On Being a Missionary

by Thomas Hale

Written for everyone with an interest in mission, this book will lead you to reconsider your role in the missionary enterprise. On Being a Missionary is not designed to be a theoretical textbook. It does not put forward new theses, new approaches to mission, nor does it attempt to break new ground. In a very readable way the author presents the ideas, experiences, and insights of over one hundred missionary writers.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Nonfiction, Christianity, Christian Living

422 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Also publishes as Tom Hale.

In 1970, Thomas Hale and his wife, Cynthia, went to Nepal to work for their first twelve years at a rural mission hospital in the village of Amp Pipal. Subsequently they moved to Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city, where they have continued their work with the mission. Recently Cynthia took a position as an associate professor at Nepal's only medical school, and Tom has written a one-volume commentary on the New Testament, first in Nepali and subsequently in English for translation into other languages.

Reviews

[Rebekah Barkman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book might be helpful for those who don’t have much exposure to missions, but I didn’t find it very informative or engaging. I feel like the content could have been presented in a much more concise manner (the book is over 500 pages!!) and could have been less cut and dry. There were some stories mixed in—but to me, the book was long and factual instead of inspiring or riveting and I just barely slogged my way through it.

The two chapters on conflict/slander were gold- I would tell people to read those two chapters and skip the rest of the book (but read missionary biographies instead).

[Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book likely became a classic — and got revised and republished — due to its breadth more than its depth. And although I didn’t get a lot out of the book, I can’t think of any similarly comprehensive books to recommend to future missionaries (suggestions welcome) so if I had to pick one I might be stuck with this one for its comprehensiveness alone.

The high points for me were the author’s genuinely humorous stories, as well as the chapters on team dynamics, gossip, and slander. These high points aside, I’d probably recommend looking at the table of contents, then looking elsewhere for a book or two dealing with each chapter Hale wrote. His practical experience and storytelling was interesting at times, but you can find more theological depth and good writing in other books.

[Danae Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awsome book! Don't agree with his definition of sin, but am glad for his emphasis on holy living. Excellent missions handbook!

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! It brought much reflection on my time in Mozambique. It gave an even better picture into what a long-term missionary deals with, but also gave so many brilliant life tips valuable for every Christian, particularly what he brought up repeatedly about slander.
Took a long time to get through, mostly because its a long book! I was always eager to read it, but hesitant because there were few section breaks so committed time and effort were needed.

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite textbook from this semester. Mostly stories with nuggets of wisdom that come with the experience.

[Jeff Brake]

Heavy read. First time through didn't really enjoy it or connect. After being on the mission field 2 or 3 years, re-read it and it was so insightful.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource one needs to keep coming back to this maybe every 6 months!

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some interesting parts and some not-so-interesting parts. We read it together with a team of 8 new missionaries and they all seemed to get a lot more out of it than I (as a more experienced missionary) did. All agreed there were times where he rambled too much, and other times where he seemed to take both sides of a matter, and then times where he just seemed to have a really old-school view of things. Nonetheless, he also had some really helpful things to say about different aspects of the life of being a missionary, and overall I think he had a good spiritually well-founded outlook on the majority of topics he discussed. So, for an experienced missionary, this book probably won't have a whole lot to say (at least not in the midst of all the other things that may be less pertinent), but for a new missionary, there seems to be a good track record of them finding lots of helpful stuff written here.

[Adam Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Being a Missionary by Thomas Hale surprised me by its length, but in the end, it could have been twice as long and I would not have been disappointed. The tome was exhaustive in the topics it covered, but each one was pertinent to the life of the prospective missionary. I was impressed at the detail pressed into each chapter and sub-chapter, and while a non-missionary minded person would probably find it overwhelming, those seriously planning for a life on the foreign mission field should put this near the top of their list for preparation. I feel much more equipped and mentally prepared for the task my family will be undertaking in the near future, and now my metaphorical tool belt is heavy laden with tools for the job.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was the last of my books which were assigned reading in college. I finish it now, fifteen months after graduation. I guess it was more duty than interest. Hale writes about various issues in missionary life, but he writes about them for too long. Also, my views are a little more to the left than when I started reading the book, so I found myself more annoyed in some parts.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a terrific book about cross-culture missions, but I'd also recommend it to all Christians. We are all called to missions/evangelism. This book includes biblical and wise advice applicable not only to cross-cultural missionaries, but to all Christians. Yes, it's a little bit "textbook-ish" at times, but it's very readable and includes plenty of really great anecdotes.

[J & C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very comprehensive read on various struggles you face on the mission field. Actually, the topics covered are relevant to anyone living in community with others. Overall, a very good read. It would be top on my list of recommended reading for people headed to the mission field.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone preparing to become a missionary. Beware - it's a huge paperback so get the eBook if possible.

[Diana Durrill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tempted to say horrible, but there were some (only a few) moments of good.