“God has called me to missions, but how do I know which sending agency is right for me?” If that question resonates with you, you’re not alone! The good news is that many biblically-based agencies with a strong track record are poised to launch you to the region and people that God has placed on your heart. However, not one of them is perfect! The agency does not call you to the mission field. God does. By prayer, the Lord will guide you in your search and fully sustain you through the joys and sorrows of your upcoming years of service. 

For 14 of my 37 years of field experience, I served as a mission administrator who walked alongside our missionaries from their journey’s start in their home office, to welcoming them on the field, orienting them through adjustment, and offering guidance when the big questions arose. The questions offered here highlight some areas with which our missionaries wrestled once on the field. You will save yourself a lot of anxiety by proactively seeking answers to the following questions and choosing wisely, so that your choice of a sending agency fits you, even as specific assignments change, which they certainly will.

As much as possible, you want to find your “sweet spot” for ministry by asking the agency’s contact person pertinent questions about things that are important to you. Even if the first agency seems right for you, it’s wise to explore several others to give you an opportunity to compare them. Here are categories and lists of questions to launch your search.

1. Where in the world do they work?

2. Do they focus on specific or general types of mission work or both? 

3. Do they have openings that fit your interests (country, people group, type of ministry, etc.)? 

4. What will be their relationship with your supporters/churches/primary sending church?

5. What are their doctrinal beliefs and practices in general including those related to the controversial gifts of the Spirit?

6. What is the agency headquarters’ level of autonomy with their fields?

7. What are their personnel, member care, medical, financial, security, and other policies?

8 . Are they compatible with your primary sending church?

9. Is an appropriate agency staff member prepared to engage personally with your sending church? 

10. (Ask yourself) Would you be comfortable submitting to mission authority?

11. What are the field organizational structure and lines of authority?

12. How does the field mission leadership work?

13. What are field policies concerning workers’ evaluation, accountability, and disciplinary measures?

14. What are field policies concerning the autonomy of mission and church?

15. What are field policies concerning initial orientation, dress code, home assignment schedule, freedom to travel home for family issues, medical coverage, vacations, death on the field, security and evacuation, language learning, children’s education, child safety, gender relationship issues, etc.?

16. How do workers relate with national colleagues and national church leadership?

17. How does the field protect and encourage missionaries’ spiritual growth and health?

18. Are women’s roles adaptable or are they fixed according to cultural expectations?

19. Are women allowed to exercise spiritual gifts related to leadership, teaching, or evangelism?

20. How are roles different for single and married women with and without children?

21. What is the accepted level of ministry according to the C scale or H scale (spectrums of contextualization among Muslim and Hindu communities, respectively) in the specific placement you are exploring?

These questions will guide your research as you undertake the important task of choosing your sending agency. If you don’t feel compatible with one agency, feel free to ask your contact person to suggest an agency better suited for you. They sincerely want to help you find your “sweet spot” for mission service.

What lies ahead of you may appear daunting now and will certainly feel overwhelming from time to time as you fulfill your long-term mission goals. However, if you choose wisely, your sending agency will become like family, walking alongside you and ensuring that you are sustained and encouraged on your journey.

Need a place to start your search?

Written by: A long-term mission worker in West Africa