The subtitle of this book is “Successfully Raising Missionary Support in the Twenty-First Century. So, now you know what the book is about and might want to turn away from it if you are someone who is not a full time Christian Worker, or if you are and have come from a “faith mission” kind of background. You would be missing something very good if you did turn away from it though. The book is excellent, very readable and full of help to all who are concerned with seeing God’s word and work spread in our world. Should people go out by faith alone? What about Hudson Taylor and George Muller, men who are lifted up as shining examples of the way of faith alone? Should missionaries be sent out into the field without adequate support being guaranteed them? What role does the church have in their sending and supporting and what should be done to foster support. These and many are questions are examined in this book in a practical and most helpful way. The author examines scripture both in the Old Testament and the New in order to show the way of wisdom in this most important matter. Many of us know those who have been in many trials as a result of an idealistic approach to ‘living by faith’. There are principles revealed in scripture and these Dr Johnson presents and his argumentation is both gracious, exhaustive and convincing. I can well imagine that some who have read this book have been changed in their attitudes towards the whole subject and are all the better for that too. Let me mention two features in which the book excels, the first is that by its simple straightforward examination of scripture it helps free us from an idealistic view of missionary life and shows that overstatement and even indolence has been mistaken for faith. Secondly the wealth of practical encouragement to the forming of partnership and relationship in the ministry is heartening to read. It is basic and I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the writing of letters and notes as being essential. Communication, personal communication and yet more communication and all based on a loving intimacy of relationship between those who have gone forth and those who remain. I have not come across a book like this one on the whole subject of mission and missionary involvement and support and heartily commend it to you.
