The IM Stateside Ministry Team serves missionaries so they can share the gospel...

Ministry and Service

By Don Matchett

What do you expect from your international missions sending agency? Or, put another way: what is IM’s purpose?

At IM, we often contemplate this question. It isn’t difficult to answer. IM labors with the Body of Christ to fulfill the Great Commission. IM engages in and executes the task of the mission of God. It’s about the gospel!

The Great Commission instructs us to go, preach, teach, and baptize all nations. Essentially, the mandate is to make disciples of every people group everywhere on the planet. We understand this is what you expect when you partner with us in prayer and financial support.

Naturally, missionaries must be qualified, trained, equipped, and united in a central cause. This necessitates a stateside team who evaluates, trains, protects, empowers, and unifies. This team must be attuned to complex cultural and political landscapes while guiding IM with a thoughtful vision and clear goals. Furthermore, the team should consider the safety and care of missionaries. The team must be aware of current trends and utilize up-to-date technology effectively.

We also recognize the impact of students, church leaders, and lay members visiting mission fields. These volunteers experience and connect with mission works and workers. The cultures they experience, the people they encounter, and the need for the gospel in least-reached places are implanted in their hearts. They learn how to pray for the global church. In turn, they share their experiences with others — giving family, friends, and fellow church members a broader vision of the needs of the world. Some even answer God’s call to overseas missionary service.

This type of mobilization requires a team skilled in the logistics of helping students and adults experience God’s heart for the nations.

A Biblical Perspective

In Acts 13, at the beginning of the first missionary journey, Luke recorded the formula for a successful mission. The Holy Spirit instructed the church to separate Barnabas and Paul (then Saul) for the work He had for them. The church accepted their calling and prayed, fasted, laid hands on the two of them, and sent them out.

At first, this seems like the end of the story. But when we read Paul’s letters, we see the churches remained thoroughly involved in supporting him and his missionary team through prayer, sending others, and providing financial support. God has always invited people everywhere to engage in going, sending, and helping in all facets of His mission.

Risks of Going Alone

Some may say, “All we need are missionaries. I don’t understand all these administrative costs.” However, missionaries and short-term participants without a support team are likely to face significant challenges and have a lower chance of success. Or worse, they may encounter failures in morality and integrity. They may even inadvertently cause harm to the people they wish to help.

When speaking to missionaries who work independently (not Free Will Baptists), I hear their frustration at being deprived of the necessary time to preach, teach, evangelize, and disciple. They spend too much time away from ministry. They often feel underprepared, untrained, and overwhelmed. Missionaries working alone face frustration, isolation, and burnout more frequently than those with a ministry support team in the States.

While at a conference for missionaries and agency leaders, I shared a room with an older missionary. He and his wife served their entire career in Papua New Guinea. Each night, he awoke screaming, showing clear signs of PTSD. Each morning, he recounted the horrors he and his wife faced while serving without a support team in the States.

I discussed the challenges of missionaries working without a team with Steve Torrison, an IM missionary currently serving with our Center for Intercultural Training (CIT) partner. According to Steve, “The immediate benefits of going out on your own seemingly outweigh having to ’jump through the hoops’ of a mission organization. However, the perceived benefits are deceptive. Not having a home team leaves you with nobody to keep you accountable or encouraged when stress and culture shock become a reality.

“Loneliness is the first thing likely to creep in,” Steve continued. “Missionaries who venture out alone, even with family, face greater temptations to compromise biblical and moral standards. They are more willing to take greater risks of failure, including moral ones. When failures occur — missiologically, morally, or otherwise — and they will, having a strong support team enables missionaries to find ways to repair and restore.”

Steve noted missionaries who encounter failure for any reason are more likely to feel bitter, depressed, and harbor negative feelings toward missions. They may even develop hostility toward the people they served.

A Valuable Team

Team support enables missionaries to concentrate on their primary mission of making disciples, free from the burden of organizational tasks. A robust system handles logistics, such as financial management, making missionaries more effective. A committed team offers emotional and spiritual support, vital for maintaining morale and resilience in challenging environments.

IM missionaries depend on a strong, capable IM ministry team to assist them as they share the gospel. From the moment candidates complete a “Let’s Get Acquainted” form until they retire, our IM team supports them every step of the way. The team ensures each one is qualified, doctrinally aligned, and prepared for the duties of a missionary, including fundraising.

The IM Board and leadership team play a crucial role in equipping missionaries with a strong missiological foundation, guiding them through selecting the most suitable mission field for their unique skills and passions. When applicable, the team assists new missionaries with integrating into the right team. The stateside ministry team’s contributions encompass a wide range of resources, training, and ongoing assistance enabling missionaries to thrive in their work. The team ensures each missionary is prepared and connected to a network to enhance his effectiveness in the field.

Everything the IM ministry team does is made possible by contributions from IM’s faithful partners.

An Active Adversary

Missionary work is not for the faint of heart. Missionaries encounter challenges from all sides — cultural, linguistic, spiritual, and emotional, along with attacks on family dynamics.
The adversary uses every tool at his disposal to create chaos. He uses individuals, religions, and governments to build barriers between missionaries and the community they seek to reach.

Sometimes, this presents as a persistent, long-standing threat, such as when working among Muslims. Islamic barriers are expected and always present. At other times, trouble detonates like a bomb, impacting everyone nearby. Often “shrapnel” scars require long-term care. IM’s stateside team is vital during these challenges.

One thing is certain: the work of a missionary is not straightforward, organized, and tidy. The mission is clear; however, missionary work is often chaotic. This is why IM emphasizes resilience, adaptability, and flexibility as crucial traits.

Not long ago, I was on a video call with Tim Awtrey, the field leader in Bulgaria. He has seen and experienced the destructive path of evil on many fronts. During the call, Tim said, “Don, if it weren’t for the support of the office team, we wouldn’t be on the field.”

Service and Ministry

I would gladly exchange my title of director here at IM for “minister” or “servant.” My primary role is serving missionaries, helping them become better equipped, more confident, and more supported. I minister to churches when I have the profound opportunity to teach missiology and preach on the Missio Dei.

I also feel like a minister when I sit across the table from a financial partner, presenting new opportunities to engage in the mission of God. I experience this ministerial role when I speak with a pastor eager to learn what is happening on the mission field or discuss a challenge he is facing.
I would go so far as to say throughout the IM office, in every corner and at every desk, acts of service and ministry actively take place every day. Each act has one clear objective: it’s about the gospel!

So, what do we want from a mission-sending agency? The answer seems simple: “We want to send missionaries to the four corners of the earth, and we want IM to ensure it happens.”
However, we must consider more. We need qualified missionaries supported by a team that helps them navigate inevitable cultural questions, challenges, and changes. Free Will Baptists need short-term missions programs to engage students (ETEAM, CMP) and church members (THP), sending them to mission fields to experience global needs and ignite God’s work in their own lives.

We need a stateside ministry team to allow missionaries to focus on their primary task: evangelism and discipleship. In contrast, the stateside team manages finances, logistics, and unified promotion. They provide accountability, unity, guidance, and confidential prayer. They meet emotional needs, soften re-entry, and much more. The IM office team and Board play a critical role in preparing and guiding missionaries through the ongoing financial support from partners.

Your Vital Role

Just as missionaries who work without a support team may find their efforts hampered, the stateside ministry team’s effectiveness is hindered without the support of individuals and churches. Your role in praying, sending, going, and supporting financially is vital. The WMO is one way you can provide that crucial support.

We are excited about the opportunity to strengthen our IM stateside ministry team through your generous contributions. The IM team often encounters funding challenges, making your assistance even more crucial. We eagerly anticipate the impact of our collective efforts during the World Missions Offering on August 31.

I encourage you to make a personal contribution or invite your church to participate in this important initiative. Your support is vital to IM’s ability to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. We can’t wait to see the difference we will make together!

It’s about the gospel!

About the Writer: Don Matchett is director of development at IM, Inc.