Kirk Cameron Ventures into America’s Forgotten Mission Field

Published: October 24, 2025

By Michaela Gordoni

Teddy Bear award winner Kirk Cameron sat down with his son, James Cameron, to explore why Americans travel overseas on missions to help people but don’t serve people in their own neighborhood.

“Pastors talk about ‘sending people to other countries.’ And then I leave church and I drive down the road and I see a homeless guy right on the street corner and we have widows and orphans and poor and needy right in that area,” James said. “You could have a church and a slum one block away from each other in America, right?”

James explained that people have an allure to travel overseas because it provides a way to experience a new place and share interesting stories with others.

“I think that there’s something sacred about missionary work. And it’s very different than just a desire to travel. And if we’re doing it more for us and what we get out of it and the experience that we get out of it rather than the mission that God has called us to do, why are we doing it?” James said.

Father and son both shared experiences of hearing radical testimonies from people who visited other countries. They’ve heard that people were raised from the dead or grew a limb—but none of these things seem to be happening in the U.S.

“If people are really healing kids with cancer, why don’t they go into St. Jude’s Hospital and heal those kids that we could see?” Kirk said. “None of this is meant to say that the Holy Spirit or that Holy Spirit is not continuing to do these things where God wants to. But it does seem to be the kind of excitement that motivates some people to be a part of foreign missionary trips.”

“If I’m a missionary to Walmart, my stories aren’t going to be as exciting as if I go to get as much reaction out of your community or as much praise,” James said.

Kirk turned to Matthew 10, where Jesus gave instructions to his followers.

“’Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions. Do not go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel, God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the kingdom of heaven is near,” Kirk quoted.

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons,’” Kirk read. “Give as freely as you have received.’ It’s later after they had gone to all of the cities and towns in Israel that the mission opened up to the Gentiles. Isn’t that interesting?”

In other words, it appears Jesus instructed them to get their local place in order before going out into the world.

James said, “I think what the Bible talk is talking about there is essentially starting local and then expanding off of that firm foundation global. But if you have a weak foundation, your light will not be able to travel and make the journey out.”

James thinks churches “should be embodying and enabling their community, their congregation to serve and preach and give locally and give them the opportunity not just to go on the missions trip for one week once a year, but to be the body of Christ that is serving the community continuously.”

A Global Frontier missionary says comparing home and abroad missions is “foolishness” because no matter where you share the Gospel, God’s mission is the same.

“It will not matter on that day whether that voice comes from a Nepali from Atlanta or Kathmandu, an Afghan from Syracuse, London, or Kabul. Somalis from both Mogadishu and Minneapolis will be around that throne,” in heaven, he says.

Another missionary and alumnus of Radius International wrote that he feels convicted by the millions of people around the world who have never heard the Gospel or read the Bible, and that’s why he feels called to be an overseas missionary.

No matter what we think about the subject, it’s impossible to place importance on one soul over another. Everyone has value and is deserving of hearing the Gospel, no matter where they are.

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