President's Message
A New Generation of Missionaries
By President John Boyd
TODAY, THE MISSION FIELD welcomes a new generation of 21st Century missionaries.
In 1945, the year MAF was founded, the first pilots had received their training via World War II. Their generation thought in terms of permanent, lifelong careers. Most have since retired or have been called home.
Today's generation of missionaries views life differently and is much more mobile. Many hear God's call on their life later into adulthood. He leads some to the mission field as volunteers or for short-term service, and others to permanent assignments. As He moves greatly in their hearts, my prayer is that God will add to their numbers, mounting a new wave of career missionaries ... even from "second-half" career folks.
The mission field is in desperate need of this new wave of Bible translators, medical professionals, discipleship trainers, teachers of missionary children, and many other roles. Hundreds of positions are begging for permanent replacements.
I thank God for the thousands who help fill such needs, even if temporarily. Yet I believe God is on the verge of stirring a new missionary movement, with a new wave of Christians who will go with a vision and long-term plans to serve.
Of this we can be certain: Whether these new missionaries serve as volunteers, short-term or career missionaries, or expatriate or indigenous (national) servants, they will depend on MAF as much as the previous generations have! For although cultures and generations change, the terrain does not.
So as you pray for MAF and for missionaries around the world, pray that God will raise that new wave of laborers into the harvest fields. Pray that volunteers and short-term missionaries will become career missionaries, and that tens of thousands of nationals will arise to bring the Gospel to those who haven't yet heard.
Pray also that God will move in the hearts of millions more to support missionary work, to make financial provision for MAF missionary families, as well as sustain the varied ministries of MAF. Thank you for your partnership!
