Presentation at Missions Interlink ConNEXTions 2013 by:
Dr Katherine Thompson
Mental Health Social Worker
BA, BAppSci(Hons), PhD(PsychMed), BTheol, BSW
164a Warrandyte Rd
North Ringwood Vic 3134
0402 343 029
katherinethompson@guitech.com.au
Katherine Thompson and Brian Massey
Our Heritage
• William Carey 1761-1834
– Shoemaker, Baptist Minister, founder of the Baptist Missionary Society,
Missionary to India, Bible Translator
– “Expect Great Things from God” and “Attempt Great Things for God
• William Wilberforce 1759-1833
– Member of the House of Commons, Abolitionist, founder of the Church
Missionary Society and the Bible Society
– “In an age and country fertile in great and good men, he was among the
foremost of those who fixed the character of their times; because to high and
various talents, to warm benevolence, and to universal candour, he added the
abiding eloquence of a Christian life. Eminent as he was in every department
of public labour, and a leader in every work of charity, whether to relieve the
temporal or the spiritual wants of his fellow-men, his name will ever be
specially identified with those exertions which, by the blessing of God,
removed from England the guilt of the African slave trade, and prepared the
way for the abolition of slavery in every colony of the empire: in the
prosecution of these objects he relied, not in vain, on God”
Contextual Influences
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Colonialisation / Exploration
Modernity and the Pursuit of Progress
Science and Rational Thought
Protestant Reformation
Political Unrest
Trade
Tyranny of Distance
Post-Modernity
Current Influences
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Globalisation
Post- Modernism
Technology
Individualism
Progress / Change / Instability
Transience of Place / Migration
Transport
How do these changes affect the
way we recruit and care for staff
What we do now
1. Assessment
2. Preparation and Training
3. Support on the Field
4. Re-entry
To what extent does this process meet
the need?
1. The short comings of psychological
assessment:
– Individual
– Organisational
2. How can the interview and assessment
process better prepare candidates?
3. What relevance does this information have
for a person’s placement and work?
Top reasons why missionaries quit
• A survey of 453 mission agencies from 14
sending countries over a 3 year period
revealed that 29% of staff quit for reasonable
reasons, and 71% for preventable reasons.
– 1. Many needed a clearer calling from God to go
– 2. Many lacked sufficient or proper pre-field
training
– 3. Many lacked pastoral care
» (From : Taylor, W. 1997. “Too Valuable to Lose”)
The need for a paradigm shift
• Raising the Standard of Missionary Care1
• “Missions is a team effort” consisting of:
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Confirming the call
Pre-field training
The rest of the team
Moral support
Logistics support
Prayer support
Communication support
Financial support
Re-entry support
» 1. (Pirolo, N: www.ethne.net/wp-content/.../ethne-mc-neal1-raising-the -standard.pdf):
• “This total care unit not only needs training in
the skills required, but also in teammanship.”
• “Each team member needs to know how his
part fits into the whole, how to relate with the
other members, how vital his role is, and how
his lack of responsibility may be hurtful to the
goal.”
» (Pirolo, N., p.4)
Applying Systems Theory
• Biological theory that sees all organisms as
systems, composed of subsystems, and in turn
part of super-systems.
• Systems Theory focusses on connections
between individuals, their families, other
groups and organisations, and the resources
the components contain.
• Work Team
• New Culture/
Worldview
Person
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Family
Church
Supporters
Organisation
Culture/Worldview
Life stressors threaten stability of the
system
• Life stressors apply energy to this system
• Instability in one or more of the systems
around the person contribute to the stress of
the person
Mapping our systems
Church
Garden
-ing
Work 2
Neighbours
Close
Friends
Mother
Pilates
Pets
Ian’s
work
Work 1
Katherine
Ian
Other
Family
Jack
People
in my
neighbourhood
Jack’s
School
Other
Hobbies
Mentors
Other
Friends
Draw
-ing
What happens when we change
cultures?
Church
Gardening
Work 2
Neighbours
Close
Friends
Mother
Pilates
Pets
Ian’s
work
Work 1
Katherine
Ian
Other
Family
Jack
People
in my
neighbourhood
Jack’s
School
Other
Hobbies
Mentors
Other
Friends
Draw
-ing
Rebuilding our systems
Language
Teacher
Church
Neighbours
Close
Friends
Organisation
Mother
Work
Pets
Work
Team
Katherine
Ian
Other
Family
Jack
People
in my
neighbourhood
Local
Friends
Mentors
Relaxation?
Other
Friends
Local
Church
What is our actual task?
1.Assessments:
– Does the person have the capacity to adapt and rebuild their
social system?
– Is there any risk factor that will stop them enduring the stress
they will face?
– What place will this person have in the organisation?
– What does the organisation need to provide for them?
2. Pre-departure Training and Preparation:
– As an organisation how can we partner to secure a good support
system in Australia?
– How do we ensure the person has the right skills for their work?
… And the emotional capacity to manage under increased
stress?
– How will we actively partner with the person to rebuild their
support system in their new context?
3. Support on the field:
– How can the systems around the person facilitate their
work and meet their personal needs?
4. Re-entry:
– How can the systems around the person make transition
to life in their home country successful?
– What help will the person need for processing their
experience and integrating it into their life?