What Is a Non-residential Missionary?

A reality of global missions is this: it is getting harder and harder for individuals to obtain residential visas to stay for long periods of time in many countries. Because of this increasing challenge, mission agencies are listing a new category of missionary service. It is called the “non-residential missionary.”

David Garrison, in his book, The Nonresidential Missionary (Innovations in Mission), put it this way: “The nonresidential missionary is a career foreign missionary who is matched up with a single unevangelised population segment, but who lives somewhere other than in their midst...”

In other words, non-residential missionaries are full-time or part-time missionaries who focus on evangelism, education, and equipping. They are committed to the long-term goal of assisting churches that are started in other contexts to become self-governing, self-propagating, and self-sustaining/self-supporting.

But they are not long-term residents of the area they are appointed to. At the same time though, they will seek to learn the language of the people and seek to know about their history and understand things about their culture.

Non-residential missionaries understand the importance of having a time-specific exit strategy. By not residing in a country, it is important for the non-residential missionary to disciple, mentor, and equip grassroots leaders. This causes national leadership to be self-motivated and to have a clear vision and plan to reach and serve their own people. The nonresidential missionary works with national leadership as a resource person, serving alongside motivated national leadership to facilitate church planting and growth through discipleship.

When Roxy and I were missionaries in Zimbabwe I wondered why the Zimbabwean church leaders were not taking more initiative in casting vision and reaching those around them. This is what I was told by one of the Zimbabwean pastors: “We respect you too much, Umfundisi Jim, to take much initiative and leadership. You are our spiritual father. Taking on your responsibilities while you are with us is a sign of disrespect.”

It was only after we moved away that the Zimbabwean leaders began to really lead. In other words, the non-residential missionary concept encourages national believers to take up work and leadership more quickly.

I recognize that there are precautions that must be heeded. Having missionaries not living and ministering closely with national workers may cause a loss of focus, direction, and even motivation. Relationships may also suffer. But, most mission agencies have discovered this precaution can be dealt with by the use of modern technology—cell phones, computers, etc.

The key is to regularly connect with each other, listen to each other, hold each other accountable, and, most importantly, pray for one another.

The response I have received from national church leaders about non-residential missionaries has been very positive. One leader shared, “We know it is getting difficult for missionaries to stay a long time in our country. Governmental regulations are getting stricter all the time. The idea of having non-residential missionaries can be a blessing for us. We need them to continue to disciple us and equip us to do God’s work. When can you start sending some to us?”

Would you ever consider being a non-residential missionary? I encourage you to pray about this.