There is a great deal of “missionary” activity in the world today, but only that which is according to the will of God will have any true and lasting impact. The Apostle Paul gives the following warning regarding the Day of Judgment in I Corinthians 3:13-15:

“Fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

Doing what is right in our own eyes is not a guarantee that we are pleasing to God (Judges 17:6; 21:25), and “zeal without knowledge” can result in great loss (Romans 10:2). For these reasons, HeartCry considers it necessary to define and limit our missionary activities to what is written in Scripture and to focus on the biblical priorities in the Great Commission.

Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers

At HeartCry, we define a missionary in very specific terms. A missionary is:

…a messenger or emissary of the church (Philippians 2:25; II Corinthians 8:23).

…equipped, tested, and approved by the church (II Corinthians 8:18-19, 22; I Timothy 3:10; 5:22).

…sent out and accountable to the church to fulfill a specific task for the advancement of the Great Commission. (Acts 13:1-3; 14:25-28).

The above definition allows for a variety of gifted individuals and ministries. However, it is our unwavering conviction that the great bulk of our missionary force must be proclaimers of the Word—evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These gifted men must be the vanguard and spearhead of the church’s global initiative. All other gifted individuals and ministries must serve alongside or in cooperation with these men as they evangelize, plant churches, pastor, and teach the Word of God.

In Ephesians 4:11-12 are found five categories of gifted men that God has given the church for its edification, whether at home or abroad: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. The Apostle Paul writes:

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”

The first two categories (i.e. apostles and prophets) have ceased because they have fulfilled their purpose. They laid the foundation for the church by being the instruments through which the inspired revelation of the New Testament has been “once for all handed down to the saints” (Ephesians 2:20; Jude 3). The last three (evangelists, pastors, and teachers) now proclaim to the nations the sure word of the “apostles and prophets” that has been recorded in the Scriptures. These ministers of the Word must be God-called (II Corinthians 8:16; I Timothy 3:1), tested by the church (I Timothy 3:10; II Corinthians 8:22), and found above reproach in the non-negotiable qualifications of a minister of Christ (I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).

Regardless of our cultural context or time in history, whenever we ask the question, “How can we extend, build up, or strengthen the church?” the answer is always the same:

“Through the evangelists, pastors, and teachers that God has provided for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”

Over the last few decades, countless mission strategies have been put forth as the cure for the weakness of the church and its corresponding impotence to reach the unreached. Yet here in Ephesians 4:11-12, we find the biblical solution. The church is built and strengthened through the ministries of the evangelist, the pastor, and the teacher. If the church is weak, it is either because there is a lack of these three laborers or because the laborers themselves have not been properly equipped for the task. To reach the unreached we must send men who can not only do the work of the evangelist, pastor, and teacher, but are also able to identify and train others on the field. We must never forget that the essential ministries of the church are the essential ministries of the Great Commission!

Specific Ministries

The primary ministries that HeartCry supports on the field can be divided into six specific categories:

1. Evangelists. The term refers to a special class of traveling missionaries who “gospelize” communities (Acts 21:8; Ephesians 4:11; II Timothy 4:5). The evangelists hold an essential ministry in the propagation of the gospel in that they are often the forerunners to church planters and work in partnership with them. As ministers of Christ, the evangelists must be tested, approved, and held accountable by the local church.
2. Pastors / Church Planters. These men are sent forth to establish autonomous churches. They may directly plant a church or come alongside less experienced church planters as over-shepherds and mentors (II Timothy 2:2). Church planting is the primary focus of HeartCry’s ministry.
3. Teachers. Although all pastors must be “able to teach” (I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9), there are gifted individuals who may serve as itinerant teachers or as professors in an institute, college, or seminary. Like the evangelist, the teacher’s ministry must be under the oversight of a biblical church and must serve to edify the church.
4. Translators. Throughout the world there is famine of the Word of God and of good literature to help God’s people in their study of the Scriptures. Many people groups are still awaiting a New Testament in their own language. Others have translations that are woefully inadequate. Even those language groups that have a Bible often lack even the most basic study aids such as a concordance, dictionary, systematic theology, or one-volume commentary. For this reason, faithful translators and dedicated publishers are worth their weight in gold and worthy of support.
5. University Workers. Throughout the history of world missions, the church has been strengthened by its work on university campuses. However, this ministry must not be guided by faddish strategies, personalities, or entertainment, but by non-negotiable biblical principles.
   1. Qualifications. The university worker must meet the requirements of a godly minister in doctrine and practice (I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9) or labor under godly ministers who can disciple them and oversee their labor. Youth, zeal, and a winsome personality are admirable qualities but they are not sufficient.
   2. Primary Focus. University workers must hold their primary ministry to be the propagation of biblical truth. They must be diligent to present themselves approved to God as workers who do not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15).
   3. Goal. Although on-campus student meetings and discipleship groups can be beneficial, the end goal of the work must be the students’ incorporation into a biblical church. Student meetings are not a substitute for the local church.
6. Ministers of Mercy. Christ came to preach. In Mark 1:38, He told His disciples, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” However, immediately following these words, we find Jesus involved in works of mercy. Throughout the history of world missions, ministries of mercy (medical missions, orphanages, famine relief, etc.) have played a major role in the advancement of the gospel. Although the support of church planters will always be our primary ministry, we will support ministries that confirm the gospel’s power by alleviating the suffering of this fallen world, especially the suffering of God’s people. As Paul writes, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10). It is important to note that we will always require that the proclamation of the gospel be preeminent in these ministries and that everything be done in association with and for the edification of the church.

A Word about Women in Missions

A cursory examination of the New Testament and church history will demonstrate the inestimable value of women who have counted the cost and left all to serve Christ. The gospel has been advanced, the church strengthened, the needy helped, and the world blessed by a multitude of godly women who have served alongside their husbands or as single missionaries in a variety of ways. Many of them laid aside comfort, wealth, and personal ambitions that God might be glorified through the proclamation of the gospel and the salvation of souls.

The Scriptures declare unequivocally that men and women possess equal dignity before God (Genesis 1:27). However, each has been given different but complementary roles in the ministry. A church is functioning outside the will of God when these roles are ignored or confused. According to I Timothy 2:12, it is not God’s will for a woman to serve in any office or ministry of the church (such as elder) that requires her to exercise authority over a man, especially with regard to teaching and preaching. However, beyond this exception there is an open door of opportunity for women to minister in the Great Commission through administration, mercy ministries, evangelism, and teaching. In 2021, it was estimated that 49.59% of the world’s population was female and that 25% of the population consisted of boys and girls under the age of 15 years. This means that women have a wide-open door to minister without limitation to approximately 65% of the global population.

The need in women’s ministry is far greater than one might think. Although women often outnumber men in any given congregation, they are often overlooked in the matter of biblical or doctrinal instruction. This is especially true in the more remote areas of the world where women are often illiterate. Thus, there is a great need for women missionaries, married and single. However, they must be women who are sound theologians, examples of piety, careful exegetes, and faithful expositors of the Word. We must remember that although men and women have distinct roles in the church, they are both made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and grow the exact same way: through their comprehension or assimilation of the Word of God. Women do not need light-hearted sermonettes that are full of comedy, positive affirmations, or the speaker’s emotional life experiences. They need the Scriptures and its most profound doctrines. Consequently, the mission field needs women missionaries who are diligent to present themselves approved to God as workers who do not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15).

HeartCry considers it a great privilege to support women of the Word on the field, whether they be single missionaries or wives who labor beside their husbands. Like Euodia and Syntyche, they are our entrusted fellow-workers and have shared our struggle in the cause of the gospel (Philippians 4:3). Like Phoebe they are indispensable servants of the churches (Romans 16:1).