WIM is governed by a board of directors, consisting of at least seven members. It consists of missionaries, pastors and businessmen. See our leadership page for more information.
WIM missionaries serve cross-culturally. Our main focus is to evangelize the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to establish indigenous churches where there are none, and to equip and serve leaders. We invite you to contact us and discuss your mission vision with us to determine if WIM is a good fit for you. We are here to help you navigate God’s calling in your life.
They are involved in church planting, leadership development, children’s ministry, orphanages, Bible schools, radio, TV, biblical storytelling, missionary training and development, microfinance and micro-business, AIDS ministry and education, street evangelism, teaching, teaching English as a second language, pastoring, relief work, and more.
WIM has missionaries all over the globe! They are working or have worked in the following countries:Mexico, Honduras, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Ireland, England, Spain, Hungary, Russia, France, Albania, Austria, Germany, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Congo, South Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, China, India, Philippines, Japan, and Nepal.
Previous experience is not a prerequisite. However, it is valuable for anyone interested in missions to have participated in some level of ministry outside of one’s passport country. For that reason, prospective missionaries are encouraged to go on short-term mission trips—to various locations, if possible. This will broaden your missions perspective and help you toconfirm your calling into missions work.
The missionaries are paid from designated contributions received. Funds are kept in reserve for them until needed. They are not given to anyone else or used for any other purpose.
Yes. Rather than being afraid of this aspect of missions, think of it as an opportunity to bring along a team of others to be part of the ministry to which God has called you. This is done through relationships with churches and friends. You will be taught more during orientation.
To become a WIM missionary, you must be a committed follower of Jesus Christ and a growing disciple and be actively involved in the ministry of a local church. You must have a clear call to missionary service. Bible college training is also valuable, but it is not a requirement.
A minimum age of 18 is required for becoming a WIM missionary. In order to make legal decisions on his/her own, an applicant for missionary service with WIM must be an adult. WIM does not have a maximum age for applicants.
WIM missionaries are located all over the world. By completing a preliminary questionnaire, we can begin the conversation with you about how to get to where the Lord is leading you. We would love to help you navigate the calling God has placed on your life.
Yes. WIM is dedicated to helping its missionaries achieve long-term success and effectiveness. Becoming a missionary entails living and working in a cultural environment that may be vastly different from “home” and everything familiar and one that may even be hostile to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After you attend our Orientation and Training Week, we provide an in-depth training program that involves ample pre-field preparation and on-field training with seasoned missionary trainers. You will receive hands-on experience with practical guidance which will enable your success and effectiveness in cross-cultural ministry over the long-term.
Yes. Anyone seeking to become a WIM missionary is required to attend the WIM orientation seminar. Our annual Orientation & Training Week is normally held in June.
WIM does not dictate to people where they are to serve. Each missionary must hear from the Lord where He is placing him/her. WIM desires for each person to live and serve where he/she can develop and be most effective as a missionary in order to thrive and fulfill the calling God has placed on his/her life. WIM may direct the apprentice missionary to receive on-the-field training in a different area but in a cultural setting similar to the area where he/she will be serving long-term.
As a WIM missionary you are expected to live by our core values. As part of the WIM family, our core values are demonstrated practically–through involvement in regional conferences, the international conference (which is once every three years), and timely reporting to the board with an annual report. Your first two years on the field are usually training with another missionary. After successful training, you are free to begin ministry in the country or region to which God has called you. As you work in the field, Kingdom perspective is imperative. You are expected to build the Kingdom of God and not your own. Servant leadership should be your leadership style; mentoring is a must; indigenous principles are the guide, in order to keep the people you are serving from becoming dependent on you.
To be a part of something bigger than yourself. To be part of a family and accountable to others. To enable those in the office to take care of much of the business of missions, so that you can focus on ministry to the people to which you have been called.
Missionaries need a support system. WIM connects you with other missionaries who can encourage you and possibly work together.
WIM provides financial services which include receiving, distributing, and receipting of funds. We provide appropriate end-of-year financial reports to the IRS such as the 1099.
WIM provides member care for all of our missionaries. This includes international conferences for all missionaries, regional member care, and field visits.
WIM provides spiritual oversight and prayer covering for our missionaries. Our staff begins each day with a time of prayer for all of our missionaries.
WIM assists in communications to donors, including the creation and distribution of newsletters.
Yes. Experienced missionaries are always welcome to join WIM. A key condition for their acceptance in WIM is their earnest commitment to our core values, including especially, indigenous principles. Missionaries with WIM are committed to the discipling of local believers in the host culture so that the resulting ministry becomes self-supporting, self-propagating, and self-governing. Please contact us.
Yes. Everyone coming into WIM goes through an interview and acceptance process. This helps us get to know you and the scope of your experience and see the correlation between your ministry background and WIM’s core values. You would need to schedule time in the United States to attend the annual Orientation and Training Week, so you will want to get started in the process as soon as possible. In most cases, you will be able to return to your place of ministry right after this important event.
World Indigenous Missions highly values working in conjunction with other mission agencies and ministries with similar goals. In accordance with this WIM core value of Kingdom Perspective, we encourage our missionaries to work alongside other groups, as well.If your present ministry organization is not opposed to your working with WIM to better fulfill your cross-cultural missionary calling, joining WIM may be a good option for you. If you are considering leaving your current organization, however, we request that you inform them that you are considering changing to another organization first. It is essential that there be transparency and that you leave on good terms. Contact us about your specific situation.
Although a missionary with years of experience on the field may not require training regarding cultural adaptation, many components of the Orientation and Training Week are beneficial, even for experienced missionaries. Among these are the discussion of WIM operations, policies and procedures, and presentations on good self-care, handling stress, team ministry and conflict resolution. The interview process helps us learn more about your missionary experience and enables us to determine what sort of orientation may be most appropriate and what additional training, if any, may be needed. Please feel free to contact us regarding any questions you may have concerning this.
Contributions are usually given for a specific missionary. Those funds go to that missionary as designated. They use the money for daily living expenses and for ministry expenses. Any contributions that are not specifically designated for a missionary or other special project, go to the general fund and are used to benefit the whole organization.
Yes. Ten percent of contributions are set aside to benefit all the missionaries. These funds cover administrative costs, which include utilities, office staff salaries, and general operating expenses.
We accept cash, checks, money orders, credit/debit cards, e-checks or ACH transfers. Other methods of giving include services like PopMoney, SurePay, and Chase QuickPay.
Initially, funds given to WIM’s general fund go into a checking account and are used to pay the expenses of the headquarters office. Extra funds go into a savings account until enough is collected to complete a project, purchase a specific piece of equipment, or fulfill another purpose. We just purchased a telephone system and are now considering an elevator or chair lift so we can make use of the second floor of the building.
WIM is accountable to the IRS as a 501(C)3 non-profit. We have been certified through ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) since 1999. We have received the platinum rating by Guidestar, an independent non-profit evaluation firm. We have an independent outside audit each year. Our financial reports are available to the public and posted on our website. Our internal office controls include two signatures on every check, an internal monthly audit, and a donation processing system that requires two people to be present and independently check for accuracy. There is a monthly review to ensure the donations are disbursed to the designated missionary.
FAQ
How long has WIM existed?
Is WIM part of a church denomination?
What are WIM's core values?
How is WIM governed?
Is WIM for anyone?
In what kinds of ministries do WIM missionaries work?
Where does WIM have missionaries?
How do I contact a missionary?
Does WIM use volunteers?
Do I need previous experience on the mission field to join WIM?
Is a certain degree or education required to become a missionary?
Do I need to know a foreign language?
Do WIM missionaries receive a salary?
Do I need to raise my own funds?
What do I need to know about becoming a full-time missionary?
Is there an age requirement for becoming a missionary with WIM?
I have an idea as to where God is leading me. Where do I start?
Does WIM provide training to become a full-time missionary?
Is attending Orientation and Training Week required for everyone who wants to be a WIM missionary?
Does WIM place its missionaries or direct them where they are to serve?
What is required of me as a WIM missionary?
Why should I be part of a missions agency?
Why would I want to affiliate with WIM?
Does WIM accept experienced missionaries?
I am already doing mission work in another country. Can I join WIM?
I am currently working with another ministry. Can I still join WIM?
I have X amount of years of experience on the mission field. Do I need to go through orientation and training?
How is my contribution utilized?
Is there an administrative fee taken out of donations?
Are my contributions tax-deductible?
What forms of payment do you accept?
Where do donations to WIM general fund go?
Tell me about WIM's financial integrity.
Will you work with me on estate planning?
Can WIM receive matching donations from companies/businesses?
We are eager to assist you as soon as possible.
If you have further questions, please contact us.