What are the main qualifications MTW looks for in missionary candidates?

For people seeking to serve with MTW as missionaries, MTW examines an applicant’s spiritual life, relationship with their church, their personal relationship with Christ, their personal traits and characteristics, ministry experience, conviction that God is calling them into missionary service, knowledge of the Bible, and their understanding of the Reformed faith.

What kind of training will I receive?

The training a missionary receives depends on the length of time the missionary will serve.

Once approved, missionaries serving one year and longer will participate in Kingdom Foundations:

• Orientation: A 5-day training event where missionaries will hear from MTW’s leadership, consider the importance of the gospel and their identity in Christ, as well as learn about and practice kingdom prayer. They will also be introduced to the support raising process and connected to a cohort group.

• Cohort journey: Cohorts will meet every other week for a 10-month journey of growth and development, encouragement, accountability and camaraderie, leading up to departure for the field. Between cohort meetings, missionaries will have topical assignments to complete

• Pre-field training: a two-week, in-person training event for missionaries (and their dependent children) who are close to departure to the field. Training topics will be relevant to adjusting to life overseas.

How are MTW missionaries funded?

MTW missionaries develop a support team of individuals and churches who support their ministry though prayer and financial giving.

Missionary budgets vary widely based on field location and other factors. Careful thought has been given to how and why we structure our budgets the way we do, and foundational to this commitment is providing our missionaries with a benefits package (health, life, and disability insurance), along with funds for continued training and other items while on the field.

What support systems are in place for missionaries and their families?

A foundational value of MTW is to care for the whole person and family. Every missionary is assigned a resource representative in the office who is their go-to person for any questions they have regarding support raising, finances, policies, insurance, etc. This office representative is in contact with the missionary from the time of their approval until the missionary retires or returns to the States.

Additionally, MTW’s Member Care and Development Department provides care for missionaries in the form of area retreats and by responding to any spiritual and emotional crises experienced by the missionaries on the field. MTW Next team seeks to provide care for missionary children around the globe, along with providing resources for parents as they raise their children overseas. We also have insurance protection and an internal response infrastructure in place to assist missionaries in times of medical or political crises.

How old do I have to be?

Do I need to speak a foreign language?