When coming to Japan as a missionary, an important decision you will need to make is which sending organization or mission board to go with.
There isn’t one “right answer” to this question. However, we will take a look at some of the options available to missionaries.
What does mission board do?
Mission agencies and mission boards will typically help you with handling finances. Many times they will provide you with training and tips for how to raise support and act as a receiving point for money that donors send. If you are in Japan, it is beneficial to have a place that will handle the administrative load of processing checks and tax paperwork for you.
Some organizations provide practical ministry training as well.
The sending church only option
Sometimes, churches will help handle finances on behalf of their missionary. In this case, the missionary is usually considered an employee of the church and paid from the church. While this may be possible for churches that have proper financial structure in place, difficulties arise when the church is laden with handling the finances for multiple missionaries.
For example, receiving checks and online payments for one missionary may not be too cumbersome, but when that doubles, or triples, the resources the church needs to handle the paperwork and payment processing grow significantly.
Things to consider in a missions organization/Mission board
Typically, you will be an active member of a local church and then be assisted by another outside agency.
However, not all mission boards are created equal. Just because they have good people on staff doesn’t make them the best option for being a missionary to Japan. For example, I have good friends and people in my life, but I wouldn’t ask them to do brain surgery. It doesn’t make them any less kind or Christlike. It just means they aren’t the ones for the job.
As you research mission organizations/boards, below are points to consider as well as questions you may want to ask before signing on.
Doctrine
This one might be obvious, but don’t sign up with a mission agency that holds to significant theological differences. Some agencies have more broad doctrinal statements which allow room for interpretation of certain non-central doctrines, while others are extremely strict and expect their missionaries to agree with finer points of theology. Make sure that the organization you choose with alights with your understanding of Scripture.
Expertise in Japan
Different mission agencies/boards have different strengths and weaknesses. Just because a mission agency has many missionaries does not make it singularly qualified to help you be a missionary to Japan. You will want to see if the organization has experience helping those serving in Japan. This applies to many aspects such as paperwork, training and more. There are many mistakes that can be avoided if you simply have someone show you the way. With the many organizations that have experience working in aJpan, there is no excuse to walk into Japan blind.
Handling paperwork
There are several bi-lateral agreements between Japan and the U.S. about taxes and social security. If your organization does not have experience helping people with tax paperwork and social security paperwork, you may end up unnecessarily paying double. If the organization has connections in Japan and experience with people in Japan, it will also be able to provide guidance about basic needs like getting a visa.
Training
Another area you will want to look into is the kind of ministry training and resources the organization provides as you work in Japan. If you are looking for an agency that will provide this (and many do) you will want to make sure the training is provided by people with actual ministry experience in Japan since there are significant cultural differences. You can ask who teaches at the training sessions as well as who guest speakers are.
Another aspect of training is coaching. Does the organization connect you with ongoing ministry accountability and coaching. Who is checking in on you and making sure you stay on track? You can also find a church-planting coach from elsewhere who can assist you with this, but if the organization you are with can provide you with one, that can be a plus.
Most organizations will pay lip service to accountability. However, the sad truth is that many organizations rarely check in on their missionaries and believe that being available when a missionary reaches out is the same thing as accountability. Unfortunately, such “optional accountability” is not accountability at all. Ask for specific examples about how they keep their workers accountable and how often this happens.
Ministry philosophy
Does the organization promote a model of ministry or provide training for ministry based on actual experience in Japan? There are many ways to do church-planting. Depending on the timing, resources, and strategy, things can look significantly different from place to place. Just because something works in one part of the world is not a guarantee that it will be helpful in Japan. Make sure the organization is one that can provide models that are practical, not just theoretical.
Teamwork
Especially among those who call themselves independent Baptist, there tends to be an overemphasis on being independent of any and every other person. Look for a mission agency that promotes church planting in teams.
When church planting, there are many details that will need to be handled to get things off the ground. Without a team to support you, your family will bear an unnecessary burden because of the long hours it will take in the “solopreneur” approach . Having others along for the ride for encouragement, prayer, and outreach will help you go farther and longer. without a team to help carry the load, you will likely have to face unhealty expectations and workloads.
Furthermore, starting as a team will help jump-start the process in Japan since so much of the culture is group oriented. You will be able to create the initial culture that defines what it means to be part of the church.
Administrative fees
The Bible is clear that the worker is worthy of his wages, and people who work at mission agency offices are no exception. Those who faithfully assist overseas workers by processing paperwork and donations should get paid.
However, there are several ways mission agencies handle the pay of their workers and office staff. Some organizations try to use mostly volunteers with more full-time staff raising their funding from churches and individuals to make the work possible. Other organizations take a fee from the donations that come in to offset the administrative costs.
Questions to ask
Based on the above considerations, here are some sample questions:
- Do my beliefs align with this organization’s beliefs? Am I comfortable with how open/closed their doctrinal stance is about non-core issues?
- How many people does this organization currently assist in Japan?
- What is the longest someone has been there with the organization?
- When was the last time the organization assisted someone to get to Japan?
- Does the organization have experience with taxes in Japan as well as in the U.S.?
- What kind of training does the organization provide once you land in Japan?
- Does the organization provide access to church planting coaches who have ministry experience in Japan?
- Does the organization provide on-going training at all?
- What kind of accountability structure does the organization have in place?
- Can the organization provide specific examples of what this looks like?
- How often does the organization check in with missionaries to see how they are doing?
- Does the organization adhere to a strict or flexible ministry philosophy?
- Is the promoted philosophy rooted in practical ministry experience in Japan or a philosophy that works somewhere else?
- Does the organization believe in working as a team to prevent unhealthy expectations and unhealthy workloads that are detrimental to long-term ministry?
- How does the mission agency handle donations and money?
- Will I be considered a 1099 contractor or w-2 employee?How does the mission agency support itself?
- Does it take a fee or percentage of all incoming funds?
As you research organizations, keep in mind, there is give and take when it comes to these points. However, asking thorough questions will help you find an organization that best fits your needs and help you in the long run.
Are there any other areas you think are worth considering when looking for a mission agency? We’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below.