Why Missions in the United States?

I get asked all the time, "Why does U.S. Missions appoint missionaries to rock climbers, motorcycle clubs, rodeo participants, and other subcultures?" It sometimes seems like some of our U.S. missionaries come under scrutiny for their missions field, or that there's a misunderstanding of the need for missions in the U.S. in the first place! 

Often the feeling is that we have churches here in the United States; therefore, we don't need missionaries here like we need them overseas. Many of our overseas counterparts work daily with the national churches of their nations. They partner hand-in-hand with each other, and we need that here, too! 

What's needed to reach our communities today isn't the same as what we needed during the golden age of church ministry in the United States. There was a time when people looked to the church for help and support. Sadly, many today look at the church with scorn and disdain. 

It takes a passion for the people groups located here in the United States to reach them—just like it takes passion to reach the lost overseas! Not everyone in your church is going to have a heart to reach motorcyclists with the gospel. Yet, we have U.S. missionaries who dedicate their lives to traveling around their state or even the country to minister to and reach the motorcyclists of our nation, whether they are mom-and-pop bikers or one of the "one percenters." 

We see that over and over again. Our missionaries are in the rural areas of America where there is no access to running water or electricity. They are in the urban centers where a church hasn't been in over twenty-five years. U.S. missionaries. They reach the orphans; they travel overseas with our military. Just as a world missionary travels overseas to reach the community God has sent them to, your U.S. missionaries travel across the nation to reach the people in our communities who would never come to church. 

So when I'm asked, "Why U.S. Missions?" My response is always, "Why not?" God is using the local church, U.S. missionaries, and world missionaries to bring even more people into His Kingdom. He is using "all hands on deck" to bring as many people as will come to salvation. I am glad to be part of what God is doing to reach America in these last days!