Wired.com writes about a new study on the effect of city life: compared to rural dwellers, city dwellers have higher levels of anxiety and mood disorders, and the schizophrenia risk is double.
This is important for two reasons: many people are moving into cities in unreached countries (see, for example, Asian Urbanization Increasing Speed), and will be people who need ministry. They will be experiencing these new stresses, coupled with the additional stress of often being unwanted and sometimes illegal immigrants, and seeking work.
Second, it’s also important because many missionaries come for rural, small-town, religiously conservative places–and head into the incredible situation of a major megacity in Asia or Europe. I remember my times in Kuala Lumpur and in Manila, trying to get from point A to point B and being completely overwhelmed by the sounds, the people, the lack of understanding of the place. This will be a factor in member care, missionary stress, and ultimately missionary attrition.
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