Part 3: Risk and Vulnerability

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Risk Management and Martyrdom

Well done, Theresa! I thought you tried to cover a lot of things there, some of which we have talked about in other blogs in the past. But you got me thinking about a particular issue that revolves around the theology or missiology of suffering. I have suggested to a number of mission agencies that they intentionally have missionaries take into account the reality of the hardship of cross-cultural ministry, and the fact that there may be very bad outcomes at certain times and in certain places. One way to do this is a missionary dedication service, in which there is a responsive reading between the missionary and the organization with the congregation observing. The mission’s share is to indicate that it is deeply committed to ensuring the thriving and care of the missionary. The missionary’s response is to acknowledge that there will be hardships, including difficult situations that could lead to injury, suffering, or death. This is a pretty powerful statement to say and I'm wondering how you would respond to that, especially wearing your attorney hat.

There are many things that are out of an organization’s control, no matter how hard it tries. That can include kidnappings, car-jackings, rape, physical violence, and death. Assuming that this law in New Zealand becomes a standard application for other countries, how do we create an environment that both protects everyone and yet allows people to follow their calling?

Disclaimer: not official legal or psychological advice or opinion