What I learned about ministry from Mormon missionaries

In my town of Petersburg, Alaska, this weekend is host to the largest annual festival and street party – Syttende Mai, or the 17th of May – celebrating Norwegian Constitution Day. The town was founded by Norwegian fishermen in the late 19th century. It is known colloquially here as MayFest or Little Norway Festival. It is a weekend of parades, pageants, street vendors, parties, food, and drinking – lots of it and very visible. There are two beer gardens serving beer and wine from noon into the evening, after which the party moves indoors into the bars.

When someone mentions “Mormon missionaries” the first thing that comes to most (all?) people’s minds is young men in white shirts, black slacks, and black ties, name badge affixed, going door-to-door to proselytize into their church. (Yes, there are women too, but their appearance isn’t quite as stereotypical.)

Our town is part of the mission route for many of these young Mormons. They stay anywhere from a couple of months to a year or two before moving on. They do more than just go door-to-door. They volunteer in our medical center, help with food collections and distributions, and provide help to any number of community events. I’ve seen them doing all this.

But what struck me this weekend is that I saw the current missionaries in town not dressed in their “missionary attire” but in work clothes. And they were at one of the beer gardens. Collecting trash and cleaning after the revelers. And they were out on Main Street, after the parade and herring toss, collecting the abundant trash left behind. Yes, they were still wearing their name badges, but they aren’t nearly as visible when not against a white shirt.

They weren’t there to proselytize. They weren’t there to gain an audience. They were just there to be part of the community – to be and do something positive in the community so everyone else could enjoy themselves.

Setting aside the question of whether Mormons are Christians or not, where are the other churches? Are Christians only “doing ministry” when an activity is explicitly spiritual or leads to someone coming to a church? Is simple engagement in community improvement and betterment not “real ministry”? Is helping to maintain cleanliness at a drinking event “promoting sin” or at least excusing questionable behavior, and “not ministry”?

I wonder what Jesus and his disciples would be doing, if they were at MayFest.