How To Become A Missionary

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Whether you're a pastor, evangelist, tech person, teacher, editor, photographer, underwater basket weaver, or counselor, God can use your specific talents in missions. Regardless of what you may think, the job description of a missionary is very broad and can accommodate every kind of background.

If you think God is calling you to missions, it can be an arduous task to fulfill that call. Here's a few steps to help you get started. This procedure I'm describing is written to help those who want to serve in long-term (5+ years) missions, but the process will be fairly similar for short-term missionaries. If you want to serve less than a year, then your process will likely be fairly simple.

Be A Maturing Christian
If you aren't committed to Christ, then you won't be a very effective missionary. You can begin the process as a new Christian, but a lot of organizations will want to see signs of Christian growth in your life. If you aren't sure where to begin, make sure you faithfully attend church, find ministries you can serve with, start a Bible reading plan, and find someone to mentor you in your faith--this process is referred to as discipleship and it's something you should continue your whole Christian life.

Talk To Your Pastor
If you are a mature Christian or a new Christian who has begun the discipleship process, talk to your pastor about your desire to be a missionary. Most importantly, be willing to listen to him/her. They may encourage you to wait, serve longer in the church, take specific classes, go on a missions trip, or gain certain experiences first--don't let this discourage you. Prayerfully trust their discernment.

Get Your Church's Endorsement
It will be very important to have a supporting church working with you. If your church is independent, then it may be as simple as talking to your pastor. If your church is part of a denomination, then you may have to get endorsement on a statewide or national level.

Find Someone To Partner With
This can be a specific missionary that you can begin serving with or a missions-sending organization. Initiate the application process with the organization or begin communication with the missionary. You will likely have to jump through some hoops, but this is one of the most important steps so keep your head up and keep a good attitude during this stage.

Be Flexible, Patient, and Persistent
You'll likely have to submit references, get a background check, and go through interviews. Once you're approved, then you'll have to start finding financial and prayer partners. This whole process from your first call to the time you arrive on the field could take a few years. You will experience discouragement, you will experience frustration, and you will feel like giving up, but once you pass through this process then you will be a missionary.


What preparation do you think candidate missionaries should receive? Anything you'd add/remove from this process? How can you help an applying missionary get to the field.