Mission Policy
I. Missions Committee Purpose Statement
Based on the premise that the Church of Jesus Christ exists to glorify God, and to share the Gospel message of salvation with the non-believing world, the purpose of the Missions Committee is to assist Faith Baptist Church in promoting the preaching and teaching of the whole Word of God at home and abroad, seeking every means possible to extend our missionary outreach to every creature in keeping with the Great Commission of Christ recorded in Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8.
II. Policy Objectives
The purpose of the policy statement is:
To define the specific responsibilities of the Missions Committee of Faith Baptist Church and its missionaries.
To facilitate accountability and communication between church leadership, the congregation, and its missionaries and mission agencies.
III. Missions Committee Structure
The Missions Committee shall consist of members of FaithBaptistChurch, with at least one member of the committee being a deacon.
Members of the Missions Committee shall observe term limits as follows. The first term is to be one year which may be extended for an additional two years by mutual consent of the member and committee. After that the normal terms of service are for 3 years. After 6 years of service, the committee member must be off for a minimum of one year.
Regular standing positions of the committee shall include the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Secretary with each being a 2 year position.
The Missions Chairman shall be nominated by the Missions Committee and approved by the Board of Deacons.
The Missions Committee may agree to ask other church members to join the committee. Alternatively, a church member may also request to serve, and will join the committee when being approved by a majority of the committee.
IV. Duties of the Missions Committee
The Missions Committee shall:
Oversee the missions policies and missions purpose statement of FaithBaptistChurch.
Promote prayer emphasis and concern for the missionaries.
Help promote missions education and missions awareness in the church
Promote membership involvement in corresponding with the missionaries.
Investigate and approve mission organizations, personnel, and projects, and make recommendations to the Board of Deacons for final approval.
Encourage and assist FaithBaptistChurch members in missionary service.
Plan the annual missions conference.
Meet at regularly scheduled times to carry out the functions and duties of the Missions Committee.
Review and submit the annual missions budget to the Board of Deacons for approval.
Maintain regular direct contact with missionaries.
Approve missionary projects, and make recommendation to the Board of Deacons. These shall be one time projects to achieve specific goals.
Remunerate missionary speakers. The Chairman of the Missions Committee is responsible to direct the church treasurer to pay the honorariums to missionary speakers in accordance with the Financial Remuneration guidelines of Article XII.
Arrange for a commissioning service for appointees prior to field departure when FaithBaptistChurch is the primary sending church.
V. Relationship of Missionaries to FaithBaptistChurch
All missionaries receiving support from FaithBaptistChurch:
Shall be affiliated with an evangelical missions organization that is in agreement with our doctrinal position.
Shall be given a copy of the Missions Policy Statement of Faith Baptist Church.
Shall be members in good standing of FaithBaptistChurch or some other church of like faith and practice of evangelical and baptistic persuasion.
Shall communicate with FaithBaptistChurch at least once per quarter. If the missionary fails to contact FaithBaptistChurch in 6 months, a communication from the Missions Committee Chairman will be sent to the missionary and/or the agency informing him of the jeopardy of withholding support.
Are requested to meet personally with the Missions Committee during home assignment or once every four years. The purpose of this meeting is for the committee to receive a status report of past blessings and difficulties, and to become aware of the goals and needs of the coming term of service. Most interviews may be done informally in conjunction with the annual missions conference, or during a visit to the church for ministry.
Shall inform FaithBaptistChurch as soon as a change of missionary status or assignment is known.
May inform the Missions Committee of special needs. The committee shall consider these needs and where appropriate recommend special missions projects to the church for which designated offerings can be directed.
VI. Missionary Support Guidelines
The primary focus of missions at FaithBaptistChurch is on international cross cultural missions work, with specific emphasis on church planting and evangelism. In general, the goal is to have 70% of the missions budget directed toward cross cultural work, and 30% directed toward stateside ministries.
Missions giving will be carried on through the general church budget except for special projects and appeals recommended by the Missions Committee.
Missionaries who change assignments or status during their term of service will be reviewed for continuation of support.
VII. Missionary Support Procedure
Support for the missionary will be sent through the mission agency. Support for new missionaries will begin one month after approval by the congregation.
FaithBaptistChurch may support service ministries that assist mission agencies, or actively promote missions, or provide missionary training.
All missionaries being considered for support will be required to meet for an interview with the Missions Committee.
Upon approval of the missionary’s support by the church body, the chairman of the Missions Committee will notify the missionary of his support status.
VIII. Termination of Support
A missionary’s support may be terminated under the following conditions:
A moral or ethical situation.
A change in the doctrinal position of the missionary.
The affiliation of the missionary with his agency is terminated.
The missionary fails to adequately communicate with FaithBaptistChurch.
The missionary is considered ineffective in his missionary work.
B. When the Missions Committee approves to discontinue a missionary’s financial support, a recommendation will be presented to the Board of Deacons for their approval of the decision, and voted upon by the congregation.
IX. Retirement
Regular support for the retiree will terminate at the end of his/her regular home assignment before the missionary enters retirement, unless other arrangements are agreed upon between FaithBaptistChurch and the retiree.
The primary source for retirement funds, as well as health and insurance benefits should come primarily from the mission agency and the missionary’s own financial resources.
The Missions Committee will review the retiree’s financial status and make any necessary recommendations to the congregation with regard to a reduced level of support. FaithBaptistChurch does not guarantee that a fixed amount will be designated to help the retiree, but will take each missionary’s circumstances into consideration for additional financial help.
X. Relationship of FaithBaptistChurch to Mission Agencies
When FaithBaptistChurch is the sending church of the appointee:
The mission agency should be in consultation with FaithBaptistChurch regarding the appointee’s timing of departure to the field. We request that the appointee not be sent until FaithBaptistChurch agrees that the appointee is sufficiently prepared to serve the Lord in a missionary context.
Prior to field departure, the church in consultation with the mission agency will conduct a commissioning service for the appointee.
XI. Short Term Missionaries
The purpose of short term ministries at FaithBaptistChurch is to encourage members of the church family to experience multi-cultural situations and ministries. The following guidelines should be followed by the individual seeking support from FaithBaptistChurch.
The person should be a member of FaithBaptistChurch who gives evidence of a godly walk, and a sincere desire to be involved with the Great Commission.
The person should present his/her desire of serving as a short termer to the Missions Committee, stating the goals, type of ministry, country, and length of service in which the short termer will serve the Lord.
A recommendation will be made to the Board of Deacons to approve the raising of funds to send out the short term missionary from FaithBaptistChurch.
The short term missionary will give a report to the congregation upon his/her return from the ministry.
XII. Financial Remuneration
In cases where a missionary has been requested by FaithBaptistChurch to speak at one of the church’s functions, the following guidelines for financial remuneration shall be given:
Travel expenses plus the standard honorarium that would have been given to any guest speaker at a particular service shall be forwarded either directly to the mission agency, or to the missionary in the name of the agency.
In certain situations, a love offering may be taken and given entirely to the missionary in lieu of the standard honorarium.
Revised August 22. 2006