What must I do to become a missionary?
Get adequate training and experience
Application Process
What must I do to become a missionary?
 That question has been asked hundreds of times-by teens,
college students, children, pastors, and even grandparents.
So what is the first step? Nothing. That is, the first
step is not something you do, but, something God does.
The road to the mission' field begins with God himself.
The first step is to heed the witness of the Holy Spirit
that God is 'calling you to be a missionary.
Not every Christian is called to be a missionary in the
technical sense of the word, although all are called to
be witnesses. All Christians are to testify to God's saving
grace, but not all are led by God to cross geographical,
political, and cultural boundaries to do so.
The missionary call may come in a variety of ways, but
almost invariably it includes a growing concern for a need
on the mission field and a definite conviction that God
wants you to commit your life to meeting that need. God
also gives a witness of the Spirit to other Christians
that this is so, as He did in Acts 13:1-3.
Get adequate training and experience
 To be a missionary, you must be properly equipped, adequately
trained, and sufficiently experienced to do the job God
is calling you to do. God weaves into a life those qualities,
gifts, and abilities that are especially suited to a particular
task. Paul and Barnabas were already prophets and teachers
before they were called to go out as missionaries.
Suppose you wish to be a general missionary—to evangelize,
plant churches, and train national leaders. Although you
may not know how to preach in the Swahili language, you
must know how to preach. You may not have seen God moving
among the Aymara Indians of Bolivia, but you must have
seen Him at work in your life.
Please keep in mind the mission field is no place escape
financial, marital, pr ministerial problems. It will only
emphasize them.
Share your burden with a godly, trusted friend. See if
he or she also senses God's call on your life. It is not
a good idea to spread your feelings far and wide now, for
if your timing is premature, you could bring embarrassment
to yourself and your family.
Talk with the leaders of your district. In order to be
considered for missionary appointment, you must be endorsed
by and hold membership in an Assemblies of God district.
The district leaders will want to be acquainted with you,
sense your burden, and review your ministerial experience.
Some districts have a special committee for screening missionary
applicants; if so, you will need to meet with them. This
is vital. Assemblies of God Foreign Missions cannot begin
processing your application until this requirement is fulfilled.
Some candidates ask, "Why all this hassle? If God
has called me, what else do I need?" You need the
wise counsel of those who know you best and who know the
mission field and its needs. If God has spoken to you,
He will confirm His leading through others and will use
them to give you guidance.
Application Process
Write to the Personnel Department,
Assemblies of God World Missions, 1445 Boonville Avenue,
Springfield, Missouri
65802, and explain your burden.
We will give you more specific details as to qualifications
for missionary service. For most positions you must be
an ordained minister of the Assemblies of God, preferable
with at least 2 consecutive years of experience as the
senior pastor of a church.
In some cases, if you have at least a ministerial license
but lack the required experience, Assemblies of God Foreign
Missions may arrange such experiences for you under the
Missionary-In-Training program. However, you will not be
considered for full missionary appointment until the training
period has been completed. Opportunities for this training
are considered on an individual basis.
If you are a professional specialist, such as a doctor
or nurse, a teacher, a publisher, or a business administrator,
you will need the equivalent credentials and experience.
We make some exceptions to these rules, but most of our
candidates fall under these guidelines.
Complete and return the preliminary forms we send to each
applicant and spouse.
The regional director of the area of your choice will then
review them. We will ask your district officials for an
endorsement. If both responses are positive, we will ask
the Foreign Missions Committee (FMC) for approval to process
your application. Upon their approval, we will send you
forms asking for additional personal and medical data and
personal references. Those who will participate in the
medical plan must also pass a physical exam.
To help us know you better, psychological tests will be
administered and the results later explained to you. We
will also arrange for an Assemblies of God Foreign Missions
representative to visit you to talk about your burden and
your plans.
Attend the special week-long interviews and orientation
session in Springfield with the Foreign Missions Committee.
There you will meet with the director of your intended
region; take language aptitude and Bible content exams;
and receive a general orientation to Assemblies of God
Foreign Missions policies, financial procedures, and deputational
practices. You will meet with the FMC for a personal interview.
The FMC will then pass your file to the Foreign Missions
Board.
These leading officials and pastors from around the United
States will review the records and reports. If this board
reacts favorably toward your application, you will be notified
immediately.
This whole process will likely take a minimum of 4 to
6 months. After this time, you will be ready to begin deputation
to raise your support for the foreign field.
"But isn't that an awful lot to go through just to
get to the mission field?" some applicants ask.
We are talking about a lifetime investment. We are in the
business of building the kingdom of God around the world
and dealing with the investments of thousands of our constituents
in prayer and financial support. The period of deputation
and your first 3-year term on the field may require an
investment of many thousands of dollars!
That kind of venture demands excellence--both spiritually
and professionally. It means your having total faith in
God and total confidence in yourself, in Assemblies of
God Foreign Missions, in your district, and in the pastors
and congregations who support you. That confidence comes
only through getting to know one another intimately and
thoroughly. Without it, missionary service is not likely
to be effective. But with it, and with God's help, we can
win the world.
IS GOD CALLING YOU?
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