Boomers, Busters, and Missions: Things are different now
By Ken Baker
(Vol. 33, No. 1)

Between 1946 and 1964 America experienced the greatest population expansion it has ever known.

During this period over 76 million babies were born—the "Baby Boomers." For 10 successive years the number of births increased, peaking in 1957 when more than 4.3 million children entered American society. Similarly, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand also experienced phenomenal postwar baby booms.

Over the last 30 years the Baby Boom has been labeled in various ways: Spock Babies, Sputnik Generation, Protest Generation, Me Generation, Yuppies, and so on. During the 1950s this generation, for the first time, emerged as an economic force all its own. Entire industries appeared and faded in concert with the whims and fads of the Boom generation. Business learned quickly that catering to Boomers' demands meant success, and ignoring them was perilous.

However, as the Boomer generation matured, realism eclipsed the idealism. Tentative uncertainty has largely replaced the great expectations as Boomers accept, often grudgingly, the "establishment"responsibility they repudiated in youth.

The Baby Buster generation, those born between 1965 and 1976 when the birthrate dropped dramatically, have always lived in the long shadow of the Boomers. Douglas Copeland¯s novel Generation X gave Busters this dubious label because the jury is still out regarding the unique stamp of identity they will eventually forge. Despite better education and techno friendliness, this generation will continually face an uphill battle against Boomer domination.

Just as the Baby Boom generation has had a growing influence on America, the next several years will see Boomers and Busters wielding the greatest influence in the character of this society. Representing 47 percent of the American population, these youngest adults will shape the future for many years to come. Therefore, it follows that the American church, and its mission to the world, have been, and will be, greatly influenced by this generation. It is crucial that churches and mission organizations interact effectively with the Boomer generation in order to maximize its enormous potential.

In the last 15 years Baby Boomers, and now Busters, have entered the missions mainstream by the thousands, and, most likely, make up the majority of North American missionaries today. Likewise, for several years into the next century, the Boomers will dominate the missions landscape. Several years ago I wrote on the Boomers' influence in missions (Evangelical Missions Quarterly, October, 1989). Yet in the intervening years I have found nothing in print examining the role of Boomers already involved in missions. The following observations derive from extensive research into the impact of Baby Boomers upon mission trends. While the Busters are currently shaping their own identity, they share many of the relational values which have been so influential among the Boomers.

What is so different?

How are younger missionaries different than those over 50 years old? Primarily they are distinctive in the area of values, and these values form the foundation for generational behavior. The following are, in my opinion, the five most influential values that have molded today¯s Boomer-Buster missionary.

1. Limited time commitment. When considering missions service, Baby Boomers usually had a limited time commitment in mind. Increasingly, they expressed this preference through short-term service. However, even those who chose "career" status with a mission organization defined "career" quite differently from their predecessors. To the former generation, it meant lifetime service, but to the Boomer it means what I am doing now. The pace of life is too fast for Boomers to believe they will continue to do the same thing for an entire lifetime.

Likewise, Boomers do not view commitment in relation to a particular time period or task. Rather, they relate commitment to an overall objective which governs the choices they make during their lifetime. Most Boomers believe they will do several meaningful things in their lifetime, of which missions service is but one part. In this sense it is one in a series of careers that are all perceived as part of God's will. Commitment, then, for the Baby Boomer missionary is a lifelong attachment to an overall objective—spiritual usefulness. When the Boomer is thoroughly convinced his present role meshes with this transcendent purpose he is equally committed to this task, for the time being. However, quitting is always an option. Boomers have been conditioned by change and, therefore, expect it.

2. Participatory leadership style. As a result of a generational tendency to question authority, Boomers openly challenge tradition and convention. In fact, from day one they begin to question the decisions of their leaders and actively promote innovation and change. When it comes to leadership and authority, Boomers expect to be included. They long to participate in the flow of information and in the progress of decisions. It is not so much that they demand their opinions be adopted as much as they feel the need to share what they think, plus be assured someone is listening and taking them seriously.

Boomer missionaries view their leaders as peers and think nothing of bringing a problem or a need to any leadership level they choose. Likewise, they do not consider length of service as a necessary criterion for useful ideas, or for leadership qualification. The key element here is that Boomers value "personal" power over "positional" power (Elder 1991). In other words, what one knows about a person, his character, background, relational ability, etc., has a lot more influence than titles or positions. If Boomer missionaries believe this personal power is lacking in a leader, they will usually seek help and guidance from another source they perceive to be more capable and qualified.

3. Personal development. Boomer missionaries, in keeping with their personalized view of commitment, place a high value on personal ministry. Therefore, it is quite common for them to refer to their work as "my ministry" using "my gifts." It is essential for Boomers to see their roles as significant within the scope of a collective endeavor, but often more important is that they see how this role helps them personally. Thus, a Baby Boomer's ministry must, as much as possible, be personally fulfilling. Because of this desire for self-development, it is essential that the Boomers' missions service be personally beneficial in relation to their lifetime goals. In this sense, the mission as well as the assigned task are viewed as stepping stones of opportunity toward more meaningful experiences, whether within or beyond that particular organization. That is, each role or ministry opportunity must contribute to the overall development of the Baby Boomer and his family. So, for Boomers to begin and sustain a missions career (whatever length this may be), it is crucial that their role provide personal development for the present and the future.

4. Family needs. One particularly defining characteristic of evangelical Baby Boomers is their frantic distress over the family experience. For younger missionaries there is no other issue that produces more anxiety and stress than concern for their families. Baby Boomers have seen in their lifetime the wholesale breakup of the family structure, and Busters have had to swallow an even greater dose of this reality. Furthermore, they are much more likely to have personally experienced a bruised background. Such worry is understandable when considering the weight of this collection of pressures. There is a new parenting context today. "The older missionary was raised on Dr. Spock, while the new missionary is raising his family on Dr. Dobson" (Johnston 1992).

Being more categorical in outlook, Boomers do not view the mission, ministry, and family as an integrated package. Instead, they perceive these roles in declining priority: God, ministry to family, ministry to others (Elder 1991). They have a deep desire to keep the family together and to protect their own. As a result, this "cult of the family" in missions circles has become a controlling interest among Boomer missionaries, causing a universal demand for more options, especially in the area of placement decisions. This issue of "parental overkill" is a growing plague for the Boomer generation (Finzel 1989).

Some would say the family has become so "enshrined" that it has taken the place of supremacy and dominates every aspect of the young missionary's life. Baby Boomers tend to make a decision based on how it will affect their families, treating it as a watershed for determining God's will. In one sense it could be construed that the family¯s will has superseded God¯s will. However, the Boomer missionary perceives this relationship differently, reasoning: "God will not lead me where my family is insecure." There is a deep belief that God would not ask parents to do something which would be a threat to family well-being. That is, God would not, or cannot, lead one¯s family where adequate assurance for basic needs would not be met.

5. Member care is a significant concern. For the Boomer missionary, member care is a crucial issue. Being first-class consumers used to many choices, they have actively shopped around for a mission agency that meets their felt needs. "What will the mission do for me?" is one of the criteria for evaluation. Comparing MK education, retirement programs, and support policies, the Boomers showed a broader interest in the mechanics of missions, well aware there was more to the organization than just ministry opportunities. Therefore, they asked a myriad of questions that usually never occurred to older missionaries when they were interested in missions. The latter just went out with a maverick, make do approach that is largely foreign to the younger generation.

Given the differences in background and experience, it is often hard for the older generation of missionaries to understand why the Boomer missionaries have this need for hand-holding. It is especially disconcerting when the Boomers seem to want help, but only on their own terms. Yet, sometimes, they do not want help as much as they just want someone to listen and care.

The Baby Boomers were, for the most part, raised in a suburban setting where the Depression-molded mentality of hard work gave way to a variety of new opportunities and activities. It is not fair, though, to claim that the Boomers' need for care is solely due to a softer childhood. They may be less resilient, but the reasons go deeper than this surface, though accurate, evidence. Baby Boomers want organizations that value people over programs. They want assurance that the administration cares for them as persons and not just as a means of fulfilling the task. Moreover, Boomers see clearly the difference between theoretical caring and real, tangible caring. For the Boomer, caring means meeting needs, whether personal, physical, or spiritual.

What is our response?

Though some may think it is too simplistic, it is possible to succinctly describe the overall impact the Baby Boomers have had on missions and the way they function. I see a fundamental shift, a watershed, that describes the contrast in the applied philosophy of missions today, as opposed to the former era. In the past, among former generations, the work was considered more important than the worker, whereas now, the worker is seen as more important than the work. This is not meant to be a criticism of former generations. Rather, it is a description of the prevailing administrative approach.

The task-first mentality was naturally compatible with the type of missionary that society shaped during that era. But each generation is different and organizations must adapt or be rendered ineffective. The early 1980s were somewhat turbulent as the old school mentality clashed with new school innovation. During this transition period many new trends have taken root seeking to keep pace with a changing world.

For some, this movement toward change has created a dilemma. Is doing things differently adaptation or compromise? Depending on one's orientation and generation, the answer is usually different. A number of older missionaries, and some Boomers as well, despair over the track record of Boomers in missions, while others believe Boomers can do no wrong. Naturally, the best approach is balance, incorporating constructive criticism and encouraging cooperation. Even so, there is a danger in succumbing to the victim mentality that fuels some of the innovation in dealing with Boomer needs. We Boomers could profit from the temerity our elders displayed while cultivating compassionate service toward our colleagues.

What legacy will Boomers leave in missions? Actually, the outlook could be somewhat bleak. By the year 2000 there will be a scarcity of young workers in North America (Morrison 1990). Likewise, Engel and Jones point out how missions has an aging financial base and that missionary vision is eroding (Engel and Jones 1989). In fact, this alludes to the two main factors governing missions today: availability of people and resources. The Buster generation is nearly two-thirds the size of the Baby Boom group. Therefore both must be targeted for the American missionary force to just stay even into the next century. In the late 1990s many Boomers will watch their children leave the nest, and they will once again be ripe for new career directions.

Therefore, the Boomer-Buster generation holds vast potential for the cause of world missions. But the abiding question remains, How do we maximize this enormous potential? In order to harness and channel the vision of these generations, fundamental changes in missions must continue. Training procedures need to be constantly reexamined, but "evaluation begins with the end product, not the process" (Iwasko 1990). Furthermore, partnerships between churches and sending agencies will be a primary key in mobilizing Boomers in years to come. Essentially, mission leaders need to fully avoid the presuppositional trap that "what we have been doing will be adequate for the future" (Ward 1987).

Embracing the principles outlined on page 76 will improve relations between missionary generations, as well as encourage younger missionaries toward continued and greater involvement. Those mission agencies that have the vision to understand their members and grow with them will experience fruitful development and effective ministry.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Baker, Ken. "The Impact of the Baby Boom Generation Upon Mission Trends." Unpublished D. Miss. project, Trinity International University, 1995.
Elder, Annette. "Boomers, Busters, and the Challenge of the Unreached Peoples." International Journal of Frontier Missions 8 (April, 1991) 51 -55.
Engel, James F. and Jerry D. Jones. Baby Boomers and the Future of World Missions. Orange, Calif.: Management Development Associates, 1989.
Finzel, Hans. Help! I¯m a Baby Boomer. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1989.
Iwasko, Ronald A. "A Personnel Director Speaks to Professors of Mission." Unpublished paper presented to the annual meeting of the Association of Evangelical Professors of Mission, New Orleans, November 15- 17, 1990.
Johnston, Leroy, Jr. "Core issues in Missionary Life." Missionary Care. Kelly O¯Donnell, ed. Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1992.
Morrison, Peter A. "A Demographic Perspective on Future Issues." CRS Review (January-February): 7-8, 1990.
Pocock, Mike. Telephone interviews: February 10, April 21, October 7, 1993.
Russell, Cheryl. "On the Baby-Boom Bandwagon." American Demographics 13 (May): 24-31, 1991.
Ward, Ted. "Educational preparation of missionaries§a look ahead." Evangelical Missions Quarterly 23 (October): 398-404, 1987.

KEN BAKER lives with has family in Niger Republic and works in missionary care and development for SIM. He previously planted churches in Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire. He is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and Trinity International University.

Copyright © 1997, Evangelism and Missions Information Service. This article originally appeared in the January, 1997 issue of Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ). All rights reserved.