Choosing a Mission Board

You have said yes to God's call to missions. Now comes one of the most important decisions before heading to the field: choosing a mission board.

Just like choosing where you will serve, choosing who you will serve with will directly impact your joy, effectiveness, and long-term faithfulness. When the sending church, missionary, and mission board share doctrine, values, and goals, ministry thrives.

Doctrine matters deeply. A mission board should have a clear, unwavering commitment to the authority of Scripture. A firm belief in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible establishes the foundation for life and ministry.

Doctrinal unity among missionaries flows from a shared conviction about the Scriptures. Take time to carefully read a board's doctrinal statement and observe whether it actually lives by what it teaches.

Mission boards handle finances in different ways, and each approach shapes a missionary's experience. Among Independent Baptists, the most common approach is the faith-based deputation model.

In this model, missionaries personally present their ministry to churches and trust God to provide monthly support. Deputation takes time and effort, but it strengthens faith, builds church partnerships, and deepens trust in God's provision. BIO follows this deputation model.

If you and your sending church are Baptist, Baptist identity matters. Some boards describe themselves as “Baptistic” but do not plant Baptist churches. Look for a board that upholds these distinctives:

• Biblical Authority
• Autonomy of the local church
• Priesthood of every believer
• Two ordinances
• Individual soul liberty
• Saved church membership
• Two offices
• Separation of church and state

While humanitarian aid, education, and medical work can be valuable, the core mission task is church planting. That includes evangelism, discipleship, and training national leaders to shepherd local churches.

Choose a board whose primary focus is planting churches and training believers rather than one where church planting becomes secondary.

Healthy missions requires both leadership and freedom. A mission board must have enough delegated authority to establish standards, provide accountability, and resolve issues that could damage a missionary's ministry.

BIO seeks to maintain this balance through a Board of Trustees made up of Independent Baptist pastors, with field directors providing guidance, support, and counsel on the field.

Experience matters. Ask whether the board has established ministries in multiple countries, whether it is already working in your desired field, and whether it is willing and able to open new fields if God leads.

BIO has served missionaries and local churches since 1960 and currently has 700+ missionaries on 100 fields.

Biblical separation protects testimony and usefulness. A mission board should practice both ecclesiastical and personal separation, grounded in discernment and doctrinal conviction.

BIO maintains personal standards for its missionaries and does not cooperate with movements such as Ecumenical Christianity, Neo-Orthodoxy, Neo-Evangelicalism, or the Charismatic Movement.

• International insurance and emergency evacuation
• Candidate School and church-planting training
• Visa and government paperwork
• Banking, donor receipts, and bill paying
• Tax preparation and wire transfers
• Printing and communication services