What Mission Agency Should We Join?
12 Apr 2025TMC | Asia Serve Beyond
In response to the EFCC Board to lay off Canada based ServeBeyond missionaries, we could (1) stay with EFCC ServeBeyond, (2) transfer to another Canadian mission agency, or (3) develop a partnership between TMC and an EFCC church. We are in discussion about all three of these options with appropriate parties, but have not yet decided. Also in response, we decided we needed to move to part-time status.
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This is because there will soon be no more Asia-based ServeBeyond missionaries for us to lead and care for as Asia Regional Coordinators. So going forward we will focus only on establishing TMC rather than also leading the Asia region, thus necessitating a move to part-time. For us, that means moving into semi-retirement starting May 1 while retaining a part-time ministry leading TMC.
Staying with EFCC ServeBeyond became a possibility because we and the other two ServeBeyond missionary couples at TMC (soon to be three?) are not Canadian tax payers so are apparently exempt from ServeBeyond layoffs effective April 30. However, we are not confident that after May 1 ServeBeyond will be able to provide the missionary care and reliable mission agency structure needed for TMC to become established.
This is because there seems to be ambiguity (perhaps silence?) from EFCC leadership about what ServeBeyond v.2.0 decision making structure will be and who its leaders will be starting May 1. Perhaps little can be said until after the May 8 EFCC Annual General Meeting. We need a reliable mission agency in which to land ourselves and our team of church planting missionaries at TMC. So although the ServeBeyond door is not closed for us, we are not convinced it is wise to stay. We are still considering.
Another option is to transfer to a different Canadian mission agency. At least one such agency is welcoming ServeBeyond “refugees.” It not only has a heart for caring for its missionaries; it also has a focus on church planting overseas. But we’re not sure yet whether the multicultural and denominational EFC church planting we are doing at TMC would fit with this interdenominational mission agency. Our discussion with them is just getting started, delayed largely by the international travels of its leaders.
Perhaps there are other options too, like a partnership between TMC and an EFCC church. Even though that would take time to develop and might not rise to the level of replacing a mission agency, we are exploring this idea with one church.