Policies

ORGANIZATION
Baptist Pioneer Mission Agency was founded in 1992 by the people of Fundamental Baptist Church of Kincheloe, Michigan. BPM operates by faith as the Lord burdens churches and individuals to give to the glory of God. BPM is and functions as a non-profit organization; it is a local church ministry of Fundamental Baptist Church.
The directors of BPM desire to create an atmosphere within the mission that allows missionaries freedom to minister. The mission should not stifle, but rather complement missionary service. BPM recognizes that the missionaries whom she serves are accountable first to God, through their sending church; to their supporters; and then to BPM.

THE LOCAL CHURCH
BPM submits to God’s plan for the local church and missions. The local church is the institution designed by God to send Christians into the work of church planting when the Holy Spirit has separated them for that purpose. BPM is careful not to infringe on the responsibilities of the local church, nor to do the job that God has given the local church. BPM will only serve individuals who are recognized and commissioned by their local church to engage in missionary work (church planting).

PURPOSE
BPM exists to help churches and their missionaries who are burdened to reach the isolated and neglected of this world. She strives to assist Christians who are sent by their local church and willing to live and establish churches in the uttermost part for God’s glory.

MISSIONARIES
To be eligible for appointment with BPM, the missionary applicant must be a member of and commissioned by his or her New Testament church. This commissioning establishes a vital relationship between the missionary and his sending church. BPM recognizes and respects this biblical relationship, and encourages the missionary and the sending church to maintain it. The missionary must be convinced that the Lord wants him in missionary service, and he must be willing to prepare for that ministry. He must love God with all his heart, soul, and mind; and be obedient unto death, if necessary, in order to accomplish the ministry to which the Lord has called him. Missionaries with BPM must die to self and forsake lifestyles that would hinder the gospel.

MINISTRIES
BPM missionaries are involved in soul-winning, discipleship, and the establishing of New Testament, indigenous, autonomous local churches. The main thrust of the mission is to the neglected populace of the world. Churches are established in these areas by discipling new believers in the word of God, training them to lead the works, and seeing them function in an indigenous, autonomous fashion (2 Timothy 2:2). To promote this type of ministry, BPM provides specialized training designed to teach prospective missionaries to adjust to and live in other cultures. This training focuses on equipping the trainee for biblical ministry done under rustic, foreign living conditions.

FINANCING
Baptist Pioneer Mission is a ministry based on Bible faith. Scripture teaches dependence upon God, by faith, for the necessities of life. BPM and its missionaries do not look to an organization or denomination, but rather to God to supply all their needs (Philippians 4:19). The missionary must have sufficient financial support for his personal and ministry-related expenses. Sometimes the Lord uses the missionary’s sending church to supply all of the missionary’s financial support. More often the missionary travels on deputation, and the Lord raises up a team of various local churches who give to the missionary’s financial support. BPM helps missionaries by receiving and handling financial support that is sent to them. The mission and its personnel take this responsibility seriously. All designated gifts will go where specified, and gifts sent for individual missionaries will be deposited into those missionaries’ accounts. If the missionary wants the mission office to withdraw money from his account to pay a personal liability, he must request the withdrawal in writing, and the request will be kept in his file. BPM does not withhold money from any missionary’s account to pay for the administration of the mission office. BPM and its office operate by faith. Individual missionaries and local churches may choose to give love offerings to help with the expenses of the mission. Such offerings are deeply appreciated. If a gift comes to the mission office for missionaries, without specifying for which missionary, it will be given to the missionaries as the Lord leads. BPM takes these financial responsibilities seriously, and she asks supporters to specify for which missionary or ministry they intend their offering. Support should be mailed to:

            Baptist Pioneer Mission
                        P.O. Box 5114
                        Kincheloe, Michigan 49788

POLICIES
Applicants must meet the following requirements prior to acceptance.
1. Be a saved, born again believer with a personal call, or leading from God to be a missionary.
2. Accept BPM’s Belief and Policies as outlined in this brochure.
3. Belong to a local, New Testament church.
4. Be commissioned by the home church and retain membership there while on the field.
5. Complete the proper application procedure.
6. May not have more than one living companion (this applies to both men and women.)
7. May not be nationals who have come to the States to do deputation for the purpose of returning to their country as missionaries.
8. If an applicant has been with, or denied affiliation with another mission, he will not be allowed to do deputation as an applicant to BPM, until the other mission has been contacted and BPM is satisfied that he is an eligible applicant.
9. Until he is officially accepted, the applicant must present himself as an applicant to BPM. He may begin deputation, have prayer cards, and stationery printed after he has received permission, in writing, from the BPM office. Until his official acceptance, these must bear the word, “applicant.”

If applicants are found guilty of the following, their application will be rejected and their home church (and any supporters) will be notified.

1. Embracing liberal theology, Neo-Orthodoxy, New Evangelicalism, the Charismatic Movement, Ecumenicalism, extreme Calvinism, Armenianism, and/or the philosophy of Humanism.
2. The use of alcoholic beverages or non prescribed drugs.
3. All forms of sexual perversion.

BPM adopts new policies as she is led by the Holy Spirit. Applicants are expected to abide by these policies. Should BPM adopt a new policy with which the applicant is not in agreement, he will be permitted to withdraw his application. However, when the application is withdrawn or BPM finds it necessary to reject the application, the applicant’s supporters will be notified and the reason given.

Missionaries who do not meet the before mentioned and following requirements are subject to dismissal.
1. Before leaving for the field all debts must be paid or have arrangements made for payment.
2. Every missionary on deputation and furlough must attend BPM’s annual Missions Training Institute.
3. BPM missionaries are required to take a furlough every fifth year; unless the mission determines that the missionary has a valid reason for the time being extended or shortened. For missionaries in countries where the time outside the country is limited, the time and length of furlough can be adjusted according to the particular circumstance.
4. A missionary’s appointment is subject to reconsideration, if his departure to the field is unreasonably delayed.
5. All missionaries who intend to work with people of another language must acquire a working knowledge of the language, before beginning a work. The place and program of study must be acceptable to Baptist Pioneer Mission Agency.
6. Deputation must be completed before going to language school, or to the field.
7. All stationery, prayer letters, and prayer cards must include the name and address of the mission.
8. A prayer is to be sent out at least quarterly. A copy of every prayer letter must be sent to the mission office.
9. Every offering with the amount specified must be acknowledged to the contributor.
10. Missionaries must notify the mission before making a change in their marital status.
11. Missionaries who desire to affiliate with any other group (fellowships, service agencies, religious counsels, etc…), must obtain official approval, before affiliating with that group.
12. Missionaries who desire to sponsor a missionary (for emigration purposes) or an organization that is not affiliated with BPM must first submit a request, in writing, for official approval of the mission.
13. BPM missionaries must be loyal to Baptist Pioneer Mission.
14. Missionaries are not permitted to bring nationals to the United States, or to the missionary’s native country to raise money for nationals or for their churches.

Baptist Pioneer Mission is a faith mission and the missionaries who are affiliated with her are to live by faith. This faith is to be placed in God, who supplies all needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Just how each missionary puts his or her faith into practice is a personal matter, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, and subject to the Holy Scriptures. BPM does not approve of financial schemes, antics, wholesale solicitations, and gimmicks used by many that are not based on biblical principles. Weapons for spiritual warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God...bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:4-6).
BPM allows freedom to the missionary, as long as he or she does not do anything contrary to the Holy Scriptures. BPM assumes no financial responsibility for projects on the field in which the missionary might become involved. BPM missionaries must accept and observe BPM’s Purposes, Precepts (Statement of faith), Practices (Principles of Operation), and Polices. BPM serves as a contact between the local churches, and their missionaries.
Each missionary is responsible to God, and is to seek the leadership of the Holy Spirit in all things, realizing that He will not lead them to be inconsiderate of methods that may differ from theirs (Luke 9:49-50).

All new missionaries going to the field where missionaries are already working will:
1. Benefit from advice given by these missionaries.
2. Be careful to pay expenses, while staying with these missionaries.
3. Be the director of their own work, if they establish it apart from the other works.
4. If some of the workers from an established church should decide to work with the new missionary, the new missionary should get permission and a recommendation from that church or the veteran missionary.

BPM missionaries are to discern, after prayerful consideration, matters that should be reported to the mission for discipline (Matthew 18:15-17; Galatians 6:1-2). This should be done for the glory of God, the good of the local churches, the good of the mission, and the good of the ones involved. If the mission need be informed, she will proceed prayerfully and work closely with the missionary’s sending church. Such matters will not be reported to outsiders. When missionaries are dismissed, all supporters will be notified. Missionaries who are disciplined by the mission, but not dismissed, may be required to serve on probation, and other disciplinary measures the sending church and the mission may deem appropriate. Most problems can, and should be handled biblically between those concerned without involving the mission.
The Gospel Seed (The Word), properly planted and watered, can produce an indigenous church anywhere. An indigenous New Testament church is a local assembly of baptized believers. It is a theocracy operating on democratic principles. It should be self-supporting, self- governing, and self-propagating in obedience to the Holy Scriptures, and under the guidance and empowering of the Holy Spirit.
In applying the New Testament principle of establishing local, indigenous churches, BPM missionaries are allowed to assist on a personal basis, for the furnishing of church houses, schools, camps, and/or orphanages as the Spirit leads. Great prudence must be applied in this lest the national believer is robbed of the privilege, blessing, and responsibility of giving, and financing their local church’s endeavors. They are to encourage the established churches to engage in any or all of these activities as the Lord leads.
BPM missionaries are not to pay ministerial salaries to national workers, in full or in part, nor are they to solicit the same from churches in the States. Charity is acceptable. They are to give such emphasis to Bible study, that nationals will be taught and trained to be leaders of their own churches, and taught to be completely dependent upon the Lord to supply their needs.
Missionaries may engage in printing, correspondence, radio, or other ministries if contacts are persistently pursued in order to establish New Testament churches. These ministries should assist in edifying the established churches.
Missionaries are not to be pastors. BPM realizes that they may temporarily serve in the capacity of a pastor, while awaiting God’s provision of a national pastor.
Missionaries must keep their membership in their commissioning (home) church, in their native land, and they must tithe to that church unless the church indicates otherwise.
Missionaries must not accept salaries from churches on the field. Love offerings or honorariums are acceptable as nationals need to learn to care for invited speakers.
Missionaries should seek to be all things to all men, that by all means they might win some (I Corinthians 9:22). They should have their spirits stirred within them as they see the regions beyond wholly given to idolatry (Acts 17:16); and that should move them to be given continually to prayer, and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4).
BPM believes in the Great Commission: to go to every creature, to win the lost to Christ, to disciple and Scripturally baptize them, to establish local New Testament churches, to help them to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord by a thorough teaching of God’s Holy Word, and to teach them to evangelize others and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).

APPEARANCE CODE
The Appearance Code deals mainly with the “outward person,” upon which the world looks. It applies to the missionary and his children whether on deputation, furlough, or the field.
BPM missionaries are to conduct themselves as ladies and gentlemen at all times. This is to show in their attitude, speech, actions, and appearance. Since appearance is obvious to all, it is being elaborated on.
BPM seeks to follow the guidelines set forth in God’s Word for His people. The Bible establishes three positive standards for Christian dress.
1. Modesty (I Timothy 2:9; II Timothy 2:22) God’s standards for men and women are high.
2. Distinction (Deuteronomy 22:5; I Corinthians 11:14, 15). Men should dress like men, and women should dress like women. Deuteronomy 22:5 says that if one does not dress according to one’s sex, he is an “... abomination unto the Lord our God.”
3. Identification with the Lord and separation from the world (I Timothy 4:12; Romans 12:1-2; and I John 2:15-16). I Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” God’s Word teaches that one is to dress, and conduct oneself as becoming His children. As an example to others, the missionary should seek the direction of the Holy Spirit as he applies these principles within the cultural context of the field in question.
Ladies:
The Bible teaches that women are to adorn themselves modestly. Dresses and skirts (the norm) are to be long enough to cover the knees. They must not be revealing or suggestive. Do not wear clothing which identifies one with the women of the day who rebel against being feminine. Do not wear see-through, tight fitting, or revealing clothing. Should the need arise to wear a garment other than a dress or shirt it must be modest. If one has a question whether or not to wear something, it is safer to refrain from it. Keep one’s hair clean and well groomed. One should not let one’s hair be exaggerated, or overwhelming. Be very careful about “trend” and “mod” styles. Always be sure that one is not noticed for one’s flashy clothing, obvious hair-do, gaudy jewelry, or heavy makeup. The Bible points out that women should adorn themselves with good works as those who profess godliness (I Tim. 2:9-10).