International (MNN) — Planes, communications and other technical expertise are giving one mission organization a way to reach people in countries closed to the typical missionary.
Mission Aviation Fellowship is known for flying missionaries and supplies into isolated mission fields. They’re the link to the outside world, for many fields. But, they’re also the link to fields hostile to Christianity not only because of their flight skills, but other technical experience.
MAF’s Chief Operating Office, Dave Bochman says their way of outreach isn’t that unusual. “In many ways it looks like you would think of the role of a Christian businessman, a technician, someone in the west — how would they express Christ doing their job? And so, that affects how we relate to people, the way that we’re servant leaders.”
Bochman believes because they’re not called missionaries or pastors, it provides an open door for outreach. “Certainly there’s a credibility that comes because of not being associated with clergy, so to speak. As technical people, as managerial people, I think it does open some doors with, certainly, those areas where typical missions organizations are not allowed to function.”
MAF is working in a number of these areas and they’re seeing success. “In some of those places it takes quite awhile, but even so we’re starting to see some of the fruit. In other places where we’ve only been for a few years, we’re seeing some fruit.”
Finances to fund the technical part of the work is needed, but they also need pilots, mechanics, computer and communications experts, and other technically trained individuals to help grow this expanding missionary movement.
