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One of my missionary heroes is not a missionary hero at all. But in my book he is because he released the real missionaries to devote themselves exclusively to their ministry. I met him in the Dominican Republic where he spent his time standing in line at the downtown post office in Santo Domingo, picking up missionaries’ mail. When he wasn’t doing that, he hung around the garage while missionaries’ cars were being repaired.

This was long before anyone conceived of the idea that retired people could be “finishers” in God’s global mission. This man had somehow learned that it was important to do what he could so that missionaries would not have to waste their talents and spiritual gifts standing in lines and getting their cars fixed. Standing in line isn’t one of the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible. But perhaps it qualifies under the category of “helps” that the Apostle Paul included.

Whatever it is, it is vital and important in God’s work. This man was eminently satisfied to stand in line while others did the preaching and teaching. As I met with his team in their field conference, I sensed he was a full partner in mission and greatly appreciated.

I thought of him the other day when I read how a very talented man was spending a huge chunk of his time driving people around a huge metropolis. He plays a critical role in getting missionaries to and from the airport. Someone has to do this seemingly menial task that requires considerable skill, considering the traffic where he lives.

In contrast to my hero above, however, this man is not a retired person looking for a supporting role. He has superlative gifts much needed in his field. He is an experienced professional, not in driving vans, but in other specialized areas. I began to wonder about his assignment, not to demean his sacrificial service, but to ask myself if someone else could do the driving so he could devote more time to his ministry skills.

To put it baldly, I wondered if his considerable talents were being wasted, and if his mission board might possibly find someone else (even a local person, if not an American) to tote people back and forth to the airport. Then I wondered how many other missionaries there might be who could be released to use their unique gifts and talents if they were not hamstrung by other routine maintenance duties.

Please keep in mind, I am not saying that services like driving the mission van and standing in line are of lesser value in God’s sight.

What I am suggesting is that when we accept missionaries with unique ministry gifts we ought to take steps to ensure that their gifts are used and not sidetracked by so-called household work. In a word, we should follow the principle laid down in Acts 6: some wait on tables and some preach. Not that waiting on tables is of lesser value, but that those called and gifted to preach and teach should be freed to do so.

Part of the problem, of course, is that missionaries with servant hearts are willing to do whatever jobs that need doing. That’s fine, to a point. But such stopgap measures must not become their permanent assignments. For example, I think it’s time for the airport driver to lay aside that work so that he can exercise his unique professional gifts more fully. Perhaps someone reading this column would love to be a “finisher” by doing the airport runs. I wonder if the mission agency in this case has thought about hiring a retired person in that city to do this work.

We must exert all of our own creativity to find van drivers and people willing to stand in line for Jesus so that our missionaries’ talents are not wasted.