Marketplace Workers

Steve* majored in Professional Golf Management (yes, you can major in golf; 18 US universities offer this major, including the University of Idaho). After some experience managing golf courses in the US, he applied for and was hired to oversee construction of and eventually manage a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course in Beijing, China. Not only has Steve had the opportunity to talk about his faith with China’s elite businessmen and politicians, but he has also been invited on multiple occasions to travel to North Korea as a golf course consultant. Cynthia is a teacher in an international school in Jakarta, Indonesia. In addition to being well-paid, with housing provided, she often has opportunities to talk about Jesus with her students’ parents and with her neighbors. Jack is an English professor at a university in Oman, in the Persian Gulf. As he builds relationships with his students, he is frequently asked outside of class about his faith. All these folks have seen people turn to Jesus, although for their safety they cannot give out details.

While the global church is experiencing great growth in many parts of the world, there are still 3 billion people who have little to no access to the Gospel. That’s nearly half of the world’s population.

These followers of Jesus are Marketplace Workers (MPWs). The Marketplace Worker lives an intentional missional lifestyle in a way that demonstrates the love of God to others through their actions, attitudes, and words. This, of course, should describe all followers of Jesus, but Marketplace Workers choose to carry this out in places where there are few (if any) Christians and where traditional vocational missionaries may not have access. Southern Baptist mission leader J.D. Greear says, “Christians in the marketplace today are able to gain access more easily to many strategic, unreached places than traditional church planters. Globalization, great advancements in technology, and urbanization have given the business community nearly unrestricted access to the world.” Although similar to what we used to call “tent makers,” MPWs focus on more than just going overseas without having to raise support. Although they do not usually need ongoing monthly finances, they are commissioned and sent by their local church, so that they have prayer and emotional support and spiritual accountability. And the Global Outreach team here at Faith would love to be commissioning and sending some of our members into strategic locations around the world.

MPWs are similar to but different than “platform ministry” workers. While platform ministries sometime look the same, for example, starting a business or teaching English, these workers typically need outside financial support. The “platform” is what enables them to obtain a visa to gain access to a country that does not admit traditional missionaries.

The late evangelist Billy Graham said, “I believe one of the next great moves of God will happen through the believers in the workplace.”

Are Marketplace Workers intended to replace traditional church-planting missionaries? Not at all. This is definitely a “both/and” rather than an “either/or.” In order to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission of making disciples of every people group in today’s world, both are needed. Sean German and his wife Heather served as traditional church planters in Bosnia for many years with Operation Mobilization. They now work with Elevalto, an OM affiliate that assists Marketplace Workers with professional profiles, interview coaching and strategic job searches. Sean compares Marketplace Workers and traditional missionaries to helicopters and airliners. Helicopters can deploy quickly and take off and land almost anywhere with minimal infrastructure. Jet airliners need long runways at both ends of their journey, but can travel farther and faster than helicopters. Both have their strategic place in aviation and both are useful and needed.

While the global church is experiencing great growth in many parts of the world, there are still 3 billion people who have little to no access to the Gospel. That’s nearly half of the world’s population. 90% of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists will live their entire lives without ever even meeting a Christian. Marketplace Workers have the opportunity to change that for the glory of God. The late evangelist Billy Graham said, “I believe one of the next great moves of God will happen through the believers in the workplace.”

But are there really job opportunities in those parts of the world? 54% of global companies report that they cannot find the talent they need. Marketplace Workers can fill the gap where the unreached and employers experiencing talent shortages intersect. An employed international worker not only has entry into countries that limit or prohibit traditional vocational missionaries, they form natural relationships with colleagues, clients, customers and neighbors. And Marketplace Worker opportunities are not limited to business. Nurses, teachers, engineers, farmers, and more, are all needed. A teacher at an international school, for example, has double opportunities: the faculty/staff at the school and the local population in the country they are living in.

Could you be a Marketplace Worker? In all likelihood, yes, you could. The real question is where is God leading you, and whether you are willing to follow him where he leads.

Garry R. Morgan

Garry Morgan, a member at Faith Bible Church, is a former missionary and retired missions professor. He is also author of Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day.

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