Pre-field Training for a BMA Missionary: Is God Telling You to Go?

by Executive Director John David Smith

Missions author Duane Elmer wrote, “We demand competence, skill, and expertise from people who serve us. Suppose a person went through a year of medical school and then concluded, “All this learning is a waste of time. People are dying every day. I need to get out there and help them now.” Would you consider going to such a physician? We would find such people foolish and dangerous, and we would avoid them. What about nurses, lawyers, electricians, builders, pilots and food manufacturers? Don’t we require the highest standards from them? Of course we do. We want the best because lives are at stake.” Our sense of urgency in global missions must be met with a drive for excellence.     

Prefield training seeks to prepare the missionary for a ministry  marked by longevity and effectiveness. The sending churches of our association demand excellence, and the national churches that receive missionaries deserve it.

BMA prefield training program is centered on a five-part learning design. The following are the major learning areas for new missionaries: Personal Spiritual Development; Family Life; Culture and Language Acquisition; Church Planting Strategies; and Interpersonal Skills. 

Pre-field training will utilize a varied structure that combines study and practical objectives. As soon as a potential missionary candidate is introduced into the program, they will be paired with a Missionary Candidate Mentor. The mentor, drawing on his or her significant cross-cultural experience will guide the candidate through a series of prescribed learning objectives in each of the areas mentioned above. The next phase of training is carried out in a series of training seminars. The third phase of training includes ministry specific preparation such as how to reach Muslims, Buddhists, Animists, etc. The final phase is an on-field internship to be served under the leadership of a veteran missionary. 

The training program will be most effective for those who enter the process early. It is established to assist the curious all the way to the committed. For more information on how you can enter the training process, email me at john@bmaam.com.