Given the Great Commission responsibility of reaching all peoples within the United States for Jesus Christ, Free Methodist World Missions sponsors United States Missionaries, who are sent to minister cross-culturally to people within the U.S., helping to meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs, in accordance with our Wesleyan theological framework.

U.S. Missionaries partner with a sending body, one or more organizations that sponsor the missionary and maintain involvement with their ministry. The sending body can be a local conference, group of conferences, cluster of churches, one church, or any conference recognized by the World Conference.

The Process

The candidate process for U.S. Missionaries is similar to the extended-term missionary candidate process. U.S. Missionary candidates are identified by the sending body, and FMWM comes alongside to facilitate the process and partnerships needed to send the missionary.

Candidates are asked to fill out an application and submit a ministry proposal to FMWM for work with a particular people group. FMWM will review the proposal and decide whether or not to endorse the proposal and candidate, in harmony with our mission, vision and strategy.

Once a U.S. Missionary is approved by FMWM, a memorandum of understanding will be drafted between the sending body and FMWM. The agreement will determine the location, ministry, supervision, ongoing education and support arrangement of the U.S. Missionary. The agreement will also determine the length of term and conditions for renewal. U.S. Missionaries normally serve one-year terms, with possibility for ongoing renewals. FMWM will see that the missionary has been sufficiently trained for cross-cultural ministry.

Funding

Funding for U.S. Missionaries comes from the sending body and other supporters, with support being raised by the missionary. FMWM will assist with administrative resources, including our online donor management system. We will also help network, promote and publicize U.S. Missionaries. As with other types of missionaries, funding for the FMWM home office is written into the missionary’s annual budget to cover the cost of these services.