Missionary Perspectives on the Effectiveness of Current Member Care Practices

Abstract

This qualitative study examined current member care practices from the perspective of 13 former missionaries using a semi-structured interview. Seven male and six female missionaries, ranging in age from 46 to 76, were asked to share their experiences of serving on the field as well as their experiences of member care practices throughout their missionary life-cycles. Thus, participants shared their experiences of training to work in the field, of serving in the field, of preparing to return to their home country, and of re-entering their home country. The data was analyzed using a grounded theory qualitative coding process. The results of this study identified several important components of effective member care practices: (a) agency attunement to missionary needs, (b) agency provision for missionary needs, (c) invested church partnership, (d) the impact of relationships, (e) missionaries’ self-care, and (f) consistency of care across the missionary life-cycle. A discussion of these findings is offered as well as recommendations for improving member care practices among mission-sending agencies, organizations, and churches.