The United Brethren missionary family can be broken down into
these categories:
Fulltime UB missionaries
These missionaries are employees of the
UB Global Ministries Leadership Team. Currently, the only such
missionaries serve in Macau, India and Sierra Leone. Fulltime missionaries
must raise their own support. However, Global Ministries comes
alongside them in a variety of ways, including promotion and administration.
Endorsed Missionaries
These persons have been approved
by the Global Ministries Leadership Team, and are free to raise
support in UB churches.
Here are the requirements for becoming an Endorsed Missionary.
- UB Membership. The person, or at least either the husband
or wife in a family, must hold membership in a UB church.
- Overseas Focus. The ministry they will engage in must
have an overseas focus. This may involve actually relocating
to another country, or serving administratively stateside in
an organization whose focus is overseas. (By this criteria, a
person serving in the States on an Indian reservation, for example,
wouldn't qualify for Global Ministries Endorsed status.)
- Approved Agency. Their organization must meet the Global
Ministries Leadership Team's criteria for a missions agency,
which includes being fully qualified to receive tax-exempt monies.
- Application and Acceptance. They must apply to the Global
Ministries Leadership Team for Endorsed status and be approved.
This page explains the benefits of becoming an endorsed missionary.
Short-Term Missionaries
These persons are appointed by Global Ministries
to serve in United Brethren-staffed or related works for a short-term
basis.
They
are able to raise funds for their ministry expenses. Various
retired persons and young people have served short-term in Macau
or Myanmar
in this capacity, teaching English and assisting with local churches.
Another young lady recently served at Jamaica Bible College.
Short-term missionaries sign an agreement specifying the conditions
of their service, but they are not actually employed by Global
Ministries. These persons typically serve for 3-12 months.