The Firing of the Missionary
She was a good worker alright. Nobody would dispute that. In fact, she worked her fingers to the bone from early morn to late at night -- helping the sick at the African mission hospital.
No one doubted her commitment. Through thick and thin, she was always there -- without apology or excuse. She fought valiantly in the grim cause of human justice.
She was a good thinker alright., with an uncanny gift of administrtion and organization. Many missionaries can't administrate their way out of a paper bag. If she wanted to, with her organizational abilities, she could launch a paper bag factory. She ran a "tight ship."
She was passionate alright -- and felt the urgency of mission every day. Men and women came to the clinic for miles to receive help for their many diseases. Mothers brought their languishing children with hopes of a miracle cure. Providing comfort for the sick was her foremost thought every day. This was her top priority. "Whatever it takes" was the motto she lived by.
But, unfortunately, she was asked to leave. They told her to pack her bags and head back home to America. Her services were not needed any longer.
This wasn't merely the workings of some screwy headed supervisor, either. No, the problem went far deeper than that. The decision was pretty much unanimous by all the parties concerned -- the nationals at the clinic, the doctors, the administrators back in the home office, the co-workers who served beside her every single day, and even the patients. All of them said it was a good idea for her to go.
Why would somebody with such gifting, ability and passion be expelled from a place of such desperate need? What was the bottom line reason? What drove the nail into her vocational coffin?
Simply this: She couldn't get along with other people.
No one doubted her commitment. Through thick and thin, she was always there -- without apology or excuse. She fought valiantly in the grim cause of human justice.
She was a good thinker alright., with an uncanny gift of administrtion and organization. Many missionaries can't administrate their way out of a paper bag. If she wanted to, with her organizational abilities, she could launch a paper bag factory. She ran a "tight ship."
She was passionate alright -- and felt the urgency of mission every day. Men and women came to the clinic for miles to receive help for their many diseases. Mothers brought their languishing children with hopes of a miracle cure. Providing comfort for the sick was her foremost thought every day. This was her top priority. "Whatever it takes" was the motto she lived by.
But, unfortunately, she was asked to leave. They told her to pack her bags and head back home to America. Her services were not needed any longer.
This wasn't merely the workings of some screwy headed supervisor, either. No, the problem went far deeper than that. The decision was pretty much unanimous by all the parties concerned -- the nationals at the clinic, the doctors, the administrators back in the home office, the co-workers who served beside her every single day, and even the patients. All of them said it was a good idea for her to go.
Why would somebody with such gifting, ability and passion be expelled from a place of such desperate need? What was the bottom line reason? What drove the nail into her vocational coffin?
Simply this: She couldn't get along with other people.
She couldn't get along with people, or others could not control their petty jealousies of her work ethics? Not knowing this situation personally, I do not know. What a shame!
ReplyDeleteIf I have faith that can move mountains and have not love, I am nothing.
ReplyDeleteIf I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, yet have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It keeps no record of wrongs.
It is not rude. It is not self seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs.
(1 Corinthians 13:3-5)
We had a similar situation in our organization. A well-orchestrated campaign was launched against the hardest working, most energetic, humble (willing to do the most demeaning tasks), uncomplaining employee we had by the head of the company. Everyone else was afraid to come to this worker's defense in fear of also losing their jobs. To this day, I am ashamed of myself for not speaking in his defense, but I have to make a living. I do not know this missionary, but I would not be quick to judge the situation.
ReplyDeleteWith whom was the love lacking?
ReplyDeleteI prayed for this missionary today and the people she would have served. Everyone lost.
ReplyDeleteWas the problem ‘She couldn't get along with other people’.
ReplyDeleteOr was the problem that she had no tolerance for the lazy co-workers and the big ego of the doctors, the administrators and the screwy headed supervisor.
In my experience the people who hold the high office soon get to thinking of themselves as high and mighty.
The clooser they think they are to God, the more they think they can speak for him and Lord help anyone who dares to disagree.
Lord, help us see deeply inside ourselves to make sure we never get "let go" for the same reason!
ReplyDeleteWe have a very similar situation happening right now. In fact, I have a mtg. tomorrow afternoon with the board members and a woman who all would say "she gets the job done" but they follow it up with "but you have to pick up the bodies afterwards."
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this story, I thought the same words that Larry has stated here.....it's about love. It has got to be more than getting the job done.
This would be a better world if women knew their christian place and how to keep their mouths shut as God intended.
ReplyDeleteCould it be that scud missiles were fired at the female missionary for doing a better job than those complaining about her?
ReplyDeleteIf she couldn't get along with people, then she had no business being a missionary in the first place. One of the most important jobs of ministry is to love and relate well with people. If you can't do that, you might as well pack up your bags and go home.
ReplyDeleteJohn's comment about women was totally off the wall and was nothing but narrow minded bigotry.
Seems that you've stirred up quite a hornet's nest again with this one, Pastor Mark!!!
ReplyDeleteObviously none of us know enough details about the actual missionary to whom you are referring to make judgment calls - - - but as typical humans we tend to rush to uninformed judgment anyway.
I wonder if any of the commenters have spent any time on the mission field themselves?
We were privileged to spend a three months working in the La Gonave Hospital in Haiti. That was long enough for me to learn that missionaries are real flesh and blood people. They struggle with all the same human imperfections that all of us suffer from here at home.
Sometimes these struggles are even magnified because of the isolation, limited outlet, and concentrated level of work. Many missionaries find it difficult to take "time off" for refreshment becuase there is SOOOOOO much work to be done. Personality conflicts can flare and be very difficult to keep in check.
I think this post should be a reminder to us of a very specific way in which we can pray for our missionary friends. Sometimes we put them up on a spiritual pedestal and forget they are humans, just like ourselves, who come under strong attack by The Enemy and need our prayer support.
I have a week spot for anyone who gets treated in a unjust and unkind manor by christians.
ReplyDeleteIf when small problems were encountered they were delt with in a kind and christian way the big problems whold not be so over whelming.
It sounds like maybe the supervisor handled the problems with a attitude more like John, ' woman should know their place' and it should have been more like Larry 'Love is patient'
I wonder now about what the missionary's testomony to the world is now about Christians.
I wonder also about John. He put into words what many men think when they encounter a strong women.
You could call me a supervisor in a Christian organization. I had a very similar situation a few years ago. My hardest working, most creative, talented indiviual was deemed by several co-workers as hard to get along with. They formed a united front for me to dismiss this individual. Today, I am left with a bunch of sweet-talking individuals who feel all work should be done by others. This group continues today to focus this type of action on other individuals. I certainly rushed to a foolish judgment too quickly.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important topic for all pastors or Christian leaders to discuss. All of us will be faced with this situation more than once. What bothers me is all the talents of a woman were dismissed. Perhaps this was a time when she needed support from fellow Christians the most. Where was the love Larry spoke about towards this missionary?
ReplyDeleteYes John seems a little rough around the edges. But give him credit. He was willing to put into words how he reallllllly felt about women like this missionary. Believe me, I had a supervisor who felt like John, but hid it under a nicety-nicety facade. Anyone who had an independent thought was quickly dismissed along with a lie to coverup the real reason.
ReplyDeleteAnyway you look at this situation, the supervisor and leaders at head quarters were wrong. If we assume that the missionary was a very hard to get along with person, somewhere in her training, preparation and appointment to the mission field a red flag should have been raised. Getting along with people would be one of the main job requirements required to get this appointment in the first place. Her many talents may have been better used in a different way.
ReplyDeleteIf she started out with a good attitude and then turned into a hard to get along person, just what changed in her work environment to make her attitude change? This could be anything from the attitudes of her supervisor and co-workers to her going through a problem in her life. This should have been dealt with in private manner with her supervisors support helping her through this very difficult time in her life.
In that case the supervisor and leaders at headquarters were wrong for not intervening and helping her.
If the problem was with a supervisor or a co-worker and not with her, the head quarters should have been able to determine that the problem was not with her and addressed the real problem.