Anthony John Thornton

Man alive I am glad I found this site. I believe this site will be an incredible resource to me in the next few months. This is good stuff right here. 

Literally everything you mentioned in your points is reason enough to not use a board. One board I just talked to said their administrative fee is 300 a month. That could be rent on the field. The changing of doctrine scares me most. Also, one consideration in favor of using a board is having that "clout" or vetting while on deputation. I would imagine it would be harder to get support without a board's backing. 
 
I thank the Lord He has given me much over my life. I don't have to worry about insurance (but then it could always change) because after I was wounded by an IED in 2005, I was put on medical hold. I was medically retired years later with Tricare Select. It used to be called Tricare Standard. 

What an incredible blessing on all fronts! Any information would be invaluable! I have no contacts but some I will be contacting soon. I have had, on my mind, Calgary. The Drop-In Rehab Centre (Center lol) is located in Calgary, and I believe that to be an incredible segue into giving the Gospel AND being a servant. Old Paths Baptist Church is a church I plan to contact soon. I'd go on deputation, link up with a church in the area, work with them, and perhaps begin a church plant in due time. The other thing that I believe the Lord is leading me towards is teaching, in a literal sense. It could very well end up as both. The Lord's will be done! 

Yes! Really? That would be very cool. There's a lot of empty spaces between churches up here. Any particular area?
I don't know whether you have contacts up here already, but I can give you some contacts if you'd like, or steer you toward any western Canadian events that may be useful to attend (if you come for a survey trip). Our church has done some church planting - we've reproduced five Alberta churches over the past twenty years or so - and our pastor emeritus, Dave Harness, serves on the board of the Baptist Church Planting Ministry Canada. About ten years ago, we got to help a US missionary coming to Alberta by being their home base for a year while they got acclimatized to Alberta, and then helped with the new church plant. I still go visit them in Hinton any chance I get. 

I took over the Secretary/Treasurer position in our church a couple years ago. Something I can't figure out is - in this day and age of electronic communication, WHY are our churches still sending cheques? It would be so much faster and more efficient to use eTransfers, credit cards, and other forms of electronic payment. It would be especially nice when sending support funds to US-based missionaries. US banks are woefully behind when it comes to handling out-of-country cheques. 

Jim brought up a valid point that I am compelled to add thereunto.
1. Some boards require the missionary to set apart, usually every month, funds for retirement. These funds are usually either kept by the board or in an account set up by the board. Depending on the board, if the missionary leaves the board before his retirement the funds are forfeited.
2. Some boards require the missionaries to set up other funds: housing, furlough, emergency funds, etc. Depending on the rules of the board, the board, or its representative,  has the final say so if the missionary receives these funds when the missionary requests these funds.
3. If the missionary purchases a house on the foreign field, some boards require the missionary to have the house in the name of board, or its legal representative on the field.
For your information. Most boards have a "Field Representative," or some other setup, in order to have personal contact with the missionary. The "Field Representative" is in effect a controlling factor over the missionary. For Taiwan, most boards have a "legal" representative that holds title to the house and not the missionary.
Depending on the board, if the missionary leaves the board than the house is not his. In other words, he loses the house.
4. Insurance. Most boards require the missionary to have Health insurance through the board or a Insurance Company recommended by the board. If the missionary leaves the board than there is a strong possibility that the Health Insurance is forfeited and the missionary may be required to pay for medical expenses out of his own pocket.
5. Most boards have the final say so in any situation not covered by the rules.
Conclusion.
Just about every board has its own rules. The missionary normally learns of these rules at Candidate School. If the board changes in doctrine, integrity, or in organization, than the missionary either changes with the board or he is asked to leave and forfeit his benefits accumulated during his tenure with the board.
Alan

I didn't address this in my first post, but there is another aspect to going with a mission board that needs to be considered. I will qualify this by saying that I have no idea which or how many boards do this, but some do take a small portion of the missionary funding for something on the order of what they consider the cost of handling the funds and/or missionary. I don't really know what you would call this except to say that the missionary doesn't get the total contributed. This would be a factor in favor of "doing it yourself".

Lookingfortruth, I am partly ashamed to admit this but at the same time hoping to encourage you on the same level. When we were looking for churches, my wife actually led the charge. She found a church she liked. We had been there before. I had family who attended it. I had no clue what their doctrine was at first, just that it was a Baptist church. I didn't learn it was independent until a year or so later. I had a thirst for knowledge. I had my thirst quenched at this church and haven't looked back. I am ashamed that my wife led the charge when it should've been me but it was HER faithfulness to truth that brought me along. 

Of course they always have “reasons” for their rules. The rule book will tell you something about the board though. I am going to just use facial hair for one example, the bible absolutely is not against facial hair, therefore if a board is going to make a rule about that it tells me they think thats important. If a board is going to tell you that you cant have facial hair what else will they dictate? To me that tells me that they feel strongly about something that is not biblical or significant in the big picture of missions. To me it seems like a bit of a legalistic spirit. I am yet to see any mission board admit that they are controlling. Every mission board says that they are “local church”. But the proof is in the pudding when you get down to the nitty gritty details. Listen, if someones wants to give up some of their autonomy for the help and aid of a mission board then thats fine, I wont condemn anyone for that. But for me personally I would not go with a Board that gives evidence to me that they will try to micromanage my ministry and life. Unfortunately there is definately a legalistic spirit out there amongst Independant Baptists, There is a serious problem with people pushing their own personal preferences on others and I see this with mission boards. I have just watched how one unnamed mission board has tried to destroy a godly missionary and his family and get them kicked out of the country simply because he did not agree with their missions philosophy and he wasnt even under their board. 
I am not against Mission boards, but we need to be honest and realize that many missions boards do restrict the missionaries freedom. You have to realize you are trading some freedom for help from the board.
And of course you can talk to the people from the boards, but realize they are probably not going to tell you the negative consequences of being with their board and they are of course going to have “reasons” for all of their rules.
I am not trying to attack any mission boards or person. I respect Pat Gordon and what he is doing. For me though I looked into them and it wasnt a fit for me. Maybe it is for someone else, but not for me. 

I believe CMC is a worthy mention for this thread. 

Lookingfortruth, I am partly ashamed to admit this but at the same time hoping to encourage you on the same level. When we were looking for churches, my wife actually led the charge. She found a church she liked. We had been there before. I had family who attended it. I had no clue what their doctrine was at first, just that it was a Baptist church. I didn't learn it was independent until a year or so later. I had a thirst for knowledge. I had my thirst quenched at this church and haven't looked back. I am ashamed that my wife led the charge when it should've been me but it was HER faithfulness to truth that brought me along. 

Man alive I am glad I found this site. I believe this site will be an incredible resource to me in the next few months. This is good stuff right here. 

Man alive I am glad I found this site. I believe this site will be an incredible resource to me in the next few months. This is good stuff right here. 

That's really interesting! 

Under the "FAQ" the CMC states:
 3. WHAT IS CMC'S PHILOSOPHY OF MISSIONS?   Basic to the philosophy of CMC is the concern that a missionary be sent to the field without control by outside organizations of people, other than his home church, his supporting churches and the Holy Spirit. In practice, this means we do not dictate to the missionary how he spends his money, how much money he can receive, or how or where he works. Agreement between CMC policies and the missionary requires certain divisions of income, such as personal support, ministry support and ministry expenses, which are for the missionary's protection. Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men." (2 Cor. 8:21) The missionary's financial arrangements are confidential to us and any information must be given by the missionary, not by our office.     4. WHAT ARE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS FOR MISSIONARIES?    There are no qualifications such as age limit, health, education, etc. The procedure for using CMC’s services is as follows: A missionary is sponsored by the church where he is a member. He is recommended by his own pastor and commissioned by his home church. In addition, he must have the recommendation of two other fundamental Baptist pastors. These three pastors (that he has chosen) become his “Mission Board.” Each missionary candidate is screened and qualified based upon the recommendation of his sending and sponsoring churches. The integrity and character of every missionary is of vital importance to CMC.
    5. WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF CMC?   CMC exists to serve the churches and missionaries by processing funds for missionary endeavor. We receive gifts from the donors, issue tax-deductible receipts, accumulate the funds in each missionary’s account, prepare complete reports for the missionaries and in every way we know, provide information for the missionary that will be helpful in his relationship with the churches. Our ministry includes getting the funds to the missionary by the last business day of the month, using whatever method agreed upon with the missionary. On the missionary’s instructions, we maintain savings accounts, building funds, furlough funds, emergency funds, etc.; we make bill payments, insurance premium payments and keep up hospitalization and retirement programs, as well as making quarterly tax payments. We also provide legal documentation that is necessary on the field in which they serve, as well as verifying the financial information needed by the missionary and validating their income as required in their personal and professional endeavors.
 
A personal Note. Please notice the highlighted red ink portion of their statement.
 
There are some countries that require a "legal" missionary board. The CMC supplies that need.
 
FYI. Our support as missionaries is through our home Church and the CMC.
 
Alan
 

That's really interesting! 

The Central Missionary Clearinghouse is a ministry from a local church, the Central Baptist Church, Houston, TX, Pastor Larry Maddox, and  operates as a "mission handling agency" and not a "board." https://www.cmcmissions.org/
The CMC has no "Candidate School," and no control over the missionary family.The CMC helps with the "funds handling only." The is no "board" at the CMC.
Apart from the local church supporting a missionary directly from their local church as Jim Alaska wrote, the only other method I would even suggest is the Central Missionary Clearinghouse.
 

And I have strongly considered this aspect of it as well. I have an older missionary in my church whom I consider a friend and this is what he does. Well, mostly. He doesn't use a board. He does go from church to church periodically raising funds. I believe the sending church being responsible is the most Biblical way of doing it for sure. 

Why a mission board at all? It is the responsibility of your local church to send you as well as help support you. Do your own deputation, have your sending church collect the mission offerings and disperse to you. You really don't need middlemen in the mix.

Hello, all. Hope you're doing well. I have some questions about deputation. The wife and I are called to missions, potentially, and perhaps even the ministry of a church (i.e., teaching in a Christian school). If we do go on deputation, what are some things we can look for during it? Some of the threads about deputation I've seen mention getting a motorhome/camper. We, too, have discussed that. . Which IFB mission board did you use? We are starting the process of selling unnecessary things like our Camaro. I am in my third year of Bible school. I believe that the education weighs in on mission boards as well. We believe the Lord may be calling us to Canada. 
 
What are things we can look forward to during deputation? 
Which, if any, IFB board did you use? 
I know this is a loaded question, but how long did it take? 
Is there any advice you could give about deputation? 
How did you know WHERE you were supposed to go? 
 

I am glad I stumbled onto this thread. If we go the deputation route as a missionary, it's good to know that neither I, nor my wife, have to "teach" in the traditional sense. She was worried she would have to be responsible for that. It appears as though Abeka provides that "teaching" aspect of it. Awesome! 

Good rephrasing lol. I actually relish the thought of being there every step of the way. I currently work offshore and am gone two weeks at a time. What an incredible privilege it will be to be there all the time! 

"get to" - not "have to." =D  It is a privilege and you will find a joy beyond words to be able to school your own children. And you will find, too, that it isn't as much work as most people think. Especially with the younger kids. There are all kinds of games you can play with your kids as you drive along that will be fun and educational. You can even make up games to play in the car, focusing on a particular need.
 
I loved schooling our son. And I am finishing up schooling one of my nieces - have taught her for all 4 of her high school years. What a blessing, now, to see her ready to head into life as an adult prepared in a way that the public school here just does not do.

Not many IFB churches officially identify as such - most just call themselves independent Baptist. 
It is the clear reliance on the Bible, and the intent to follow the Bible in all things that separates a poor church from a fundamental Baptist church.

Yes, they do provide that. But be careful of their history and Bible classes. They present a worldview that is more in line with reformed theology than being biblical. If you are aware of that, and take care to counteract that, they have a pretty good set-up for missionaries (except that I'm not fond of the idea of staring at a monitor for hours during the day LOL).
There is a boatload of curricula out there that help parents teach.