Sending Missionaries and Chaplains

A missionary is a person who, in response to God’s call and gifting, leaves his or her comfort zone and crosses cultural, geographic or other barriers to proclaim the gospel and live out a Christian witness in obedience to the Great Commission.

— Definition adopted by the International and North American Mission Boards in 2000.

Each year, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) approves and appoints hundreds of new missionaries in partnership with the 42 Baptist state conventions and the Canadian National Baptist Convention. NAMB and these partnering conventions work together in recruiting, selecting, jointly funding, training, supporting, and appointing missionaries.

NAMB also endorses chaplains who serve in the military, healthcare, correctional and counseling facilities, children's homes, academies, corporate, and public safety settings. Learn more about chaplaincy.

There are three broad categories of missionaries serving through NAMB.

1. Appointed Personnel Appointed personnel serve in the categories of missionary, Nehemiah church planter, and US/C2. Appointed personnel serve either as career missionaries or in a limited-term capacity. The most common limited term is two years. For appointed personnel, the qualifications and evaluation process is the most in-depth. All appointed personnel are approved by the Missionary Personnel Committee of the Board of Trustees. Appointed personnel qualify for health care and other personal benefits.  (Learn more about US/C2, Nehemiah Church Planters and Career)
   
   
2. Approved Personnel Approved personnel serve in the categories of field personnel assistance, state administrative personnel and mission pastor. Most church planter pastors serve in this category. The approved category is designed to provide a financial supplement. Some approved personnel serve full-time and others serve in a bi-vocational capacity. Funds are normally phased down within a five-year period of time. The screening is limited - an application and references. Missionary Personnel staff grant the approval unless an exception or policy issue exists. State Administrative Personnel is an exception to most of the above. Depending on the state cooperative agreement, SAP may qualify for healthcare benefits and they do not phase down over time. SAP qualify for post-retirement benefits, as do appointed personnel. The screening is also more in-depth than others in this category.  (Learn more about Church Planter Pastors)
   
   
3. MSC missionaries serve for two or more years and are included in the missionary count. The expectation is that those who are serving in a limited-term capacity (2 years, renewable)will serve a minimum of at least 20 hours per week for the duration of their assignment period. Those serving in the Career MSC category are expected to serve full-time (35+ hours per week) and have made a long-term, open-ended commitment to serve. At the conclusion of their term of service, MSC personnel are given the option to renew their service. MSC personnel receive no salary or insurance benefits from NAMB. MSC missionaries are self-funded in that they are responsible for securing their own financial support for salary, housing, benefits, and in some cases, ministry support. They do this through enlisting ministry partners from among family, friends, and related churches; through marketplace employment to serve bivocationally; or through personal resources such as retirement or investment income. Though it is not received as direct salary support, all MSC missionaries are beneficiaries of the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO) and the Cooperative Program. (Learn more about Mission Service Corps)

Missionaries commissioned through the above pathways of service are included in NAMB’s official missionary count, which totaled 5,304 at the end of 2009..

In addition to these three categories of missionaries, there are opportunities for students to serve as missionaries. Opportunities available to high school and college students include:

1. Sojourner Missionaries are high school juniors and seniors who serve four to ten weeks during the summer. (Learn more about Sojourners)
   
   
2. Summer and Semester Missionaries are college and seminary students who serve in a local church or association for four to ten weeks during the summer, fall, or spring semester. (Learn more about Summer and Semester Missionaries)
   
   
3. Innovator Missionaries are college students serving with a team of other students, usually in a resort area, working at a secular job and given a missions assignment. (Learn more about Innovators)

Discover the pathway of service that is right for you at www.answerthecall.net as you answer His call . . . tell His story . . . and change your world.

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