What Is “Missionary: Obeying the Great Commission”?

Chad Vegas: Missionary is beginning with six 45-minute episodes. Each of which tells us the story of a missionary like John G. Paton or David Livingstone or Amy Carmichel. As we tell their story we're pulling through some biblical teaching for gospel ministers, for those who are going out to the peoples of the earth to make Christ known where he is not known. So in the case of Amy Carmichel, for example, we're telling the story of singleness in her life. Not only did she do this thing of building an orphanage in India and a school and this incredible work that she did but she was committed to staying single for the sake of giving her whole life to Christ. We want to pull that theme through and teach that well in her life. It's going to be paired with a Bible study so that each week you're not only able to watch a 45-minute documentary about this figure but then there is a Bible study that has both a daily study and a group study so that you can gather and talk about what we're learning from the life of this person as it reflects the word of God.

Brooks Buser: Two aspects of this series that I think separate it from other series are: first, to go to where where these individuals grew up, some of their theological influences, before they left to be these famous missionaries, if you will, that we know today. To get them from their home context and then also to go to where they served, the actual locations where they served. That's fairly rare to get that full arc. Second, to have the perspectives of two guys — a pastor and a previous missionary — talking about these things and running it through the grid of being a pastor and being a missionary who has gone to those types of contexts and speaking at it from those two different angles. I think that's unique. I haven't seen it done in other contexts. I think that brings something to this series that is missing somewhat today.