Have you ever noticed that missions sending agencies and parachurch ministries in the United States predominantly have missionaries who are white middle to upper class Americans?

While we are grateful for the call of God on the lives of these brothers and sisters, we recognize that the call of God to go and bear witness to Christ and his kingdom is a call that is for people of all races and ethnicities and socio-economic realities.

A Primary Barrier

So, what are the barriers for our brothers and sisters of color to answer this call through full-time missions/parachurch ministry?

One primary barrier is the individual support raising model that requires a cultural acceptance of business-like fundraising and access to a network of well-resourced individuals and churches.

For some people, especially from immigrant families, the concept of fundraising for your salary is rather foreign. In addition to working through cultural and family expectations, there can sometimes be the added barrier of access to a community of believers that is financially well-resourced. In many non-English speaking churches, pastors themselves are bi-vocational.

The dream for our team to better reflect our community

We desire our IAFR team in Fort Morgan to reflect the identity of the community and the people we come alongside. This is why we are launching a pilot Apprenticeship Program that is designed to provide an accessible entry point into refugee ministry for people of color and/or those who have a lived experience of forced displacement.

A Solution: The Fort Morgan Apprenticeship Program

The Apprenticeship Program is designed to provide 90% of an individual’s income during their first year of ministry. In addition, during this first year, we will explore culturally appropriate forms of support raising and assist with building a network of financial partners for continued ministry.

Our Hope

We would like to recruit an office manager from among local Spanish-speaking churches. Our hope is that the apprenticeship program will remove unnecessary barriers to entering into full-time ministry together.

We need help.

Will you partner with us as we bear witness to Christ and his multi-ethnic and multi-lingual kingdom among people who have experienced forced displacement?

This pilot program will require $35,000 to cover income, ministry expenses, and administrative costs for one year. Thank you for considering financial partnership in this endeavor.

CLICK HERE to give to the Apprenticeship Program Today!