Palmberg: Our Missionaries Need Our Support

That is the general assessment of ECC President Glenn Palmberg who recently returned from a 14-day visit to four Asian countries, encouraging missionaries in their work and getting a first-hand look at the challenges they face. He was accompanied by his wife, Sharon (see photo). They also visited Japan and Taiwan.

Of particular interest to Palmberg is the manner in which the gospel is presented. “Our approach to evangelism on the mission field is to the whole person, not one-dimensional,” Palmberg said. “We care about people in relationship to Jesus Christ, but we also care about the quality of life and suffering that so many in this part of the world experience.”

Palmberg saw his share of suffering as he visited slum areas in Bangkok, Thailand, and the remote regions of Laos, where Christianity is not welcomed. “Missionaries in another culture must earn the ability to be listened to, and it is very costly to themselves,” he observed. “They accomplish this by being persistent in the care and compassion they provide. They prove to people that their care is genuine – by their longevity and desire to continue to be helpful and respectful.”

Palmberg said the objective is not to try and change the culture, but rather to respect and incorporate cultural aspects into ministry. “They clearly understand the need to step back and allow leadership within the local church to grow. When we attended worship, we were never the center of attention or focus. The worship experience was theirs, it fit in with their culture. I am impressed with how the culture is involved in their worship, incorporating music unique to their culture, dance and instruments.”

As one example of how culture is incorporated into the worship experience, Palmberg recalled the Sunday morning service in Thailand and the tying of strings on the wrists of the visitors as a means of conveying church members’ blessings.

The mission work reaches people of all faiths, the president noted. “You don’t have to first be a Christian to experience the compassion our missionaries provide,” he said. “You need only be a human being.”

Palmberg had opportunities in various countries to listen to individuals share how they came to know Christ. “Without exception, it was the way that Christians live out their lives that brought others to faith,” he observed. He recalled a conversation with a woman who heads a foundation in Thailand. She accepted a job with the foundation without knowing that it is a Christian organization. The woman told Palmberg that she formerly hated Christians and wanted nothing to do with them. “She worked with them awhile and learned they were Christians,” Palmberg recalled. Then she told me, ‘After seeing their concern for me and others, I was drawn to wanting to be a Christian.'”

Ministry in many of the cultures is a slow, patient process. “There is perseverance, despite the lack of dramatic results,” Palmberg noted. “It is a long, slow, hard process to bring Christ to an Asian culture where so many things block the advance of the Gospel – traditions like Buddhism and others. Christianity is distinctively different. It is not easy to introduce Christ into that culture. One must be satisfied with small results.”

Palmberg recalled his own upbringing and being raised to be a Christian. “When I made the decision to follow Christ, it pleased my family and others in the community,” Palmberg said. “In the Asian culture, people are raised not to be Christians. When they take the step to follow Christ, it is an extremely costly step. It can even threaten the loss of family relationships.

The president’s description of the difficult living conditions and the challenges facing those ministering begged the obvious question: what can Christians here do to help those in the field.

“I am struck by the importance of letting missionaries know that we support them,” Palmberg said. “We can pray for them and let them know that we are praying. Several (missionaries) express appreciation for how the Covenant prays for them and supports them. Write to them, let them know. Make it clear that you do not expect a response, however, as they do not have time to respond to each and every message.”

Earlier reports published on the Covenant web site throughout the trip included one photograph showing Palmberg astride a tractor donated by Orange Evangelical Covenant Church in Orange, California. Palmberg said there are many needs, both for funding and for equipment. He mentioned another donation that promises to have a significant impact in the ministries in Laos. Members of the Pomeroy (Iowa) Covenant Church purchased grain storage units, dismantled them and shipped them to Laos. In February, a team of church members will travel to Laos to reassemble the storage units using volunteer labor.

“There are many more needs than these,” said Palmberg, who mentioned another project as an example of a way in which Covenanters can help.

In Thailand, Peter and Ruth Dutton need $50,000 to purchase a back hoe and used dump truck to dig fishponds for raising fish as part of an economic development project that provides a marketable product, creates jobs and provides income. Those interested in donating can send contributions to the Department of World Mission, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60625.

The encouraging news in all of this, as Palmberg put it, is that “the seed of the Christian faith is being planted” all around the world.