Highlights of John Certalic’s life
John was the son of a single mother- He was put in foster care for the first 16 months of his life
- After college, he got a job as a high school English teacher for 7 1/2 years
- After the teaching job, he got a job as an executive recruiter for almost 3 years
- Then he started his own recruiting company and worked in it for 24-25 years.
- In 2004 he closed his business to start a missionary care ministry, Caring for Others, with his wife Janet.
- Married for 50 years
- Has 2 children and 4 grandchildren
Purpose of Caring for Others Ministry
Reduce the attrition of missionaries.- Help mission agencies improve the quality of care they provide their members.
- Develop an effective and sustainable means of care for missionaries.
- Encourage and strengthen the next generation of those who care for Christian workers.
Our Conversation
- We spoke about John’s education in English, History, and Theology.
- How he took the decision to close his business and start Caring for Other
- Writing the book THEM, a story of developing richer relationships by caring for others.
- His podcast, You Were Made for This, stories of people finding hope and encouragement in their relationships. John and his guest share principles of life-giving relationships.
What is a missionary? Someone sent from one culture to another culture to take to the gospel of Jesus Christ to people.
According to John, Christians all over the world should spread the gospel. I found this on the internet: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’” Mark 16:15
Alain’s Personal Opinion
This podcast is has been very challenging for me for many personal reasons.
My main goal as a podcaster is to bring interesting stories that serve as a platform for personal development and self-improvement. I have listened to John’s podcast I know that he is on a mission to do good.
My culture was destroyed, in great part, by the work of missionaries.
When missionaries go to another culture, they go uninvited. They arrive there, with the presumption that they know better, with the intention of imposing their white god into others. As it happened in my Latin American culture, by the assassination of those who refuse to convert to Christianity.
The Inca and Christianity (Wikipedia)
“Another significant effect on the people in South America was the spread of Christianity. As Pizarro and the Spanish subdued the continent and brought it under their control, they forcefully converted many to Christianity, claiming to have educated them in the ways of the “one true religion.” With the depopulation of the local populations along with the capitulation of the Inca Empire, the Spanish missionary work after colonization began was able to continue unimpeded. It took just a generation for the entire continent to be under Christian influence.”
American Indian boarding schools Wikipedia
“Children were typically immersed in the European-American culture through forced changes that removed indigenous cultural signifiers. These methods included being forced to have European-American style haircuts, being forbidden to speak their Indigenous languages, and having their real names replaced by European names to both “civilize” and “Christianize” them. The experience of the schools was usually harsh and sometimes deadly, especially for the younger children who were forcibly separated from their families. The children were forced to abandon their Native American identities and cultures. Investigations of the later twentieth century have revealed many documented cases of sexual, manual, physical, and mental abuse occurring mostly in church-run schools.”
Stolen Generations (Wikipedia)
The Stolen Generations (also known as Stolen Children) were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments.
Missionaries today in the 21st century
It’s true, missionaries in the 21st century don’t murder nonbelievers any more, and don’t separate families by taking away their children. But they continue going to countries, uninvited, to change their local beliefs and customs to press the belief of Christianity, with the assertion that their white god is better than theirs.
We don’t need religion and we don’t need a white god
We can have morality without religion. We can find reasons to go to Africa, and India, and many poor regions in Latin and Central America without forcing a bible into people’s hands, without forcing them to believe that a ghost impregnated the virgin Mary and Jesus was born.
It’s true that today, missionaries do good work, but only with the goal of winning souls for Christ.
Here are some organizations who also do good without imposing their religious beliefs:
- Doctors Without Borders
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Charity Water
- Pencils of Promise
- And many more.
A question for you
Do you believe that Missionary work should continue destroying other’s people cultures and beliefs to impose their own beliefs? Please leave a comment below.