when you said about a USA pastor hiring a cleaning person I was like...wait a minute...if a church member can have a cleaning lady, why can't a pastor?

For instance...if my cake business in my house grows, once all the kids are in school, and I'm bringing in enough cake money to cover it, I would have no problem hiring someone to come in and do some of the bigger jobs for me so that I can do my cakes. (I'm not saying I will, I'm just saying I wouldn't feel wrong about thinking about it.) I would certainly hope the church members didn't feel the need to go over our budget and judge what we should and should not spend our money on. After all, we don't do that to their budget.

I would say the only problem I see, esp if its cultural, is the attitude with which the missionary possibly said that...it does give a feeling of laziness...but possibly she was just joking and it was ill-placed.

[HappyChristian]

Many pastor's wives are very busy in the ministry, helping their husbands. If the husband deems it appropriate to hire someone to clean their house, that's between the husband, wife and whoever they hire. No-one else. And if someone is nosy enough to resent it, they need to remove their noses from their pastor's private business! It's not like he's committing adultery by giving his wife some help at home! (this is my opinion, and not meant to come across as offensive to anyone. =D)

As far as missions, it is cultural in some places. I remember years ago a Philippine native was telling me that many times missionaries would hire girls to help with the house - and this pay would help her family survive. Sometimes on the mission field the wife is as busy as the husband with ministry. Help at home doesn't hurt! Of course, if they have children and mom is teaching them, chances are real good she and they are doing the cleaning.

There are missionaries, sad to say, that live "the life of Reilly" (or, ease and laziness). Regarding them, I would say that hiring someone to clean in place of the wife is misusing money.

[Anon]

It is true, I have heard on the mission field you are not supposed to just give things freely to the people, as they see Americans as rich and will try to sponge...so I suppose if you want to help a family the best way would be to "hire" them to do something.

The more I think about it the more I don't think there's a problem..maybe the missionary wife should have a bit more tact in the future though LOL as there is so much envy in today's society she is bound to turn off more than a few people by talking about her "hired help".

HC I would say if its "in place of the wife" hopefully the wife is actually working in another area....If the wife is too busy to keep her home clean (doing constructive helpful things herself) then no problem...if the hired help is just so she has more time for soap operas, then that's not a good thing.