The Missionary Church is more like a family than a denomination. A family works together for a common goal. The family members give to and receive from the benefits of their commitment to each other. Historically, the Missionary Church family has been truly cooperative demonstrating great unity in the faith and lordship of our Savior.

Our churches commit to live by the driving motivation of a progressive mission statement.

Many local churches have adopted their own mission statements to articulate their local ministry goals, but the following statement is a summary of concepts that guide the overall ministry of the US church:

The Missionary Church, in obedience to Jesus Christ her Lord, is committed to being holy people of God in the world and to building His Church by worldwide evangelism, discipleship and multiplication of growing churches, all to the glory of God.

Missionary Churches have a commitment to becoming globally minded.

Actively pursuing a vision that includes spreading the gospel throughout the whole world is a distinctive of the Missionary Church. We support 118 missionaries and partner with 22 sister denominations in 97 countries.

The world also includes across the street, around the state and throughout the US. More than 200 churches have been planted since 1990. Multiplication will increase as local churches catch the vision to become parent churches.

We’re a family made up of other pastors, pastors’ spouses, and experienced church leaders.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

As part of our family, pastors can share in encouragement, accountability, support, leadership development, and continuing education opportunities.

The pastors of the Missionary Church are responsible to their district, region or network leadership and the president of the denomination. They are accountable for their own personal integrity and effectiveness in ministry. This authority is not “lorded over” the pastor but is provided as an aid to the enhancement of his ministry.

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent” (John Donne, 16th cent. English poet and clergyman).

We work hard to cultivate encouragement and support among our pastors, where competition is minimized and mutual care for one another is priority. Many pastors are linked together in ministry partner relationships for prayer and accountability. We are living in an age where developing healthy relationships is often rare. A cultural war of values is also taking place which militates against living a holy life. Building healthy inter-dependence is extremely important. “…in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5).

Through a variety of conferences and continuing education programs, Missionary Church pastors are regularly exposed to the latest instruction for their ministry and leadership. This kind of education also includes interaction with other pastors as they encourage one another and praise God for what He is doing.

A pastoral change is a very strategic time in the life of a church. While the primary responsibility for the selection process lies with the local church, each church has the district, region or network leader at its side helping it to find approved candidates, conduct interviews, and eventually to make a selection.

For some, their history is a ball and chain that stifles progress and adaptability. The Missionary Church is using its history as a launching pad for aggressive outreach. While our message from the Bible is unchangeable, our methods of communication must change to reach the culture for Christ.

The heritage of the Missionary Church is best understood if one is aware that the early leaders had a commitment to the position that the Scriptures were to be the source of doctrine and life. In addition to this commitment to be a biblical church, the theological perspective of the Missionary Church recognizes the contribution of John Wesley’s emphasis on “the warmed heart”; A. B. Simpson’s fourfold emphasis on Jesus Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King; the Anabaptist concepts of community and brotherhood; and the evangelical emphases of the lost estate of mankind and redemption through Jesus Christ.

The Missionary Church is a unique blend of the thought and life of a people who have sought to build their church according to the Scriptures with an appreciation for their historical roots.

Through training, coaching, ministry resources, and financial services, we come alongside churches at every stage of ministry helping you build on your unique calling while pursuing our shared mission.

Church Planting and Multiplication | Whether you're exploring a call to plant a church or preparing to multiply your ministry, the Missionary Church offers training, coaching, and resources to help turn vision into action. The Church Multiplication Training Collective (CMTC) equips church planters, sending churches, and ministry leaders to make disciples and develop healthy, multiplying churches. Training and coaching help leaders identify their mission field, build effective teams, and prepare for sustainable ministry.

Church Health and Leadership Development | Healthy churches are built by healthy leaders who are equipped to make disciples. Through coaching, church assessments, and opportunities to learn alongside other pastors, the Missionary Church helps congregations evaluate their ministry to pursue greater effectiveness in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Youth and Next-Generation Ministry | We want to see young people become lifelong followers of Jesus who make disciples of others. Through youth ministry resources, camps, conferences, and mission experiences, Missionary Church congregations can find opportunities to help students grow and put their faith into action!

Pastoral Education and Ministry Training | Whether you’re pursuing pastoral credentials or equipping lay leaders, the Missionary Church provides educational opportunities to support your growth. Through the Pastoral Leadership Institute (PLI) and other training resources, pastors and lay leaders can deepen their biblical understanding and prepare for effective ministry.

Financial Services | The Missionary Church provides financial services and resources to support churches and their broader work of ministry. Through the Missionary Church Investment Foundation (MCIF), churches and ministries can access low-cost financing for ministry needs, while churches and individuals have investment opportunities that will impact Kingdom work within the denomination.

Financial Services also connects churches and ministry employees with retirement planning, term life insurance, and long-term disability coverage. These resources help churches plan for the future, care for their employees, and support the financial well-being of ministry families.

Prayer and Spiritual Renewal | Prayer is foundational to the life and mission of the church. Through PrayFirst!, the Missionary Church connects prayer coordinators and leaders who encourage one another and pray for the needs of local churches. This network helps churches cultivate a culture of prayer while seeking God’s guidance and spiritual renewal.

God has blessed the Missionary Church with generous cooperation when it comes to the finances necessary to fund worldwide outreach and ministry. This pooling of resources is each church’s contribution to the overall Missionary Church effort to fulfill the Great Commission as outlined in Matthew 28:19: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Each year the leadership of regions, districts and networks adopt a budget for the operation of their ministries through their own agreed upon procedures. Local churches have a voice in this process and each church is asked to give its share to that budget.

Investment in Shared Ministries | Each Missionary Church is also asked to give 2% of its receipts toward the ministries of the Missionary Church. That funds the work of the staff assigned to lead the denomination, including pastoral credentials, church charters, administrative tasks related to health and disability insurance, and oversight of the boards and committees that give the denomination direction. A variety of other ministries are supported by this giving, which includes US church planting, national youth ministry, Christian education, stewardship training, and a variety of other administrative responsibilities.

The 10% Goal‍ | Though not formally required, the Missionary Church leadership encourage each church to tithe its income, thereby setting a good example for its parishioners to follow. This may or may not include the responsibilities mentioned above. World missions giving needs to be a priority for every church. Many churches give far beyond 10% in support of a variety of missionary efforts that include World Partners Missionary and non-Missionary Church missionaries, specific church planting projects, Bethel University, and other ministries they are in relationship with to further the gospel.

The above stewardship goals provide every church the opportunity to carry out the New Testament mandates for outreach and evangelism as presented in the mission statement of the Missionary Church.

While it has been the norm for churches to include the word “Missionary” in their name, many churches in recent years have chosen a variety of names in order to relate to their community or culture. In such cases we ask only that “a member of the Missionary Church” be included somewhere on the church’s website, social media, or literature for the purpose of ensuring proper identification with the denomination.

The leadership of the Missionary Church has clearly demonstrated flexibility and encouragement for churches to be unique in order to reach their community for Christ. While basic doctrinal uniformity is required, throughout the Missionary Church there is variety when it comes to the make-up of congregations, worship, music, outreach, teaching structure, and other aspects of approach and style.

There is a mutual accountability within the family of the Missionary Church, but there is also a trust relationship that is carefully respected. The local church, under the pastor’s leadership, has a reporting responsibility to the region and the denominational office, through an annual report. If the church belongs to a district or network, that may also include a reporting responsibility. The local church, however, is ultimately responsible to God for its integrity, honesty and faithfulness to biblical truth.

The Scripture teaches inter-dependence, not independence (1 Corinthians 12:12-26). Mutual accountability is not only needed among individual believers, but also among churches. The Missionary Church is organized so that each church governs its own local ministry, while at the same time having a voluntary submission to the counsel and authority given to the denomination leadership. These leaders are chosen by the pastors and representatives of the local churches.

On the contrary, you will be given a strong commission to be free, creative and aggressive for dynamic, outreaching ministry. Instead of being restricted or controlled, local Missionary Churches are to be unleashed with permission to adapt their methods according to the need that culturally relevant ministry demands.

The primary responsibility to contact pastoral candidates and, eventually, to select a pastor, is in the hands of the local church. The leadership at various levels of the Missionary Church works closely with the local church, giving them counsel in the selection process and are responsible to approve pastoral candidates. The pastoral screening process includes a ministry background check and doctrinal examination, which further assists the local church in locating a suitable pastoral candidate.