Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your inquiry about becoming an SUM missionary as you pursue ministry through missions. We at Straight Up Missions believe that when someone is being called by God into full time foreign mission service it is no small thing and should not be entered lightly. We would like you to know more about our organization so that you understand what, realistically, you may expect from us as well as what we expect from you.
Straight Up Missions is here to help the church and the missionary succeed in what God has called them to do. At SUM we believe that the local church is the sole God ordained institution for authorizing and conducting missionary activity. NT missions were a church centric activity. Missionaries were identified, commissioned, and funded by the NT church. SUM is here to augment the local church in areas where the church is not structured or mandated to meet specific needs, not supplant the primary ministries of the local church. SUM is here to support the work of the local church.
Straight Up Missions will only take missionaries who their local church would see them as biblically qualified to serve alongside the Elders in that local assembly and who are currently actively involved in their local church in ministry, specifically teaching ministries. New Testament missionaries were duly authorized representatives of the church commissioned to conduct the primary activities of evangelism, teaching, church planting and the building up of the saints. Therefore, we see NT missionaries as being akin to or virtually synonymous with the office of elder. The tasks of teaching and church planting necessitate that those who partake in such activities be elder qualified. The definition of “missionary” that we use is: an ordained pastor/elder and his wife, who are sent to cross-culturally teach, preach, baptize, disciple, plant, develop, and strengthen local churches.
These questions are the first step in a process that will allow us to better understand you and what it is God has called you to do.
Your responses will be reviewed by our board members and prayerfully considered as we seek to act in sober and careful obedience to our God-given responsibility to magnify His glory to all nations. You may expect a response from us within 4-6 weeks.
Sincerely,
Please provide information to help us understand you and your ministry. Attach additional pages if necessary.
- Please share your personal testimony.
- Describe how you envision a mission’s partnership between you and Straight Up Missions.
- What are you hoping to do as a missionary?
- Explain why you are pursuing the ministry outlined above.
5.What ministry are you currently involved with in your local church?
- Please describe your current level of accountability.
- To whom would you be held accountable after arriving on the mission field?
8. Please attach a doctrinal statement to which you agree, and cite the source of the statement.