Why do many missionaries join agencies?
» more related questionsQ: Why do some missionaries serve independent from an agency?
A: Because they find help other ways that cost less in finances and time.
I chose to go the independent route because I felt that I already had (or was able to find) all of the services of a missions agency from other sources at a fraction of the cost.
There are several advantages for being associated with a missions agency, principally:
• a stamp of legitimacy on your forehead to help with fund-raising
• practical help (such as finding health insurance, saving for retirement, receipting donations, setting up housing and transportation for furloughs, and mailing newsletters)
• a structure to guide your ministry efforts, both in the general sense of choosing a field and in the short-term sense of month-to-month work
• accountability so that you don't fall into sin or fall into non-productive activities
• being part of a team on the field, for encouragement and day-to-day practical help
If you are fortunate to find a wonderful agency, you will get all of these benefits in some measure.
If you are unfortunate, you'll get very little, but will still have all the disadvantages of working under an agency, principally:
• financial cost. Many mission agencies support home office staff with funds raised by field missionaries. The burden is often 10% of your gross receipts. In addition, your agency may require you to raise more funds than you think you need. It is not uncommon for missionaries to spend years waiting to get to the field because the agency will not allow them to leave until monthly support is completely pledged and all one-time expenses are in hand.
• time cost. Some missions agencies suck up an inordinate amount of time with general conferences, field conferences, local area meetings, reporting requirements, etc. I've heard stories of folks who lost an entire day each week through meetings.
• relationship cost. If your agency has others working in your local area, you have to invest the effort to get along with those folks, even if they have incompatible visions or personalities. You can't choose who to work with. Until you've been in this situation, you can't imagine how costly this can be in terms of time and emotional energy.
• vision cost. With an agency, you may have to go with the flow of what they are doing, even if the season for one type of ministry in your area is over and you feel led to do something different. In most cases, you will have to plug into the vision of your agency's founder or current head, or that of your local team leader, rather than going with the vision God is giving you.
My feeling is that all of the benefits of a mission agency can be had a la carte for a fraction of the financial, time, relationship and vision costs.
In my view, many missionaries are not very successful or productive because:
• they are not disciplined and self-motivated,
• they don't have a clear vision of what God is calling them to do, or
• they are not committed to accountable relationships.
Without these traits, you will fail, either as an independent missionary or as an agency-affiliated missionary. Going with an agency absolutely will not make up for these shortcomings.
If you can't honestly say that you are disciplined, have a clear vision, and are committed to accountability, I'd suggest that you pray and fast, review your theology, review your call to missions, and spend a year or two with an "open" agency that emphasizes training and formation of leaders, such as OM or YWAM. Only after you are certain that you've got these things going in your life in some measure should you even consider career missions.
There are several advantages for being associated with a missions agency, principally:
• a stamp of legitimacy on your forehead to help with fund-raising
• practical help (such as finding health insurance, saving for retirement, receipting donations, setting up housing and transportation for furloughs, and mailing newsletters)
• a structure to guide your ministry efforts, both in the general sense of choosing a field and in the short-term sense of month-to-month work
• accountability so that you don't fall into sin or fall into non-productive activities
• being part of a team on the field, for encouragement and day-to-day practical help
If you are fortunate to find a wonderful agency, you will get all of these benefits in some measure.
If you are unfortunate, you'll get very little, but will still have all the disadvantages of working under an agency, principally:
• financial cost. Many mission agencies support home office staff with funds raised by field missionaries. The burden is often 10% of your gross receipts. In addition, your agency may require you to raise more funds than you think you need. It is not uncommon for missionaries to spend years waiting to get to the field because the agency will not allow them to leave until monthly support is completely pledged and all one-time expenses are in hand.
• time cost. Some missions agencies suck up an inordinate amount of time with general conferences, field conferences, local area meetings, reporting requirements, etc. I've heard stories of folks who lost an entire day each week through meetings.
• relationship cost. If your agency has others working in your local area, you have to invest the effort to get along with those folks, even if they have incompatible visions or personalities. You can't choose who to work with. Until you've been in this situation, you can't imagine how costly this can be in terms of time and emotional energy.
• vision cost. With an agency, you may have to go with the flow of what they are doing, even if the season for one type of ministry in your area is over and you feel led to do something different. In most cases, you will have to plug into the vision of your agency's founder or current head, or that of your local team leader, rather than going with the vision God is giving you.
My feeling is that all of the benefits of a mission agency can be had a la carte for a fraction of the financial, time, relationship and vision costs.
In my view, many missionaries are not very successful or productive because:
• they are not disciplined and self-motivated,
• they don't have a clear vision of what God is calling them to do, or
• they are not committed to accountable relationships.
Without these traits, you will fail, either as an independent missionary or as an agency-affiliated missionary. Going with an agency absolutely will not make up for these shortcomings.
If you can't honestly say that you are disciplined, have a clear vision, and are committed to accountability, I'd suggest that you pray and fast, review your theology, review your call to missions, and spend a year or two with an "open" agency that emphasizes training and formation of leaders, such as OM or YWAM. Only after you are certain that you've got these things going in your life in some measure should you even consider career missions.
A: Because their church serves as a sending agency of sorts.
I think that one should either choose a mission agency or have their church serve as a sending agency of sorts. In my relatively short time in Japan, most of those who are here as independents initially came with a mission, but quit when they had struggles with the leadership or couldn't raise their financial support. Independents often do not fare well under leadership and become poor partners with other missionaries or with national leadership. Bottom line, most people, especially those first starting out, need to be accountable to someone – either their home church or an agency.
