Years ago, the biggest challenge I (Dan Carl) faced in transitioning our ministry to Haitian leadership wasn’t lack of resources, training, or willing workers. It was me.
I had unknowingly fallen into what Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert call managerial paternalism—“planning and directing affairs for others to ensure our (the missionaries’) desire for efficiency and productivity.”1 In other words, I was leading in a way that kept control in my hands rather than empowering others to lead without me.
The Trap of “Pay to Play” Missions
When my wife Liz and I arrived in Haiti in January 2002 with our two-year-old son, we stepped into a “pay to play” mission culture—where outside resources dictated ministry. The expectation was simple but flawed:
If you wanted to do something, you had to raise money abroad, hire national workers, and manage everything closely.
We focused on training local church volunteers to evangelize children and youth using print and video resources. It seemed promising—until we hit a major roadblock:
Without our presence, the work stopped.
No matter how much training we provided, volunteers wouldn’t continue the mission on their own. The ministry depended on us—not on local ownership.
The Breaking Point
Everything changed when a group of Haitian children’s evangelists approached us. They already had a nationwide network of church relationships and the passion, cultural insight, and leadership ability to take the ministry to new heights.
I should have been thrilled.
Instead, I hesitated.
I struggled to let go of control. I wanted the ministry to flourish—but only if I could oversee it the way I saw fit.
Then, during a 2011 furlough, I came across Jean Johnson’s book, We Are Not the Hero. Her coaching and insights exposed my paternalistic mindset and challenged me to adopt a shadow missionary posture.
From Manager to Mentor
Jean describes a shadow missionary this way:
“Keep your face towards the sunshine—shadows will fall behind you.” — Walt Whitman2
“Effective church planting happens when missionaries coach local leaders to keep their faces toward God and then serve in the shadows that fall behind the local leaders.”3
I knew what I had to do.
Thriving Without Us
When I returned to Haiti, I stepped back. I coached national leaders to lead without looking to me for direction. It wasn’t easy—I had to trust God and trust them.
Before long, it became clear:
It was time to hand over the ministry completely and go home.
That was 13 years ago. Today, the ministry is still growing, thriving, and bearing fruit—without our leadership or financial support.
Letting Go Was the Best Thing I Ever Did
Surrendering control didn’t kill the ministry—it set it free.
If you’re a missionary or ministry leader, ask yourself: Are you empowering local leaders or controlling them?
It’s not easy to step into the shadows. But sometimes, the best way to lead is to let go.
Whether you are veteran or new cross-cultural worker, maybe you have found yourself stuck in managerial paternalism or a paternalistic mindset. If so, join us for the “We Are Not The Hero” virtual course where we discover ways to inspire local dignity, sustainability and multiplication in place of paternalism.
For more information, please visit the course spotlight link on our website at: https://fivestonesglobal.org/we-are-not-the-hero/ and join our waitlist if you would like to be contacted for the next cohort.
- Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor And Yourself (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 119.
- Quoted in Jean Johnson, We Are Not The Hero: A Missionary’s Guide for Sharing Christ, Not a Culture of Dependency (Sisters, Oregon: Deep River Books, 2012), 248.
- Ibid.
