What Is The Role Of A Missions Board?

What is the role of a church’s mission board? Are there certain elements that must be included in the board’s work?

The Great Commission

The Great Commission was given twice by Jesus, perhaps as His way of emphasizing the importance of it. Just before Jesus left the disciples to return to the Father in Heaven He told them (and us) to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:19-20). Jesus tells us that we too are to go and make disciples of all nations and this is done by baptizing them into or, identifying them with, the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Then, they are to teach “them to observe all that” He commanded them. Those commands or teachings of Jesus Christ are found in the gospels but this is also found elsewhere in the Bible. The Great Commission was not specific to them alone as “we [too] are ambassadors for Christ [as] God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2nd Cor 5:20). Jesus again reminds the disciples in Acts 1:8 just prior to His Ascension that “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts1:8).

On Mission

I believe that all Christians are to proclaim the gospel to the lost. Since we have the precious pearl of great price sought and bought by Jesus Christ, and it is the double-quick cure for sin and the removal of the wrath of God, why would we not every want to share it? We have God’s Word, which promises to do what He sends it out to do (Isaiah 55:11) and Paul tells us “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). Paul also wrote that “my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1st Cor 2:4-5). Yes, “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1st Cor 1:18). So God’s Word has power (Isaiah 55:11; Rom 1:16; 1st Cor 1:18; 2:5). All we must do is give it out.

A Missions Board

Mission Boards at churches have a very vital function, whether it’s a congregation of thousands or just a few dozen. Size is never important to God; He looks at the heart, not the outside. He values disciples after Jesus’ own heart, not those who claim to be religious or spiritual. That is worthless to God. A church’s mission’s board should be actively informing the congregation on a consistent or regular basis bout what the mission’s board is doing and who they are supporting. If they are supporting a specific missionary for their church, they should give updates on the missionaries work. They must also keep the congregation in the loop as far as expenditures and any shortfalls of funding that support the church’s missionaries or missionary (if there is only one).

Responsibilities for Missionary Board Members

I believe that missionary board members should be held accountable as to how and where they send funds for those they support and for who they send. They are responsible to ensure the missionary is equipped, financed, but also trained before they ever leave. It is the responsibility of the board to give precise details of how the money is being spent to support the missionaries. Anyone in the church can sit on a mission’s board does but there should be accountability for the missionary too as we read in Acts 14 where Paul and Barnabas, after their latest mission, “arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles” (Act 14:28) so a report should be given when the missionary returns or periodically during the missionary’s trip (if possible). Some missionaries actually give their report during a church service and perhaps give a slide show about whom they are on mission for and where exactly it is that they went. The board is also responsible for the funds donated for the missionaries and they must give an account for their expenditures. There should be no hidden money on a mission’s board and there must be complete transparency for all to see.

Conclusion

Our own mission may not be to go into all the world but there’s no reason we can’t go next door, or to our family, our friends, to our co-workers, and to anyone else who is not saved. God is using us, as it were, to plead with them to repent and be saved or have the wrath of God abiding on them for all time (2nd Cor 5:20; John 3:36). If we don’t, we are directly disobeying the imperative command given by Jesus Christ (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). All we can say is then is that we are living out the “great omission” which is as tragic as it gets.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.