BI-VOCATIONAL PROFESSIONALS: PIONEERS THEN AND NOW

The global landscape of missions is changing rapidly.  Traditional pathways into many nations, especially within the 10/40 Window, are increasingly restricted due to political, religious, or cultural barriers. With war and economic instability on the rise, the call to live out the Great Commandment and fulfill the Great Commission is more urgent than ever. 

In this context, missional professionals play a vital role. Their skills offer access to regions closed to traditional missionaries, enabling them to live, work, and witness through their vocations. Far from being a new missions strategy, bi-vocational missions is rooted in biblical and modern church history. 

In the Old Testament, Joseph and Daniel were slaves who became high government officials, making the God of Israel known in ancient Egypt, Babylon, and Persia In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul supported his mission in Thessalonica, Corinth, and Ephesus by making tents. In the 18th century, the Moravian Brethren, pioneers of the Protestant missionary movement, brought their trades—carpentry, weaving, and farming—into mission fields from Tibet and India to South Africa and the West Indies, living among the people, and sharing the gospel through their word and work. 

William Carey, Father of Modern Missions, funded his ministries by teaching Bengali to British officers. He translated the Bible into multiple Indian languages, founded one of India’s first universities, and launched the first newspaper in an Asian language. He also advocated for social reform such as the abolition of sati (widow burning). In recognition of Carey’s contribution to the modernization of India, the government issued a commemorative stamp in 1993 to mark the 200th anniversary of his arrival. 

In China, Timothy Richard, a Welsh Baptist missionary of the late 19th century, also worked alongside government leaders for social reforms. He built universities and coordinated famine relief efforts. His professional services opened doors for gospel witness and cultural transformation. 

The life and work of these missionaries illustrate how the Great Commandment to love our neighbors and the Great Commission to make disciples go hand in hand. Having seen the Good News, people are open to hear it.  

Today, the legacy of these trailblazers lives on in a new generation of bi-vocational missionaries. Some years ago, a businessman opened a chain of fast-food restaurants in a closed country. He employed Christians from around the country, housed them in company dorms, and provided Bible training at night. After 18 months, they would return to serve in their sending churches while a new cohort would arrive to take their place. This creates a pipeline for bi-vocational leadership development. 

In the same spirit, GLS is launching an IT training center to engage young professionals in a restricted-access country. Seasoned local Christian professionals and like-minded expats form a team to mentor next generation tech workers while short-term and digital volunteers from the U.S. offer bootcamps and webinars to support them. 

Starting with IT, our goal is to establish peer networks across different professions to foster mutual support, prayer, and outreach. We envision a movement of marketplace believers becoming light and salt in society and pillars in local faith communities. 

Missional professionals are not second-class missionaries. They are ambassadors on the frontline, uniquely positioned to reach the unreached through their work in the marketplace. Just as God used Paul, Carey, and Richard, He is raising up a new generation of marketplace missionaries, who view their vocation as a calling and their work as mission.