Everything we’ve discussed so far has been just talk. Now, it’s time for action!
Silk Road Mission exists to identify, connect, and support Gospel Workers to the peoples of the Silk Road. It’s my ambition to see a new generation of missionaries raised up to take the name of Jesus Christ to places He has not been named. His name will one day be praised by every tribe and tongue. I want to be a part of what the Lord is doing and I hope you do too.
This post is the eighth of ten that will lay out the life cycle of missionary service. Whether you are simply exploring the idea or have already chosen an agency, these posts are meant to encourage and inform you. Let me know below if they helped in anyway!
We have previously outlined the first steps of Missionary Service. You can check those out by clicking on the link. This will be the most practical and lengthy post thus far. I pray it will bless you as your own mission journey begins.
Which path will you choose?
At this point in the process, you have gained some serious support and have done your own research. Some prospective missionaries will know whether they’ll be joining an organization or going independent at this stage but a significant portion may not. That’s fine. There are a couple options available to you. The biggest choice you have to make is whether you will be an independent missionary or join an agency.
That decision can be quite daunting. Everything we’ve discussed so far has been just talk. Now, it’s time for action! It’s time to take a leap of faith and actually put yourself on the path forward. Whatever that path may be.
It goes without saying but we’re going to say it anyway: you need to pray. We began this journey with prayer and every step along the way should have been covered in it as well. It is absolutely essential to every aspect of a missionary's life. This phase of preparation especially. You’ll be making decisions that could effect you for the next several years if not longer. What better reason to go to the the Lord in prayer?
So, let’s dive in. Independent VS Agency…
Independent
I’ll admit, I’m pretty biased toward the independent route since that’s the one I took. There are several aspects that I think are worth mentioning.
The most appreciated part of being independent is the autonomy that missionaries have when not affiliated with a specific organization. This grants missionaries the privilege to make and enact decisions for their ministries in a quick and efficient manner. The direction they take in ministering to their target peoples is also up to them and not a home office. Now, granted, this only will appeal to a subset of personalities. Most don’t wish to bear the responsibility that this kind of freedom brings. If that’s you, no worries. You might be a better fit for many great mission organizations out there. However, if you get excited at the prospect of leading and maintaining your ministry efforts then consider this one point in favor of independence.
Additionally, flexibility is something that all missionaries need but independents need in spades. Another word for this would be resilience. The ability to stop, re-evaluate, and adjust course just isn’t possible in large organizations. Things can happen extremely quickly on the mission field. This can be anything from a need to cut ties with a local partner or acquire emergency funds for a project. With large organizations there is often a defined and complicated process to do these things (which isn’t bad, oversight is always good). However, this can slow down the work on the ground. Being an independent grants the flexibility to move ahead and to do so quickly. If you prefer the oversight and double checking of a large organization then that’s the right route for you.
In the world of tech, the word “ecosystem” has a meaning that all tech geeks know instantly. It generally means the system of devices, apps, and services that you use which have (by design) greater cohesiveness when working in conjunction with one another. The same is true of the missions world. Each large org has it’s own ecosystem. Some even have their own terminology and require their missionaries to buy into how things are discussed amongst members of that org. I’m never going to disparage that. However, going independent gives you the freedom to be ecosystem agnostic and work with pretty much anyone (as long as there’s doctrinal parity). This means you can go to missions conferences and do some pretty smart networking. If you play your cards right, you could have contacts in all the major orgs so that if you one day decide to join up then you will already have a foot in the door.
One final thing worth mentioning is that it’s easier than ever before to be an independent missionary. Large organizations usually have 501c3 non-profit status in the U.S. which means they can receive donations and provide a tax deductible receipt for donors. Independents in the past didn’t have that option. In recent years, that has changed. There are now a few “mission service agencies” that can help the independent missionary be good stewards of their finances and provide tax receipts to donors. Silk Road Mission has partnered with such an agency. Mission Quest has been an incredible blessing to SRM and will be for years to come. If you are looking for such an organization to help your ministry then we highly recommend Mission Quest!
Agency
So, being an independent sounds awesome! Right? What about being involved with an larger mission agency? What benefits come with choosing that path?
Missionaries that join large organizations have access to an expansive support network that many independents are (sometimes sinfully) envious of. Everything from support personnel, help hotlines, legal help, access to high quality medical and travel insurance, counseling services, and more are packaged in with membership in these organizations and it’s awesome. Seriously, praise God that these kinds of packages are available. They help make the lives of those who serve God a tad bit easier. If you’re considering going independent then this one aspect will give you pause. All those things mentioned above? Independents have to source that themselves piecemeal. For some (like myself) that’s not a problem. For others it may be a headache they’d rather avoid. Honestly, in my opinion, this is the single greatest net positive to joining an established organization. If this bears any weight to your decision at all then know you’re making a wise choice.
That leads easily into the next point. All of life, especially ministry, requires resources to live and work. We need physical things to complete our daily tasks. As an independent I have to source all those resources required for living by myself. Places to live, food, bibles for local ministries, church building funds, any kind of rentals, etc etc etc… The list goes on and on. Many larger organizations have those supply lines already in place. They have a presence in the field that has given them local contacts in both business and ministry. This is huge. Much more than I have space to really unpack here. This will definitely be an article in the future. Know this: as an independent you're starting from scratch but with an organization you’re inheriting the fruit of who came before you (good or bad). Access to the resources that large orgs can bring to bear could be a blessing with far reaching consequences for your work and ministry.
One thing that we have to address is loneliness on the field. Even people with expansive teams and networks that they’re a part of can feel lonely. This article from Missionary Care is a great resource about the subject. Missionaries in established organizations will have tools at their disposal to help them overcome loneliness and help others in their team do so as well. Independents can be either those of us who thrive in solitude or social butterflies that drift from gathering to gathering. Both are needed in the Kingdom of God. However, it’s been my experience that joining a team seems to be better for those more extroverted in nature. This is a highly generalized statement of course. Everyone’s different and loneliness comes for everyone at some point. Just know that a large organization may have access to free or pre-paid counselors if the missionary needs them. As the above items in this list, this is a huge point in favor of joining up with an established org.
Finally, an established agency has something an independent (especially one just starting out) may never have: recognition. By this I mean that people inside the church will know these organizations by name already. Names like YWAM, Wycliffe, Frontiers, GFM, and IMB are all known in their respective denominational circles. Of course there are more than those but the idea still holds water. Established orgs have had time to create a track record of excellence. Take Wycliffe as an example. I doubt few in the pews wouldn’t know who that is and what they do. If you choose to join them then half of your work in communicating your mission is already done. Saying, “I’m so-and-so from Wycliffe.” does two big things. First, it tells the other person what you’ll be doing and why. Second, it puts the years of faithfulness that Wycliffe has shown into your account. Meaning, that you are seen as someone Wycliffe trusts enough to include in their ministry. That bears weight. Independents have to work harder in both demonstrating their faithfulness and proving that they’re trustworthy. This is the normal way of things. If you don’t get excited about having to explain your ministry over and over again then consider joining an established organization. It might be a better fit for you.
Disclaimer: Okay, all cards on the table. Here's my honest opinion regarding this question of Independent VS Agency: if you have any desire at all to join an agency, do it. Going independent is NOT easy. (Granted, neither is joining an agency. Mission work is hard no matter what!) The skills required to be independent differ slightly but significantly from joining an agency. You must be 100% committed to going the independent route. Doing it halfway will not work out. Again, doing ANY mission work halfway is a recipe for disaster but especially so for independents.
This post has been long. Very long. There is still much to say. However, this is more than enough to chew on for now. I have a challenge for those reading this. Well, two challenges.
If you want to join an agency and haven’t decided which one, do that soon. Decide and then begin the application process. Don’t put it off anymore. Make your choice. If not now then when? It’s time for action! Take the Leap of Faith required to start in missions. Trust the Lord and He will provide.
If you are considering the independent route, then contact us here at SRM. You can reach us via the form on our homepage or by emailing us at info@silkroadmission.org. Either is fine. Let us know what you want to do and we will see if we can help you in your independent missions journey. If we can’t we’ll at least point you in the right direction. Same as above though, make your decision soon and act on it. Don’t put off taking your first steps toward the field.
Below is a video summing up what was said here pretty well.
With that, I hope this post has helped in some way. We will be finishing our 10 Steps to Becoming a Missionary series soon. It’s been awesome and I hope it will be a resource for aspiring missionaries for years to come.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you, be gracious unto you, and give you peace.
That’s all for now travelers! See you next time!
Kenneth See
SRM Founder