Missionaries: World Race

Missionaries abound in the Philippines.  Baptists, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, independent men and women with no particular calling except a "mission from God." Any and every sort of orthodox and heretical Christian group is in the Philippines on the hunt for converts. 

It's always easy to spot a missionary. Even more so if they are Mormons since they do wear a distinct uniform. If you see a large group of young white men and women playing basketball with Filipino children at a Baptist school during summer break then you can be sure those people are missionaries.

Definitely missionaries

It was a few days later that I was able to talk with a few of the girls from this group and ask what religious organisation had sent them.

"World Race."

Huh?

The World Race continues to change. It is expanding overseas and in the States, yet its foundations stay the same. It is a journey to 11 countries in 11 months to serve "the least of these" while amongst real and raw community. It facilitates discipleship through the process of discovering the abundant life He promised. It births partnerships with ministries around the world. It requires Luke 10-like faith. 

https://www.worldrace.org/?tab=about

World Race is a missionary organisation that reduces the call of missionary from "man sent by God to spread the Gospel message of Jesus Christ" to a gap year adventure around the world.

They are a subsidiary of Adventures In Missions.

Since we were established in 1989, we have taken over 100,000 people into the mission field, some for as short as a week and others for as long as a year or longer. In several places around the world we minister year-round to "the least of these". We believe that by giving people the opportunity to hold orphans, bring hope to the hopeless, and pray for the sick, lives are transformed.

https://www.adventures.org/about/?iname=about#welcome

This whole endeavour is rather unbiblical and sickening.  Read that paragraph again: "We believe that by giving people the opportunity to hold orphans, bring hope to the hopeless, and pray for the sick, lives are transformed."

Not a single word about Jesus Christ. Not a single word about Christ dying for us according to the scriptures and how with faith in his name and his blood we have remission of sins and eternal life. Instead holding orphans and praying for the sick is what will transform lives.  Whose lives?  The missionaries of course.  These missions are self-centred and not Christ centered at all.

Is this what the Philippines need?  Short-term missionary work centered around good works and charity?

The girl I spoke with told me she had preached in one country she visited.  I asked for her thoughts on what the Apostle Paul said about women preachers in 1 Timothy 2.  Her face went blank and she asked, "What did he say?"

With such stunning Biblical illiteracy I can only imagine the content of her "sermons."

Missionary work is hard work. It involves years of work making connections with the people, learning the language, preaching and teaching, baptising, distributing the Lord's Supper.  It involves lots of prayer and the moving of the Holy Spirit.  If the Holy Spirit did not send you through the calling of a Church then you are not a missionary.

Turning missionary work into a glorified tourist activity and gap year does no good for anyone involved.  Well it does some good for the "missionary."

https://www.worldrace.org/?tab=about

I did the World Race five years ago and still say that it changed my life. It is the most epic, challenging, unforgettable thing I have done! -Neil Bruinsma

Since going on the race this sums up what life was like. It was the hardest, most challenging, best, craziest and Jesus loving year of my life. This trip was epic! -Jillian Paul

Did these people go on a humbling missionary trip to spread the Gospel or did they go on an epic trip to several countries in a few months?  I wonder which of Paul's three missionary trips was the most epic. The one where he was almost stoned to death?  

Read more of these "testimonials" here: https://www.worldrace.org/?tab=testimonials&subtab=from-world-racers and see that they are all self-centred and about how the trip changed them and was totally awesome.

I have seen firsthand that Bible knowledge is dismal in the Philippines.  Filipinos are ensnared in the superstitions of the Roman Catholic Church. Roman Catholics make up the majority of Christian believers and it is towards Rome's flock that missionaries direct a lot of their work. Of course there are many irreligious and "unchurched" Filipinos that also need converting. But even those that do convert to Mormonism or the Jehovah's Witnesses or even the Baptists do not fully understand the doctrines of those organisations. What kind of lasting spiritual direction will Filipinos receive from tourists masquerading as missionaries? Here today, gone tomorrow and no time for discipleship.

What Filipinos need in the way of missionary work is dedicated men sent by the Holy Ghost and called through the Church who can teach sound Gospel doctrine and who will disciple them according to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. They most certainly do not need bourgeoisie, virtue signalling hipsters pretending to be missionaries for a few weeks doing fly-by night charity work.