Antioch Baptist Church Missions
Learn the Bible Web is sponsored by Antioch Baptist Church of Knoxville. We are a conservative King James Bible believing Independent Baptist Church located in Knoxville Tennessee (TN).
- A division of Antioch Global Outreach
- Both are ministries of Antioch Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee
Missionary Expenses
Why do missionaries have to raise so much support? Why do they not just get a job in the country to which they are going and live on special offerings? Those are good questions and involve some things that most people have not considered. Missionaries normally do not work a job in their country of destination. For one thing, most governments around the world do not allow this. They want the jobs for their own people. For another thing, the jobs would not pay enough in most countries to support an American family. Finally, the work of a missionary is greater in many ways than that of a worker in the States. They must have time to learn the language and even daily living takes much more time and energy than it does in America.
But missionaries also incur many expenses that the average person does not have. While in the States, they will normally travel thousands of miles to get to the churches. Gas and repair bills are much more expensive for them. And, while some churches take very good care of the missionaries, at other churches and in between churches they must pay for their own motel bills and meals. Some churches give little or no love offering and the missionary struggles to make it to the next church
Missionaries have many other expenses as well. They must pay for the design and printing of their prayer cards, for their display and whatever they use for their presentation. They must take care of printing and mailing all those letters to churches and supporters. They also have travel expenses to and from the field. They will have the expense of immunizations and any medicines they need on the field. They often have additional medical expenses partly caused by the physical hardships of their field.
While on the field, they have the expense of language training, the printing and shipping of the literature they use to reach the people and many other things. After they begin to reach souls and need a place to meet, the rent will initially be paid out of their support. They normally need some form of transportation. And, many basic items like gas, food, rent, etc. are much more expensive in other countries. Of course, each country is different, but you might be surprised at the cost of basic items in many places.
When a missionary raises support, all of these things and more have to be taken into account. When we send a missionary to another land, we are not simply paying a salary. We are establishing a missionary station in another part of the world. We are putting an outreach base in a place with a need for the gospel. What a wondrous opportunity! When you give to missions at Antioch Baptist Church Missions, you are having a part in spreading the truth of God’s word to different places around the globe. We pray you will have a part in this wonderful chance to serve by giving.
Antioch Baptist Church Missions
- Established for missionaries going directly out of Antioch Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee
- Cared for and administered through the leadership of Antioch Baptist Church
- Providing instruction and guidance for the missionaries as needed, both in the United States and on the field
- Working as a clearinghouse for funds and information for the missionaries
- Making periodic visits to the field to assure integrity and direction of the work and to give needed encouragement and support
- Being available so that the missionary at any particular trial or time of decision can pick up the phone or send a message and expect to receive personal help from someone who knows and cares about his situation
Antioch Global Outreach [Antioch GO] includes:
- Our local church planting ministry
- Our missionary support program
- Our missionary sending program and sending agency (ABCM)
- Our Bible College ministry
- Our worldwide web ministry
- Our Preaching Tapes of the Month ministry
Definition of a New Testament Missionary
The missionary is one who receives and accepts God’s call to take the gospel to unreached portions of the world. The missionary is one who is sent forth to his work by the Holy Ghost and his home church (Acts 13:1-4 [1] Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
[2] As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
[3] And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
[4] So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
See All...). The missionary is one who does the work of a missionary:
- To preach the word (Acts 13:5And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
See All..., 42-44) - To win the lost (Acts 13:12Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
See All..., 48) - To baptize believers (Acts 16:14-15 [14] And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
[15] And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
See All..., 30-34) - To teach the saved (Acts 18:11And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
See All...; 20:20-27
See All...) - To ordain elders (Acts 14:23And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
See All...; Titus 1:5For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
See All...) - To establish churches (Acts 14:23And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
See All...) - To confirm the churches (Acts 15:40-41 [40] And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
[41] And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
See All...; 16:5
See All...)
Relationship of the Missionary to the Sending Church
- The missionaries out of our church are an extension of our church’s work and ministry.
- They are still members of our church and are representatives of our church on the field.
- Churches planted by our missionaries are churches planted by our church.
- This should create a very special relationship between the sending church and pastor and the missionary.
- That is the relationship Antioch Baptist Church Missions is designed to maintain.
Advantages for ABCM Missionaries
- We are committed to visit our missionaries on the field at least once every two years.
- We require a weekly report from our missionaries so we can quickly respond to any particular need for encouragement, direction, or instruction.
- We are committed to personal counseling and instruction time with our missionaries.
- We pass your support to the missionaries on a weekly basis. Most boards give the support to the missionaries on a monthly basis and this sometimes causes hardships for the missionary.
- We do not charge the missionaries any fee for the processing of their support. This expense is absorbed by the church.
- We will continue to look for ways to further the ministry of the missionaries. We are determined to learn by our experience and improve our methods.