Sending churches are not just important to ABWE's process of sending missionaries; they are essential. We work in equal partnership with our missionaries and their local sending church.
We believe that the local church is the true sender; not us (Acts 13:1-3). We exist to help connect more than 500 like-minded sending churches, all supporting our doctrinal commitments, send identified and called cross-cultural workers short-term or long-term to serve on evangelistic church planting teams across the 84 countries we serve. The Great Commission is too big to do alone.
ABWE commits to serving missionaries by:
- Faithfully and knowledgeably praying for their missionaries
- Assisting missionaries throughout the pre-field partnership development process
- Consulting with churches and their missionaries before making any major ministry changes
- Providing an annual review to churches of missionaries’ fulfillment of responsibilities
- Providing training for missionaries prior to field departure in preparation for future ministry
- Providing periodic communications with ideas to aid the ministry of local churches to their missionaries
- Providing resources including Message Magazine, The Missions Podcast, and annual financial statements on request
ABWE commits to serving sending churches by:
- Communicating accurately the state of need in the world and keeping the church informed for effective prayer for world missions
- Challenging the church regarding its role in the task of world missions by promoting missions and the work of missionaries and national partners
- Evaluating missionaries and ministries, giving a clear report for accountability and stewardship of all resources
- Coordinating and overseeing the work of missions, leading to effective teamwork and maximum impact of the gospel
- Strategizing and planning for optimum evangelistic coverage of the nations and peoples of the world, resulting in church-planting movements and missions movements
- Caring for missionaries and their families on behalf of the church and facilitating the care provided by their sending and supporting churches
- Training missionaries for optimum cross-cultural influence as they go into all the world
ABWE invites churches to join the sending process by:
- Faithfully and knowledgeably pray for their missionary; regularly keep their ministry and needs before the church family
- Work closely with ABWE in assisting, encouraging and advising the missionary
- Provide logistic support for your missionary throughout their pre-field ministry
- Assist the missionary in finding opportunities to present their ministry in like-minded churches
- Financially support their missionary as generously and sacrificially as possible, considering their own sent missionary to be a priority in missionary giving
- Provide opportunities for ministry that coincide with the missionary’s pre-field schedule in other churches
- License or ordain male cross-cultural workers when necessary
- Publicly commission your missionary before departure for language school or the field
For more information on how churches can commit to send through ABWE, check out our long-term missionary Sending Church Partnership Form.
