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American Christians who are active in their churches still strongly support missions work in dangerous regions, despite the recent kidnapping and killings of South Korean aid workers by the Taliban in Afghanistan. A new survey conducted by NationalChristianPoll.com for Christianity Today International shows 69 percent of active Christians support missions work in places where the U.S. is engaged in military operations, specifically Iraq and Afghanistan, and 66 percent support missions in countries that are under U.S. sanctions, such as Cuba.

With the increasing number of U.S. churches sending volunteers abroad for short-term missions, the poll asked, "Are missions to dangerous places irresponsible?" Only two percent of the active Christians said yes; 63 percent said, "Only if the missionaries are unprepared."

Of the 884 active Christians surveyed, 94 percent support missionaries financially, and 57 percent said they or a family member have been on a mission trip. Considering the fate of South Korean aid workers, 53 percent said church members should continue to volunteer for short-term mission trips in dangerous places; 56 percent said mission work should continue, even in nations where Christian evangelization is forbidden by law.

The poll from NationalChristianPoll.com identifies "active Christians" as people who believe in salvation through Jesus Christ, who are regular church attenders and often church leaders, and who are committed to personal spiritual growth through Bible reading and sharing their faith with other people.

The survey was conducted August 15-16, 2007, and has a margin of error of 3.3 percent.

Here are the findings:

1. Are missions to dangerous places irresponsible?

Yes     2%

No     29%

Only if the missionaries are unprepared     63%

Don't know     6%

2. Christians should voluntarily travel to hostile countries for short-term mission trips.

Strongly Agree     18%

Somewhat Agree     35%

Neither Agree nor Disagree     28%

Somewhat Disagree     15%

Strongly Disagree     5%

3. U.S. missionaries (long- or short-term) should serve in countries where Christian evangelization is forbidden by law.

Strongly Agree     25%

Somewhat Agree     31%

Neither Agree nor Disagree     26%

Somewhat Disagree     14%

Strongly Disagree     3%

4. U.S. churches should send missionaries (long- or short-term) to countries in which the U.S. has military operations under way (e.g. Iraq and Afghanistan).

Strongly Agree     29%

Somewhat Agree     40%

Neither Agree nor Disagree     14%

Somewhat Disagree     13%

Strongly Disagree     4%

5. U.S. churches should send missionaries (long- or short-term) to countries under U.S. sanctions (e.g. Cuba).

Strongly Agree     29%

Somewhat Agree     37%

Neither Agree nor Disagree     19%

Somewhat Disagree     10%

Strongly Disagree     5%

6. If an adult family member close to you planned a short-term mission trip to a country where Christians are routinely persecuted, jailed, or killed, how supportive would you be of your family member's decision?

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September (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51