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Section I:
MISSIONS PHILOSOPHY
I. Missions Purpose Statement:
The primary purpose of PFEBC missions is
to engage in global efforts to reproduce Bible teaching New Testament
churches that bring glory to God by winning people to Jesus Christ and
equipping them to be more faithful disciples.
This is in keeping with the overall purpose of our church which is
to:
A.
Glorify God (Eph. 1:5-6; 11-12;
3:21; 1 Cor. 10:31).
B.
Evangelize the Lost (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Rom. 10:13-14).
C.
Edify Believers (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 20:28-32; Heb. 3:13; Eph.
4:11-13).
II. The Missions Policy Purpose: To tie this
important aspect of our ministry to our church bylaws, ARTICLE 1,
SECTION 1.02 – PURPOSE, ARTICLE 2, SECTION 2.01 -
STATEMENT OF FAITH, (I) The Church, (V) Missions;
and to enable our church to have a sound, biblical missions program.
III. The Missions Policy Goals:
A.
To ensure that missions decisions are made on a sound biblical basis
in accordance with our missions and ministry philosophy.
B.
To ensure good stewardship of our financial resources.
C.
To strengthen the relationship between our church family and our
missionaries and/or agencies that we support.
A.
Evangelism is actively sharing the Gospel of Jesus
Christ with the people around us as opportunities occur without regard to
geography or familiarity.
B.
Discipleship is the process of helping a person
to change and grow in the likeness of Christ as that person is ‘equipped for
the work of the ministry.
C.
Missions means evangelizing and discipling [fulfilling
the Great Commission] outside one’s own geographic and cultural community in
whatever forum is acceptable to our church and suitable to the missionary’s
gifts and experience.
D.
Missionary is a believer called of God and sent out by
a local church to fulfill the Great Commission with people in a different
geographic location and in a different culture than his own. The cultural
difference can be within his/her country and language, or in another
country. For our purposes, missionaries will be involved either directly or
indirectly in establishing New Testament churches.
E.
Foreign Missions are ministries that fit the above
definitions that are conducted outside the United States.
F.
Home Missions are ministries that fit the above
definitions that are conducted within the United States.
G.
Short Term Missionary is a person who is
considering pursuing missions as a vocational ministry; usually the
consideration is for 2 years or less, or a person participating in a Mission
Trip for the purpose of training, construction, medical, or other ministry
purposes.
H.
National
Missionary is a missionary not from the U.S. who is seeking
to engage in full-time Christian vocational ministry in his own country.
I.
Local Church is the organized body of Christian
believers in a given location (i.e., Pensacola, FL) that unites together for
the purpose of obeying the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper,
glorifying God, evangelizing the lost, and edification of the believer.
V. Types of Ministries
As a matter of stewardship, we will place primary emphasis and the
bulk of our time, spiritual gifts, and money on sending and supporting
individuals whose ministry call and focus is on the establishment, growth,
and multiplication of local churches that are consistent with the doctrine
and practice of Pine Forest Estates Baptist Church.
A.
Church Planting Ministries
1.
The primary focus and priority of the individual’s efforts are for
the establishing of new, indigenous, reproducing churches in cross-cultural
situations.
2.
Consideration will possibly be given to national church planting
efforts of an individual sent by a non-American church.
B.
Church Development Ministries
These ministries focus on evangelism and discipleship in strategic
populations which enable an existing church to reach beyond
their current sphere of
influence in that particular cultural setting —i.e. campus ministry,
jail ministry, radio ministry, etc.
C.
Support Ministries
There are individuals and/or organizations that are involved in
ministries that legitimately support traditional church planting efforts
(e.g. medical work, relief and development, social work, technology,
educational, etc.). We may designate a portion of our missions support to go
to these types of ministries.
1.
Stateside administration and counsel which directly supports people
in church-planting or extension type ministries (i.e. agencies
like BIMI, BMM, etc.)
2.
Schools and/or educational institutions that can contribute to the
training of those who seek to plant/develop local churches.
3.
Other ministries that contribute to effective church planting
or extending existing churches – i.e. mission aviation, medical work, relief
work, educational, and translation.
VI. The Biblical Foundation of Missions
A.
The Great Commission: Matthew 28:19,20 says, “Go ye therefore,
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end
of the world. Amen.”
1.
This passage serves as the foundation for our Mission Statement:
The ministry of Pine Forest Estates Baptist Church is to win people to Jesus
Christ and equip them to be more
faithful disciples.
2.
Christ delegated authority to the disciples and commanded them to
make disciples of all nations.
3.
The word “nations,” rather than referring to geo-political nation
states, points to the idea that the body of Christ is to be made up of
people from “every nation and all
tribes and peoples and tongues” (Revelation 7:9).
B.
Matthew 16:18, “. . . upon this rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”; Acts 2:37-47;
Philippians 4:15-19.
1.
Matthew 16 establishes the unity of the entire body of Christ (or the
‘universal church’). Our love for the brethren includes those of
other cultures who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Our
church’s efforts, as well as those of our missionaries, are to seek to
bring unsaved people into the Church, the body of Christ, by faithfully
proclaiming the Gospel.
2.
Acts 2:37-47 establishes the beginning of the ‘local church.’
3.
Philippians 4:15-19 establishes the connection of a local
church supporting a ‘missionary’ in the work of the ministry. While Paul
also engaged in ‘tent making’ responsibilities (Acts 18:1-2), the norm is
a local church supporting the missionaries they send out.
C.
Acts 13:2 says, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted,
the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I
have called them.” Over time, the Church in Antioch became the leading
church of the first century (Acts 13:1-14:28).
In the midst of worship, prayer, and fasting, the church responded to
the Holy Spirit by commissioning two of their leaders, Barnabas and Saul,
sending them into ministry.
1.
Barnabas and Saul were already actively serving in the church
–seeking to win souls to Christ and engaged in regular discipleship
opportunities.
2.
The church recognized their gifts and service, and the
church authenticated Barnabas and Saul’s call to the ministry by
commissioning them for the task.
3.
In each new city that Barnabas and Saul visited, their goal was to
plant and establish new churches. This is evident by the fact that they
evangelized key cities, preached the gospel, strengthened the disciples, and
appointed elders.
4.
Following their missionary journey, Barnabas and Saul reported back
to the church in Antioch, demonstrating their submission to the leadership
and authority of that local church.
5.
Therefore, missionaries are directly accountable to the local church
that commissioned them and indirectly to the churches supporting them.
Mission Agencies are considered ‘Support Ministries’ as stated in our
Missions Philosophy (cf. V. Types of Ministries).
VII. The Purpose of Missions
Missions is the process of local churches carrying out the Great
Commission (making disciples) as patterned by the book of Acts: evangelizing
strategic cities, instructing new Christians, planting local churches, and
strengthening those churches that they would duplicate the cycle and
multiply through sending their own people into missions. The chief task of
missions is to plant and establish new churches that will be effective in
fulfilling the Great Commission in their geographic and cultural setting.
VIII. The Process of Achieving Our Missions Philosophy
A.
By keeping missions visible before the church through:
1.
Teaching/training our people in the area of missions. (Matthew 8:30;
II Timothy 2:2).
2.
Seeking the Lord for laborers in missions (Matthew 9:37-38).
3.
Exposing our people to missions.
The exposure to missions will come
through the following:
a.
Having missionaries into our church to preach and present their
ministries.
b.
Having our missionaries minister in our church among our people while back
on furlough.
c.
Holding missions conferences and have
times of missions’ emphasis during the course of our ministry.
d.
Reading the correspondence from our missionaries publicly and post prayer
letters on the missionary board.
e.
Sending our pastor on regular missionary survey trips to encourage the
missionary and update the church concerning their ministry.
B.
By taking church mission trips and:
1.
Encouraging individuals and families at PFEBC to be involve in
mission trips outside of the United States (e.g. training, evangelistic,
medical, construction, etc.).
2.
Evaluating each situation to know whether PFEBC will provide any
financial support provided a person agrees to the Leadership Standards for
those who participate in a mission trip.
C.
Selecting and sending missionaries:
1.
Who have a proven testimony before God and man (1Timothy 4:12; Acts
13:1-3).
2.
Who give evidence of a Divine calling to this ministry (Acts 13:2).
3.
Who are like-minded in the doctrine and philosophy of our church(II
John 10; Rom. 16:17; II Thess. 3:14-15).
4.
Who are American or Canadian citizens. We believe that nationals
in their own country should receive financial support from their
own churches.
5.
Who identify as Independent Baptists and go out under either
an approved Independent Baptist Board or this church.
6.
Who are active members of Independent Baptist churches.
7.
Who the church supports and does not solicit funds from
individuals within the church.
8.
For geographical areas where we do not have a missionary will be
our primary focus in a given mission year.
9.
Who will be involved in reproducing Bible-teaching New Testament
Baptist churches.
*While there are many good
ministries in which a church could be involved, we will involve ourselves in
church-planting related ministries. We put a high priority on ministries
where nationals are being trained for leadership in their own church.
D.
Supporting missionaries in their work through:
1.
Regular prayer support (Eph. 6:18-19).
2.
Pastoral support (Rom. 1:11-12).
3.
Financial support.
*We will support each missionary on a monthly support basis
through the regular offerings that are designated to missions.
Our goal is to increase our giving to missions annually and to
support more missionaries in the future.
“Grace giving” known as faith promise giving will be the Biblical
plan for financial missionary support (II Cor. 8-9).
PFEBC missionary support will be administered as follows:
a.
Providing a love offering (minimum of $100.00) to missionaries who
come into our church to preach during a service.
b.
Providing support for a minimum of $200 per month to full time
missionaries we send from our church.
c.
Supporting for a minimum of $75 per month missionaries that we take
on that are not from our church.
2.
We will expect our missionaries to be responsible and accountable to
us at all times through:
a.
Corresponding regularly with our church (a minimum of once per
quarter).
b.
Spending quality time with our church while on furlough (except when
they will be living in a different area due to convenience or cost).
c.
Faithfulness in their calling and to maintain a godly testimony
before the Lord at home and abroad.
IX. Our Church’s Responsibility for Missionaries
Some ways to help our missionaries and maintain a good working
relationship with our church family through:
A.
Biblical Responsibility
1.
Praying for each missionary and their ministry (2 Thes. 3:1).
2.
Keeping that missionary accountable to our local church,
especially those sent out from PFEBC (Acts 14:27)
3.
Contributing faithfully to the financial support of each
missionary and/or type of mission work (Phil. 4:15-17).
B.
Practical Suggestions to build and maintain a good
relationship with our missionaries and/or type of mission work:
1.
Read their prayer letters and fervently pray for them (Phil. 1:19;
Eph. 6:12).
2.
Keep current on information from our church to them.
3.
Write them and send them tapes/video tools.
4.
Send them missionary periodicals or journals.
5.
Send them care packages.
6.
Send people to visit/help them on the field.
7.
Welcome them into your homes when they are home on furlough.
8.
Treat them as regular people and/or as an extension of the
pastoral staff.
9.
Assist them develop effective presentations with honesty
and openness.
10.
Meet with them individually to discuss their goals, as well
as ministry/personal problems.
11.
Assist them with continued education.
12.
Incorporate them into an Adult Sunday School class when on furlough.
13.
Schedule a time for them to report to our church family regarding the
way God is at work in their ministry.
14.
Keep the Missions Committee updated with current pictures
and ministry information.
Section 2: MISSIONS COMMITTEE
I. Missions
Committee
This committee shall consist of at least
five adult members of PFEBC who have been appointed by the Pastor annually.
Requirements for such members are stated in the church by-laws.
All members of the pastoral staff will automatically serve as
ex-officio members of the committee.
The duties of the committee shall be to:
A.
Assist the Pastor in the planning and promotion of an annual Missions
Conference.
B.
Interview prospective missionary candidates discussing with them our
church’s missionary policy, doctrines, and practices.
C.
Meet with those who are returning from service to discover special
needs and burdens.
D.
Recommend to the Pastor and Deacons an annual missionary budget.
E.
Consider all increases and changes in our missionary budget and make
recommendations to the Pastor and Deacons.
F.
Make every effort to mobilize the entire membership in missionary
work.
II. Missions Committee Financial Policies
A.
Procedures for approving financial support will be through:
1.
The initial contact by a missionary should be by phone or letter to
the pastor.
2.
An explanation of procedure for support will be sent from the church
office by letter or email. A
fact sheet/Questionnaire and church’s Statement of Faith will be included
with this letter.
3.
When the fact sheet is received and reviewed along with other
pertinent considerations, the missionary will be presented to the Missions
Committee by the Pastor.
4.
The missionary is invited for an interview with the Pastor and or
Missions Committee; the missionary is invited to present their work to the
congregation.
5.
The Missions Committee meets and evaluates whether the missionary is
to be recommended to the congregation for support.
6.
The missionary becomes part of the PFEBC missionary family upon
approval by the congregation.
7.
The missionary sends prayer letters and other reports to our church
at a minimum of once a quarter.
8.
These letters are read by the Pastor and Missions Committee and
additional needs will be considered.
9.
Recommendations to change support levels are made by the Missions
Committee to the Pastor and Deacons. Upon a recommendation by the Pastor and
Deacons, support levels will be considered by the congregation.
10.
The missionary reports to the congregation and is interviewed by the
Pastor and Missions Committee when home from the field or when changing
fields.
B.
Procedures for determining the amount of financial support will be
based on the following criteria:
1.
The strength of their relationship to PFEBC (i.e. is PFEBC their
‘sending church’).
2.
Type of work that they plan to do (church planting, church
development, or support ministries).
3.
Total amount of support needed.
4.
Whether the missionary will need short-term or long-term
support.
5.
Money towards educational training will be considered on a
case-by-case basis for the following:
a) PFEBC members
pursuing full-time Christian vocational ministry.
b) Our missionaries
seeking to pursue additional training in areas related to their ministry.
6.
The Missions Committee will recommend an equitable and balanced
support level for each missionary and make it’s recommendations to the
Pastor and Deacons accordingly.
7.
The Missions Committee will conduct an annual financial review
of each missionary endeavor of Pine Forest Estates Baptist Church to
evaluate the support levels and budget percentages of each ministry type.
8.
The Missions Committee will review these financial policies of
the missions program at least every three years. This financial review will
be given to the Pastor and Deacons and will be presented to the church
at our annual administration
meeting.
C.
Procedures for discontinuing financial support will be for the
following reasons:
1.
Resignation and re-entry into the United States.
2.
Request for missionary resignation by their board or sending church. If
the missionary refuses to return to the States, support will be dropped.
3.
Change of fields – support may be continued if the church deems it a
legitimate addition to our overall missions program.
4.
Missionaries sent out by our church that leave the field permanently
to pursue ministry in the States.
They will receive support for two months once they are in the States
after which support will automatically end.
5.
Missionaries who come home on furlough without intentions of
returning to the field are not entitled to support for the entire furlough
year. They will receive the two
months of support to get acclimated to their new situation.
(In the case of unusual hardship, the church can extend support for a
number of months at the discretion of the pastor and deacons).
6.
Missionaries who leave the field for retirement will have their
support dropped after two months in the States.
Missionaries who come home to semi-retire and continue ministry
part-time will receive partial support at the discretion of the Pastor and
Deacons and the approval of the congregation.
Section 3: MISSIONARIES
I. The Process of Becoming an Approved Missionary of PFEBC
We consider it a privilege and great responsibility to take on
missionaries for support.
For missionaries that are sent out from another church and serviced
by a Mission Board, our responsibility is to support them regularly in
prayer and finances. We will
seek to do all that we can to keep in contact with them and to encourage
them in their mission endeavors.
We still expect them to answer to us concerning spiritual, ethical, and
moral issues in their personal lives and ministry.
For missionaries sent out by our church as their sending church, we
have a greater responsibility as the sending ministry.
We will give special priority to special needs that they have as well
as provide regular support. We
realize that we are the main contact with them in the United States and feel
and even greater responsibility to them.
A.
PFEBC is the sending church (see separate document)
B.
PFEBC is not the sending church
Missionaries of this category will submit their request to the Pastor
who will pass the information on to the Missions Committee for official
consideration in presenting his/her work to our church. After a
recommendation from the Committee, and approval by the Pastor and Deacons,
then the congregation will hear the missionary presentation. Based on a
recommendation by the Pastor/Deacons, the congregation will decide if that
missionary and/or type of ministry will be a part of our missions program.
To become an approved missionary, a person must:
1.
Subscribe to the Statement of Faith of our church and declare himself
in agreement with the principles and practices of our church and its
ministry.
2.
Appear before the Missionary Committee in person to give his/her
testimony and answer/ask any questions.
3.
Be sent out from our church or be serving with a Missions Board that
is not in fellowship with the National or World Council of Churches or other
groups which include modernists.
4.
Be with a Missions Board that guarantees the support given by our
church will go entirely to the said missionary.
5.
Be with a Missions Board whose doctrine is in conformity to that of
our church as outlined in our Statement of Faith.
The Missions Board must be supportive of and in agreement with our
church and ministry.
6.
Special consideration may be given to those missionaries who are
using their home church as a sending missionary agency. In this case,
additional communication and evaluation will be necessary to guarantee the
like-mindedness of the missionary endeavor. Additionally, a financial
statement for accountability purposes and a pastoral review would be
annually submitted to PFEBC.
II.
Guidelines for Missionaries on Furlough
A.
Missionaries that we send out from our church who choose to spend
their furlough in Pensacola should be considered an extension of the
Pastoral staff at PFEBC. They are welcome to participate in pastoral staff
meetings. They may also attend conferences with the pastoral staff and
participate in other aspects of pastoral work as their schedule allows.
B.
The Missions Committee will conduct an interview of each missionary
on furlough to evaluate that missionary's financial
support individual spiritual growth, and ministry effectiveness.
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