OUR MISSIONARY PROGRAM
THE BASIS FOR MISSIONS
The basis for missions is found in the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: "Go ye therefore
and disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."
Biblically defined, missions is the going forth with the message of Christ to a world in
spiritual darkness.
THE OBJECTIVE OF MISSIONS
In keeping with the Great Commission (Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 17:18;
Mt. 28:19-20) the goal of missions is to Evangelize, Baptize, Train, and Establish
independent churches. It is not enough to simply preach the gospel through radio
evangelism, for missions involves the training, enlisting and establishing the converts into
local churches that will continue the ministry to future generations.
WHAT IS A MISSION AGENCY?
A missionary agency is an organization that serves as a liaison between the missionary, his
field of service and the supporting church. It serves as a financial clearing house,
informational resource, medical, language, insurance, legal permits, transportation, etc. A
mission agency also officially recognizes and approves individual missionaries as they solicit
partners and supporters.
HOW IS A MISSIONARY SUPPORTED?
Because Baptists are often independent, there is no cooperative pool from which
missionaries draw. Rather, it is necessary for each missionary to enlist their own support
from churches and individuals. Whereas this, at times, appears to be clumsy, it is the most
effective way to draw a bridge between the missionary, the field and the local church. The
missionary needs more than just money, they need prayer support, moral encouragement
and friends at home that they know they can count on. To help achieve this, a several year
period of "deputation" is usually necessary; yet, it is during this time that the missionary is
often "tempered" for the ministry, and as well is able to provide a valuable ministry on
behalf of the home churches.
HOW DOES OUR CHURCH PARTICIPATE?
At the time of this writing, Emmanuel supports twenty foreign and home missionaries, and
nineteen social, educational, missionary, benevolent, literature agencies. Our missionary
program is far reaching, including the on-the-scenes missionary that ministers to the jungle
natives-to the computer specialist that translates and prepares portions of scripture to these
natives. Some of our missionaries are medically oriented, others are involved at home on
the college campus. Each aspect of missions has the singular goal of reaching men and
women spiritually. We feel that the purpose of Christ has not been accomplished if the
human and social needs of people alone is met. Thus, every human effort has a singular
spiritual objective in Christ.
HOW CAN YOU BE INVOLVED?
Throughout the year, every effort is made to inform the congregation of the various needs
of our missionary family. Opportunities are provided for special offerings, and missionary
families often visit our church, providing for you the opportunity to have them in your
home for meals or lodging. Regularly, our missionaries communicate with our church by
mail, and we have these letters duplicated and passed out during the churchs mid-week
service.
We try to use many methods so that you, the supporting unit, can become informed prayer
partners in this valuable and necessary ministry.
Please call the church office if you have any questions or if you would like to have a greater
part in the mission ministry of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
TRENDS IN MODERN MISSIONS
The missionary program established by Christ works! In fact, it works so well that
non-Christian religions and cults have become quite successful using the same method of
outreach. From its humble beginnings in Acts, missions has grown with a changing world,
to a modern day army of over 50,000 missionaries. They use every conceivable method as a
tool to reach the lost: Education, medicine, agriculture, radio, literature, clothing, food,
housing, etc. Today, missionary outreach crosses language, ethnic, geographical, cultural
and social barriers, both at home and abroad, to the multitudes that have not heard the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. Missionary outreach that is true to the Gospel, however, must
preclude any method that does not have as its primary goal the evangelism of the lost with
the Gospel of Christ, and the ultimate establishment of indigenous local churches, which in
turn, will be able to equip the saints to further the cause of Jesus Christ.
