An Effective Missionary Evaluation Tool

By: Elba Isabel Duson

For decades, psychological evaluation has become one of the tools most used by professionals to diagnose mental illnesses or some anomaly in the individual’s mood and/or emotional state. To carry out this evaluation, various strategies can be used, from an intentional and deep conversation to the use of psychometric tests that help measure the cognitive development of the individual and their ability to concentrate, multi-task or manage information, etc.

When I began my candidacy process to serve as a missionary with GENESIS, I completed several important pieces of information in order to create a file for myself in the system of the Church of the Nazarene. The process was designed to present my profile to the leaders of our region so that I could be approved and sent as a representative of the Church, and more importantly, a worthy representative of Jesus.

One of the important steps in this process is an interview with the psychologists assigned by the region to evaluate the candidate. I remember that, before showing up for the established online appointment, I asked myself: why is it so important to have this conversation, if I feel emotionally stable and prepared for the work? Is psychology such an important issue for the missionary or for the Church? Furthermore, as a behavioral professional and a recent graduate, I also thought: “My colleagues will not find any abnormality in me, since I am also a psychologist.” But to my surprise, all such mental arguments collapsed during the interview. It was impressive how confronted I felt during the conversation and how I also discovered some areas that really needed to be healed before “Going”.

After intentionally working on myself and receiving support during my candidacy process, I was sent as a Genesis missionary to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. I finally understood that there were many areas still to be healed in order to be used by God to save others.

Because of my experience in the mission field and as a psychologist, I believe that psychology has a lot to contribute to our lives as Christians. Using this branch as part of the process of evaluating candidates for missions has been very wise and necessary for our missionaries. They not only need to feel spiritually ready for the work, but also emotionally prepared and healthy.

I thank God for giving our leaders the wisdom to guide his people to respond to the call and for providing His Church with great professionals who help us be better servants in this needy world. It is my prayer that God gives spiritual and mental health to those He continues to call.

In the next article, I will write about the importance of psychology in the mission of God and for the sending and development of the missionary.

*Lic. Elba Duson is a psychologist and missionary. She currently serves as a School Psychologist in Higüey, Dominican Republic and as Missions Mobilization Coordinator in the Mesoamerica Central Field.