Governing Philosophy of Mission Ministry

Introduction

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus Christ gives the command to evangelize the world. This document sets forth the philosophy of Calvary Baptist Church in fulfilling that "Great Commission."

Purpose

The congregation of Calvary Baptist Church of Huntsville, Alabama, an independent, fundamental, missionary-minded Baptist church, believes the purpose of missions is two-fold:

• To evangelize the lost worldwide
• To establish local churches worldwide, with responsibility to edify and equip believers to carry out the Great Commission.

Scope

The missions ministry of Calvary Baptist Church encompasses foreign missions outside the continental United States and home missions within the continental United States. Mission ministries will include those directly involved in establishing local churches and those that are extensions of local churches.

Calvary Baptist Church believes missions begin at home; therefore, the congregation will be challenged to send forth their own members as missionaries, to pray earnestly for missionaries and to support sacrificially the cause of missions.

Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria will be used in approving missionaries for support:

1. Candidates must be appointed by a mission board or sent by a Fundamental, Independent, Baptist Church that concurs with the doctrinal statement of Calvary Baptist Church, functions as a mission board, and is in harmony with the mission philosophy of our church.

2. Candidates themselves must personally subscribe to this philosophy of missions in writing and abide by the doctrinal statement of this church.

3. The preparation and background of candidates will be evaluated.

4. Consideration will be given to the candidates' desire and balance of approach with regard to evangelizing the lost and edifying and equipping the saints for ministry.

5. Evaluation will be made of the candidates' attitude toward the ministry which they are entering. Their purpose and philosophy of their desired ministry should be in agreement with that of Calvary Baptist Church.

6. It must be understood by the candidate that if their sending mission board, or church which is acting as their mission board, begins to compromise its fundamental stand, either here or abroad, the candidate must address this compromise in two steps:

a. Diligently admonish their mission board to hold true to the Biblical principles of separation.

b. If the mission board will not hear the missionary and deal accordingly with their compromise, the missionary must terminate the relationship with the mission board and seek another board which Calvary Baptist Church agrees with in principle and in philosophy. Failure to do so will be grounds for Calvary Baptist Church to terminate financial support. However, due to the difficulty in losing support while on the field, support will not be dropped until the missionary is back home on furlough.

7. Missionaries already on the field and desiring a change in field, must notify Calvary Baptist Church directly or through their sending board. The pastor and deacons must then approve the field change before support can continue.

8. It is the philosophy of Calvary Baptist Church to support missionaries primarily as local church planters. When a newly formed church is financially self supporting and there has been adequate time to train a national pastor, we believe the missionary should move on to begin a new local church. It is not the philosophy of Calvary Baptist Church to continue the support of missionaries who are currently serving in self supporting sustaining works. For a missionary to remain in such a church is grounds for his support to be terminated.

9. On occasion, missionaries may be supported whose major purpose is not church planting. In these cases, the missionary or candidate must present his purpose as such, before his initial support begins.

Financing

It is the express desire of Calvary Baptist Church to participate in the support of as many qualified missionaries as possible. Funds will be disbursed as follows:

• Monthly support of missionary ministries
• Special projects for regular monthly supported missionaries.
• Special offerings for missionary ministries not supported on a regular basis when ministering in our Church.
• Special projects of a missionary nature. Projects of this sort will be determined by the Pastor, Mission Committee and Deacons, subject to approval by the Church congregation.

Approval Process

The Pastor and Deacons of Calvary Baptist Church are charged with the implementation of the contents of this document. It will be their responsibility to present actions to the church body, according to the church constitution.