← Choosing a Mission Organization
Contents · 9 / 10
  1. Introduction — The Decision Behind the Mission
  2. Chapter 1 — Before the Agency: What Are You Actually Being Sent to Do?
  3. Chapter 2 — The Organization Behind the Logo
  4. Chapter 3 — Fit Is Not Enough
  5. Part II — Test the Organization
  6. Part III — Test the Life You Will Actually Live
  7. Part IV — Verify and Commit
  8. Conclusion — Choose, Commit, Stay Teachable
  9. Appendices A–G
  10. Bibliography

Publication

Appendices A–G

~12 min read

Appendix A — First Conversation With an Agency

Use this before a full investigation.

Mission and fit

  • What kind of long-term work is the organization primarily designed to support?
  • Who should probably not join this organization?
  • What distinguishes the approach from comparable agencies?
  • What role would I actually do?
  • What would the first two years look like?

Church

  • How is the sending church involved?
  • What decisions would the church retain influence over?

Team

  • Who would supervise me?
  • Can I speak with the likely field or team before deep application?

Finances

  • What funding model applies?
  • What does the quoted support target actually include?

Weaknesses

Ask directly:

What do good missionaries commonly find frustrating about this organization?

What kind of candidate tends not to flourish here?

Appendix B — Agency Comparison Worksheet

Do not calculate a total score.

DomainAgency AAgency BEvidence / unanswered question
Theology
Church relationship
Role
Capability/training
Governance
Finances
Safeguarding
Member care
Team
Supervisor
Local partnership
Family/singleness
Conflict/appeal
Exit/reassignment

Classify unresolved concerns as RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, or GRAY as defined in Chapter 3.

Finish with:

Best case for joining:

Best case against joining:

What evidence would change my mind?

Appendix C — Current and Former Worker Interviews

Current worker

  1. What surprised you after arriving?
  2. What is better than expected?
  3. What frustrates good missionaries here?
  4. What does headquarters misunderstand?
  5. What happens when you disagree with leadership?
  6. How accessible is member care in practice?
  7. Why did the last few workers leave the field or team?
  8. Would you join this organization again?

Former worker

  1. Why did you leave?
  2. Was leaving your decision?
  3. How did leadership respond?
  4. How were financial and supporter relationships handled?
  5. What did you learn only after joining?
  6. What would you ask if choosing again?
  7. Would you ever rejoin?
  8. What criticism of the organization would be unfair?

Neither interview is a final verdict. Look for convergence with other evidence.

Appendix D — Team and Supervisor Interview

Supervisor

  • What authority would you have over my role?
  • How are priorities set?
  • How often do you meet workers individually?
  • How do you give correction?
  • Tell me about a serious team disagreement.
  • How is conflict escalated?
  • What causes missionaries to struggle here?
  • Under what circumstances would you recommend reassignment?

Team members

Ask independently:

  • How are decisions really made?
  • Can people disagree without inappropriate retaliation?
  • Is language and culture learning actually protected?
  • How much time do meetings require?
  • What happens when workload becomes excessive?
  • How well does the supervisor receive correction?
  • How much influence do local Christian leaders have?

Appendix E — Financial, Family, and Household Questions

Finances

  • What does the support target include?
  • Who owns donated funds?
  • What happens during a deficit?
  • What insurance is included?
  • What retirement provision exists?
  • What happens financially when leaving?

Marriage

  • Is each spouse accepted independently?
  • What role is each expected to carry?
  • What happens when one spouse needs reduced workload?

Children

  • What schooling options exist?
  • What safeguarding systems apply?
  • Is education consultation available?
  • What special-needs support exists?
  • How are reentry and university transition handled?
  • What happens when the field becomes unsuitable for a child?

Singles

  • What housing options exist?
  • What team expectations apply?
  • What security arrangements matter?
  • How is sustainable friendship and community supported?
  • How does home assignment work for single missionaries?

Appendix F — Specialist / High-Risk Checklist

Use this only when the assignment actually creates these risks. You are not required to become the specialist yourself. The purpose is to recognize when qualified professional help is needed.

Legal / immigration

  • Does the legal status actually permit the planned activity?
  • Who sponsors it?
  • What worker or employment status applies?
  • Which tax and social-insurance systems apply?

Security

  • Who owns security decisions?
  • What threat model applies?
  • What happens after device or account compromise?
  • How are local contacts protected?
  • What happens during evacuation?

Technology / sensitive data

  • Who can access sensitive ministry records?
  • What information may enter AI systems?
  • How is access revoked after departure?
  • Are safeguarding and member-care records separated appropriately?

Professional roles

  • Who verifies licensing?
  • Is professional liability covered?
  • What external standards govern the role?

This appendix identifies questions. It does not replace legal, medical, security, tax, insurance, or other professional advice.

Appendix G — Final Decision Packet

Before committing, prepare one short packet.

1. Mission responsibility

What am I actually being sent to do?

2. Church judgment

What does my church affirm? What concerns remain?

3. Sending ecosystem

Identify the church, legal sender, international organization, field, team, supervisor, and key local partners.

4. Qualification

Any unresolved presumptive disqualifier?

5. Capability

Can the organization actually support the assignment?

6. Compatibility

Role, theology, team, family, finances, and context.

7. Evidence

List documents reviewed; current workers; former workers; local or partner input; relevant historical evidence.

8. Concerns

RED:
ORANGE:
YELLOW:
GRAY:

9. Best case for joining

Write it fairly.

10. Best case against joining

Write it fairly.

11. Bad-Year Test

What would happen if support drops, team leadership changes, ministry fails, family needs change, or evacuation occurs?

12. Decision-process check

  • Am I rationalizing sunk costs?
  • Am I demanding impossible certainty?
  • Am I choosing comfort over obedience?
  • Am I spiritualizing preventable danger?

13. Stopping rule

What unanswered issues genuinely require more investigation? If none are material, decide.

14. Commitment

If joining: What kind of member of this organization do I intend to become?