Unwanted, Yet Undeterred

Imagine serving Christ in a place where the previous two ministry team leaders were kicked out of the country within the last five years.  You, your wife and five kids are now the veterans in your city. What does leadership look like in this restricted access country? What can you do to try to stay on the field longer than your predecessors? That is the situation in which Ryan H has found himself. 

"My theory is that there is a shelf life for the workers here. They (the national police) know what we're doing. It doesn't take much to become an unwanted person," Ryan H says.     

With one couple having moved back to the U.S. and the other forced to leave the country, Ryan H's team is in a real transition period. Three couples remain along with two single, female workers. The entire team operates on university visas, either as students or teachers, but the visas will soon expire and they cannot stay in the country much longer under their current status. The old business, a non-profit cultural exchange program, fell out of favor with the government and closed soon after Ryan H arrived on the field. 

"When we came in we knew there was a need to diversify from the old model, so we did not come in under that business," Ryan H says. "That was intentional." 

Now Ryan H teaches English three times a week at the local university.  He meets up with a few students after class but his primary ministry contacts typically come through other avenues. Additional red tape at the university is making things more difficult right now. Ryan H has reached out to Access Partners for advice on how to develop a more stable platform.  He hopes to develop a legitimate, for-profit business that will provide a viable presence.      

"The disadvantage of teaching at the university is that our visas are dependent on them," Ryan H explains. "The advantage of us having our own business is that we could have more control over our own visas."

Ryan H explains that neither he nor the other main worker on his team have much business background. Without the experience or the passion to lead a business, the going is tough. It has taken a long time to develop a business plan and the practicalities of how the business will run and how it will assist the ministry work are still being fleshed out. 

"We can do it, but when it is not your passion it drains all your energy.  When you get someone in who knows what to do it can really free us up and help the ministry," says Ryan H. 

Ryan H is not unique. He is one of many Christian workers in restricted access countries who are trying to develop new ways to sustain their ministry over the long haul. Ministry in these countries is difficult and can often be both physically spiritually draining. The pressures of developing and running a viable business can not only overwhelm but also distract these workers from some of the tasks God has called them specifically to do. With the help of a business director, someone specifically gifted and well-equipped to run a business, these workers have the freedom to focus on areas where the Lord has gifted them. 

By the end of 2008, Access Partners hopes to recruit five new business directors for the field. Will you consider partnering with us to find the business directors we need? 

Here are ways for you or someone you know to learn more about our Business Directors Program: