Indigenous [Latin: indu = within + gignere = to beget] – The term refers to any person or thing originating or occurring in a particular place. An indigenous person refers to one who was born within a certain people group, as opposed to one who was introduced to that people group from the outside. An indigenous missionary is one who seeks to take the gospel to his or her people group. HeartCry’s exists to aid indigenous churches and missionaries in this task.

Comparative Strategies

A Cross-Cultural Mission Strategy – This is the traditional strategy for doing missions, whereby missionaries are sent to a nation, people group, or culture outside their own …

An Indigenous Mission Strategy – This strategy works through missionaries that are native to the country in which they are ministering. … read more

The Advantages

In the following paragraphs, we will consider a few of the most important advantages of sending and supporting indigenous or native missionaries to reach their own people.

Before we do, we want to iterate that the indigenous missionary strategy does not eliminate the need for cross-cultural missionaries. This is not an either/or, but a both/and situation. We are not arguing for a moratorium on North American and Western European missionaries, but fully recognize the need for thousands more on the field! We are simply seeking to prove that the indigenous missionary strategy is an equally viable missionary method. … read more

Governing Principles

The most important principles that govern HeartCry’s relationship with the indigenous churches and missionaries we sponsor are set forth in the following statements:

HeartCry will not work independently of the indigenous churches on the mission field or their leadership, but will work in partnership with them. It is not HeartCry’s purpose to support its own “HeartCry missionaries” throughout the world, but to assist indigenous churches in sending forth their own missionaries and planting new churches. … read more

Missionary Selection & Accountability

In any missionary endeavor, whether indigenous or cross-cultural, there are two matters of extreme importance: the selection and the accountability of missionaries. Upon these two things, the mission work will stand or fall. … read more

Our Ministry Focus

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 warns us that on the Day of Judgment, “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. … read more