iAsk: Marco Tant, Missionary to Italy with International Gospel Outreach {PART 1}

Every Monday I will be posting new interviews with Christian leaders to find in-depth counsel on issues such as ministry, family, careers, politics, finance, and theology. Today's in-depth interview is with career missionary to Italy, Marco Tant. Marco and I met at a men's discipleship event earlier this year and have been building our personal relationship since then . Marco's sending and covering agency is International Gospel Outreach located in Semmes, Alabama. This interview is TWO parts. The detailed responses from the seven questions I asked Marco will give readers and a real indepth look inside a missionary's life. Tomorrow Part TWO will be posted. 

Marco Tant-Missionary to Italy

Paul: 1. Marco-I appreciate you sharing your heart with me and our online community. As a full-time missionary, what are some misconceptions that people place on you and your family? Have you had difficulties confronting people or even churches? 
Marco: First I should warn you that I am a very passionate person that sees and understands things that break my heart. So I normally speak very honestly about what fellow missionaries go through and pray daily that I can be apart of the change!

Other than getting Americans to see Europe as a mission field (not just Africa, the Middle East and Asia) here are a few misconceptions out of many that I could name:

1. One of the greatest misconceptions is that the U.S. church, as a whole, supports missions rather than missionaries that do missions. Most missionaries are seldom contacted by local supporting churches for months and even years at a time while the missionary is on the field and is seen as someone taking money from their budget rather than an extension of that church. In all honesty, missionaries are treated very poorly from church leadership and look for every reason to drop missionaries so that their fifty dollars a month can be spent on themselves. Don’t get me wrong, we have some great pastors and churches that support us but the overall environment is such and not just for us as a family but it is a reality that missionaries suffer continuously. In this reality, as I have recently learned, missionaries go underfunded and suffer for bare necessities for their families as they serve on the field. I was shocked to find that most missionaries are operating off of credit cards just to make missions happen. They suffer from medical bills from living in sub-par conditions and are swamped with other expenditures while on the field. It is said that missions is the last to change in the body of Christ but I think something needs to be done now. This is not just working to change a system but rather working to change the way we love and support those missionaries that are giving up so much just to help others. 

2. Another misconception is that we just need to support local believers (nationals) rather than sending in foreign missionaries. I have seen this first hand on the field when we had a gentleman from a well known organization that works with the persecuted church in Iran come and try to raise some support in our small Italian churches. When asked how he was going to use the money, we where shocked to find out that he wanted the money to pay for gender changes for ex-Muslim women so that they could evangelize Muslim men. Needless to say I encouraged my Italians not to invest in evangelistic sex changes. While just supporting nationals works in some context, I have spoken to people from different countries that tell of stories where other nationals have simply learned how to milk the American churches for finances in knowing what to say and how to say it. I know Italian nationals that do this continuously and use the money to lavish their lives and even hinder the work of the gospel. We cannot substitute supporting American missionaries to foreign fields. 

3. I should probably stop here but the last misconception I could mention is that supporting missions is sending a family overseas, getting newsletters that we pin to our bulletin boards and patting ourselves on the back as we tell others that we support missions. Missions is a body ministry and has nothing to do with just loading up a couple and their things, shedding a few tears and sending them away as we wave goodbye. Missionary families on the field are an extension of the (American) Church and the (American) churches that support them. These supporting churches are to work together and through that missionary family to strengthen and encourage the national churches. The partnership would be such that the supporting churches would have a finger on the heart beat of that country and know exactly what is needed to succeed in reaching their people. These churches would send necessary help for providing teaching through conference type meetings that the missionary could teach and disciple through once that individual or team of individuals are gone. The (American) Church would be active in countries rather than just waiting for newsletters that make sending our fifty dollars a month to a missionary couple feel worth it. Missionaries have and do work wonders with what little support they get from home churches but they were never meant to do the entire job alone. Missions is a body ministry!

Marco and his wife and team

Paul: 2. Cross-cultural missions is really about seeing the Body of Christ in action. Having personally traveled to many nations, it amazes me every time how God's people are sown in various areas of the world. So then what drew you into missions? How did you know you were to be a full-time missionary? and what were some fears you had to overcome? 
Marco:  So what drew me into missions?

Well it has a lot to do with my testimony, in that after I got radically saved I was awestruck in finding out how many people in my life that were Christians but never told me about Christ. I became an instant evangelist as I began to read the bible for the first time and saw Jesus purposefully going after those who were the worst in society. I did not have any religious background and so I just believed what I had read. So I befriended gang-bangers, prostitutes, homosexuals and the like as I went into the bars and night clubs as well as their communities to share Jesus. I was immediately inducted into real ministry to real people who had real needs. I read about Paul doing missionary journeys and began to hear about others who are still doing the same today. I had to get involved and began to support missions but never saw myself as one.

How did I know I was to be a full-time missionary?

I was in the Air Force and asked the Lord, in prayer, what I should do with my life. I had control of it up to that point and made an utter mess of it before I knew Jesus and now I just wanted to live for Him. Romans 8:14 became my life verse as it states “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God”.  Well, as you know, God is always faithful and answered me back with this idea that I was suppose to be a missionary to Italy. I was shocked because I thought Italy was like America with a church on every corner and no need of a missionary until I did my research and found that it is in desperate need. From there I had that calling confirmed in many ways to include strangers that would meet me and ask me if I was going to follow God’s call on my life and become a missionary. That was where it all began years ago.

and what were some fears I had to overcome?

The biggest fear, believe it or not, was not the Italian Mafia or other challenges like that as I was accustom to extreme ministry but rather my biggest fear was raising support. It was huge!!! I had to learn to trust believers with supporting my family in a foreign land and not just do that once but rather learn to live like that for the rest of my life. It sounds to others who never lived this way to seem as though I just need to have faith but when you can’t trust believers to pray, read their bible or evangelize how could I trust them for support. It was a big step for me and I have learned to trust God in people like never before in my Christian life and it is paying off in my relationship both on and off the field.

Marco serving in Italy

Paul: 3. Let's talk about giving (chuckling). Yes, I know it's a sensitive subject across all ministries and churches and especially full-time missionaries like yourself. What role does giving play in cross-cultural missions? People give locally to churches and other ministries that they see but what is your personal experience and advice for others about the heart of giving into missions and missionary families that they may not see personally?  
Marco: Major!!! It is like going to Walmart and seeing nothing on the shelves. Walmart, in that condition, would now become useless to anyone who ever wanted to go there and so is missions without support. A missionary is only a missionary if he can sustain himself in that land. The Church in America cannot afford not to support missions as we are one body and when one suffers all suffer. Being involved in missions and supporting missions is as fundamental to a Christian as reading his bible or praying. 

This is a loaded question (chuckling). Out-of-sight and out-of-mind has been the overall missionary support environment and culture. Even though people get newsletters and/or emails there is nothing like seeing that person in real life. I think pastors and missions committees with a missions vision can help create environments in their churches where the out-of-sight and out-of-mind culture no longer exists. Missionaries keep up with hundreds of supporters and need help in the relationship between the church and the missionary. Usually the full responsibility for the relationship is from an overworked missionary family that has to take all the responsibility for relationships with hundreds of supporters which makes them feel overworked all the more. The flip side of that is we have missionaries that are supported fully by their denominations but their denomination churches never see their missionaries and never interact with the missionary families as if missions is an appendage to the church and not focal. We have spoken in denominational churches to raise support and they have told us that we are the first missionaries they have ever heard from the entire existence of the church. I think that there has to be a sound foundation for relationship (on both sides) and the congregation will fall in love with the missionary family that they support and are willing to do what ever is necessary to see them succeed and are well supported. I have seen this in a few churches and it is absolutely beautiful. 

PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to financially support Marco and their missionary family to Italy please contact International Gospel Outreach at (251) 645-2117.

Part Two is tomorrow....

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