Village Missions

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Village Missions listed by MinistryWatch.com as a 2011 Shining Light ‘Top 30’ Exemplary Ministry.

This ministry is called a ‘Shining Light’ because it is indeed a model of letting their light shine before men, and God is to be glorified in what they are doing. Consequently, we are shining a figurative light on them so that donors may be aware of their good deeds.

Believers are recognizable by their fruit, which includes the services they perform for Him and for others. We see a glimpse of His light and glory in this ministry and if you do too, you should feel very good about giving to it; however, only you can decide for yourself with confidence if a ministry shares your values and with your giving plan.

Inclusion as a Shining Light does not mean it is perfect. No ministry is perfect and any that look long and hard enough may find areas for improvement; as no doubt most legitimate ministries are aware of areas to improve and have their own to-do list for improvement. As far as MinistryWatch.com’s assessment, given the criteria that we followed, this ministry rose among the top.

Identifying a diversity of the best ministries is challenging given the selfless work that so many do for the cause of Christ. MinistryWatch.com’s assessment looked at the following seven areas when considering those to make the list: (1) Transparency, (2) Truth Claims, (3) Values/ Worldview, (4) Sectors/Functions, (5) Resourcefulness, (6) Red Flag Issues, (7) Counsel with others.

A fuller explanation of our evaluation criteria is on the front page of MinistryWatch.com. As is evident, we looked at many factors and as such, a high Financial Efficiency Rating was not a requirement of inclusion on this list, although most do have good ratings. Many factors were reviewed and strengths in other areas can offset weakness in financial efficiency when determining whether a ministry should be of interest to donors seeking to be good stewards of their giving. A foundational premise was to shine a figurative light on those ministries that were "Christian" more than in name only. Ministries were chosen that were not just marketing to Christians as a market segment for "Christian donor money", but ministries that had theological underpinnings and Biblical values that determined their actions. Organizations that relied more on a secular motivation and means were excluded as well as those “ministries” that seem to view the organization as their own vehicle as a business to make money rather than a love to maximize ministry to others and to let their light shine for the glory of God.

MinistryWatch.com desires to see overall giving to Biblical Christian values increase and as such we developed this format to highlight those ministries which are exemplary. This ministry is an outstanding example when we consider it through the lens of Philippians 4:8 and weigh and take account of those ministries that are excellent and worthy of praise.
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MinistryWatch.com’sTake




Rural Churches in Dire Straits
Imagine that you are a member of a small, Bible-believing church somewhere in rural North America. Imagine further that your church is the only church, or least the only one of its kind (evangelical and evangelistic), in your community. Imagine still further that (1) your church is without a pastor, (2) your church leadership is desirous of finding someone to fill this position and provide spiritual leadership in the church and community, and (3) your church, unfortunately, lacks the monetary funds and/ or other means necessary to find and employee a full-time pastor. What, in such a dire situation, is a church to do?

Sad to say, this scenario is not an imaginary one for many churches in rural North America. Without the denominational ties and/ or financial resources that provide other types of churches with virtually unrestricted access to trained spiritual leaders, many small, rural churches stand in danger of disappearing altogether. Furthermore, whenever the church goes, the surrounding community suffers devastating spiritual effects. Village Missions was founded and exists today for the express purpose of counteracting this problem by providing these struggling churches with the spiritual leadership they desire and so desperately need.

The Solution: Village Missionaries
Village Missions (VM) is an evangelical Christian ministry that exists in order to reach rural communities in the United States and Canada with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. VM seeks to carry out this mission by means of sending missionary pastors to provide ongoing spiritual leadership in struggling local churches. A VM missionary seeks to strengthen the church and reach out to the community through friendship building, evangelism and discipleship.

In what follows, we will briefly portray the nature of VM; that is, its basic beliefs and plan of ministry (or, “field strategy”). We will also describe, from the standpoint of its organizational structure, just how VM goes about implementing and maintaining its mission of “ministering to the spiritual needs of rural communities in North America.”

Serving in Churches and Communities
As stated above, VM is an evangelical ministry. This distinction is clearly reflected in its doctrinal statement and field strategy. Details concerning VM’s basic beliefs are given below, in the “worldview considerations” section. VM’s plan of ministry may be summarized under six points:

• Evangelistic- a Village Missionary is not a social servant in the sense of working under a mandate to do particular social good works. Rather, a Village Missionary becomes involved in the community (and this may involve social good works) as a representative and spiritual leader of the local church whose mandate is to proclaim the Gospel.
• Non-denominational- VM avoids denominational distinctive, largely in order to appeal to a wider base of people in the community.
• Local church based- VM works closely with the local church leadership. VM’s community activities are outreach ministries of the local church. A VM missionary’s prime directive is to “assist the local church in becoming a strong church reaching the local area with the Gospel.”
• Community-oriented- a Village Missionary’s ministry is not confined within the church walls. VM seeks to actively engage the community in the activities of the local church by extending those activities into the community (home Bible studies, special activities, personal contacts, etc.).
• Committed to family- VM only sends married couples into the field. A VM missionary couple must have a divorce-free past (presumably in deference to biblical requirements for church leadership; cf. 1 Tim. 3:2). VM considers wives to be qualified missionaries, but stipulates that they must balance ministry with family responsibilities.
• Friendship-building- None of the above takes place apart from developing trusting, personal relationships with members of the church and the community. To be an effective Village Missionary is to become involved in people’s lives.

A Village Missionary is not sent to be an aloof pulpiteer. He is to be a spiritual leader among the people, strengthening the church and reaching out personally to the community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. VM’s plan of ministry takes into account the specific challenges of rural ministry (e.g., the need to build trust through friendship in places where newcomers may be the exception rather than the norm), the needs of missionary families, and the needs of the local church. All of this is geared towards the missionary endeavor of spreading the Good News in rural North America.

Built to Last
The organizational structure of Village Missions is designed (1) to provide qualified missionary pastors for qualified rural churches, (2) to help each missionary reach and remain in those churches, and (3) to help the missionaries become increasingly effective in their ministries. In this section we will briefly describe each of these three aspects of Village Mission’s organizational structure.

(1) Regarding the first aspect of this structure, VM has established definite guidelines for placement in ministry. There are several “service requirements” that the missionary pastor must meet in order to qualify for initiation and placement as a Village Missionary. Among these requirements are:

• Personal salvation
• Married; divorce-free
• Conviction of God’s special leading/ desire to do the work of a Village Missionary
• Leadership ability and sufficient formal training (e.g., Bible College or seminary)
• Agreement with VM doctrinal statement and willingness to cooperate with VM policies
• Ability to raise some personal financial support

There are also several requirements placed upon the church to which a VM missionary is sent. These include:

• The local church must have its own leadership structure in place. The Village Missionary is sent to supplement this structure as a “spiritual advisor,” not as the “primary leader.”
• The local church must be in agreement with VM’s doctrinal statement.
• The local church must provide a place of worship.
• The local church must provide housing and utilities for the missionary, pay the benefit package, and contribute toward the salary (if possible).
• The local church must send 10% of its monthly offerings to VM’s general fund.

A local church that meets and agrees to abide by these stipulations is placed on a waiting list for a Village Missionary. It is generally the case that “there are more churches waiting for a missionary than missionaries waiting to be assigned.”

(2) In addition to the above criteria for missionaries and local churches, VM utilizes a system of collection and distribution of funds that is designed to ensure that each missionary receives an adequate amount of support, in order to be able to reach and remain in the field. As has been noted, the missionary is required to raise a minimal level of support, and the local church must be able to provide somewhat towards the missionary’s support. There are, however, cases in which the amount of money generated from the missionary’s own support raising efforts and the resources of the local church is inadequate to support a missionary family in the field. In such cases, VM is committed to supplementing to the missionary’s salary, up to a certain amount of financial support each month, from the mission’s general fund.

The general fund of the mission is supplied by the following sources:

• Donors
• Village Missionaries (each Village Missionary gives a certain amount of money raised from his individual supporters to the VM general fund)
• Local Churches served by VM (each church gives 10% of its offerings the VM general fund)

This system does not entail that each Village Missionary receives the exact same amount of financial support. It does help to ensure that every Village Missionary receives a sufficient amount of financial support. This system enables missionaries who struggle to raise funds (due to lack of church contacts, etc.), and/ or is sent to churches without the ability to provide more than the minimum of their end of the missionary’s support, to reach and remain in the mission field. The goal of VM (with regards to missionary support) is for each church to be able to fully support its missionary pastor. It is recognized, however, that this does not always happen. VM’s strategy of sharing resources by means of regulated contributions to and distributions from a general fund appears to be a reasonable and responsible way of helping to maintain the mission’s presence and work in every church and community that it serves.

(3) Finally, VM supports its missionaries by placing District Representatives throughout the missionary field of North America. These District Representatives serve three primary purposes, each of which increases the missionary’s potential for effective ministry. These purposes are:

• District Representatives are a ministry resource for VM missionaries. District Representatives meet with missionaries and church boards on a semi-annual basis to review progress in the mission, to discuss ministry strategy, and to support and encourage the missionary family in their ongoing efforts. In general, the District Representative works to maintain harmonious relations between VM, the missionary, and the local church.
• District Representatives serve as counselors to churches that are awaiting a Village Missionary. By this means, the missionary, when he arrives, finds the field in a more cultivated state than it would have otherwise been.
• District Representatives share the ministry of VM with interested individuals, churches, and Bible Colleges. This helps to raise awareness about Village Missions. When sympathetic people hear about the work of VM, donations increase; thus, more funds are available for those missionaries who are struggling to maintain their minimum support level.

Overall, VM’s organizational structure appears to be an effective means of implementing its mission of “ministering to the spiritual needs of rural communities in North America.” VM is organized to send qualified missionaries to struggling churches which desire spiritual leadership of the sort provided by VM. The mission’s financial policies are structured to ensure that these missionaries can continue their work despite financial difficulties that may accrue to particular situations. Finally, VM, through its District Representatives, provides for multi-level accountability, spiritual support and exhortation, and continued promotion of its mission. One indication of the effectiveness of this organizational structure for maintaining ministries is the fact that “many Village Missionaries have served one church for 10, 15, 20 and more years.” *

* (note: all quotations in this report are cited from VM’s website or from other written communications from a VM representative)