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  Frequently Asked Questions  
         
 
  1. How many mission workers are there?
  2. What do PC(USA) missionaries do?
  3. In what pattern of service (in what status) do they serve?
  4. More information about PC(USA) mission workers
  5. How much does it cost to keep a missionary in the field?
  6. What's the structure of Presbyterian World Mission?
  7. Presbyterian World Mission budget 2007: Where does it come from?

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  1. How many mission workers are there?  
         
 

452 mission workers served in 64 countries during the year 2006 through the Worldwide Ministries Division (which became Presbyterian World Mission on January 1, 2007).

 
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  Where do they serve?  
         
  Africa   87  
  East Asia & the Pacific   120  
  Central America & Mexico   49  
  Europe   64  
  Frontier areas   15  
  Middle East   35  
  North America   15  
  South America & the Caribbean   67  
  Total:   452  
         
 

1. Argentina 10
2. Bangladesh 2
3. Bolivia 2
4. Brazil 17
5. Cameroon 4
6. Central America 2
7. Central Asia 2
8. Chile 1
9. China 28
10. Colombia 12
11. Congo (Democratic Rep.) 8
12. Costa Rica 4
13. Croatia 1
14. Cuba 1
15. Czech Republic 2
16. Egypt 19
17. Equatorial Guinea 2
18 . Ethiopia 13
19 . Germany 8
20 . Ghana 6
21. Guatemala 18
22. Haiti 5
23. Honduras 4
24. Hungary 11
25. India 19
26. Indonesia 3
27. Iran 1
28. Israel 2
29. Jamaica & Grand Cayman 2
30. Japan 18
31. Kazakhstan 4
32. Kenya 25
33. Kyrgyzstan 2
34. Lebanon 1
35. Lesotho 1

 

36. Lithuania 3
37. Madagascar 3
38. Malawi 8
39 . Mexico 17
40. Nepal 1
41. Nicaragua 4
42. Niger 2
43. North Korea 1
44. Northern Ireland 10
45. Pacific region
46. Pakistan 11
47. Palestine 4
48. Peru 11
49. Philippines 10
50. Romania 1
51. Russia 16
52. Rwanda 1
53. Singapore 2
54. South Africa 4
55. South Korea 8
56. South America region 2
57. South Pacific 1
58. Spain 5
59. Sri Lanka 1
60. Sudan 6
61. Taiwan 3
62. Tajikistan 6
63. Thailand 12
64. Turkey 8
65. United Kingdom 7
66. United States 15
67. Vietnam 1
68. Zambia 2
69. Zimbabwe 2

Total: 452

 
         
 

Africa had 87 mission workers in 15 countries: Cameroon (4); Democratic Rep. of Congo (8); Equatorial Guinea (2); Ethiopia (13); Ghana (6); Kenya (25); Lesotho (1); Madagascar (3); Malawi (8); Niger (2); Rwanda (1); South Africa (4); Sudan (6); Zambia (2); Zimbabwe (2).

Asia & the Pacific had 120 mission workers in 14 countries: Bangladesh (2); China (28); India (19); Indonesia (3); Japan (19); Nepal (1); North Korea (1); Pakistan (11); Philippines (10); Singapore (2); South Korea (8); Sri Lanka (1); South Pacific Region (1); Taiwan (3); Thailand (12)

Central America & Mexico had 49 workers in 5 countries, including two mission workers assigned to the Central American region: Costa Rica (4); Guatemala (18); Honduras (4); Mexico (17); Nicaragua (4).

Europe had 64 mission workers in 10 countries: Croatia (3); Czech Republic (2); Germany (8); Hungary (11); Italy (2); Lithuania (4); Northern Ireland (13); Romania (1); Russia (14); Spain (5); Switzerland (1); Turkey (8); United Kingdom (13)

Frontier areas had 15 mission workers in 4 countries and 2 missionaries assigned to Central Asia: Kazakhstan (4); Kyrgyzstan (2); Tajikistan (6); Vietnam (1).

Middle East had 35 mission workers in 6 countries: Egypt (19); Iran (1); Israel (2); Lebanon (1); Palestine (4); Turkey (8).

North America had 15 mission workers in 1 country: United States (15).

South America and the Caribbean had 67 missionaries in 9 countries, including two mission workers assigned to the region: Argentina (10); Bolivia (2); Brazil (17); Chile (1); Colombia (16); Cuba (1); Haiti (5); Jamaica & Grand Cayman (2); Peru (11).

 
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  2. What do PC(USA) missionaries do?  
         
  Administration   14  
  Children's ministries   3  
  Communications   1  
  Development   76  
  Disaster assistance   7  
  Ecumenical ministries   34  
  Education   152  
  Evangelism   88  
  Global involvement   5  
  Health ministries   38  
  Hunger   10  
  Interfaith formation   1  
  Peace and justice   20  
  Women's ministries   2  
         
  Total:   452  
         
 

The above gives a fairly accurate picture of Presbyterian World Mission’s allocation of resources. What it doesn’t reflect is the diversity of ministries found within these categories. For example, there were 152 people working in education. This includes people teaching law, theology, Christian education, and English. It includes people teaching in Ph.D. programs in Kenya, missionary training centers in Brazil, Christian colleges in Lithuania, high schools in Ethiopia, and seminaries in Singapore, North Korea, Argentina, Philippines. Those working in health, development, and evangelism also minister through a broad range of activities.

 
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  3. In what pattern of service (in what status) do they serve?  
         
  Long-term compensated mission personnel:  
  Mission Co-workers   271  
  Mission Specialists   2  
  Subtotal:   273  
         
  Long-term volunteers:  
  Long-term Volunteers   38  
  Volunteer Specialists   4  
  Amity Foundation teachers   11  
  Reconciliation & Mission Exchange   8  
  Young Adult Volunteers   87  
  Subtotal:   148  
         
  Short-term volunteers:  
  Short-term   31  
  Subtotal:   31  
         
  TOTAL:   452  
         
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  4. More data about Presbyterian mission workers  
         
 

Ordination status

Ministers of the Word and Sacrament (clergy): 109 (24%)
Lay: 343 (76%)

Total: 452

Gender

Female: 261 (58%)
Male: 191 (42%)

Total: 452

Age

1 -30 - 116 - (25.66%)
31-40 - 37 - (8.18%)
41-50 - 74 - (16.37%)
51-60 - 121 - (26.76%)
61-70 - 78 - (17.25%)
71-80 - 26 - (5.75%)

Total: 452

Racial Ethnic

Not Specified 144 - (31.86%)
African-American 6 - (1.33%)
Asian 38 - (8.41%)
Caucasian 235 - (51.99%)
Hispanic or Latin American 22 - (4.87%)
Mid-East or North African 7- (1.33%)
Other 1 - (0.22% )

Total: 452

 
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  5. How much does it cost to keep a missionary in the field?  
         
  While the cost of individual mission personnel varies greatly from one country to another, the average worldwide cost in 2006 was $51,110 per person per year.

These calculations include all the costs for long-term, compensated mission personnel: salary, housing, pension, health insurance, travel. Remember that this is an average cost. It averages the cost of children and their educational benefits, for example, across the whole mission personnel work force. It averages the cost of recruitment and orientation. It averages the cost of the staff in Louisville that work directly with mission co-workers, such as the Mission Co-worker Office and Mission Connections. Support staff in Louisville accounts for between 5 and 10 percent of these costs, depending on the number of mission personnel under appointment at any given time.

  • In 1999, 333 mission co-workers—average yearly cost was $37,596
  • In 2000, 305 mission co-workers—average yearly cost was $41,446
  • In 2001, 321 mission co-workers—average yearly cost was $41,696
  • In 2002, 278 mission co-workers—average yearly cost was $49,328
  • In 2003, 276 mission co-workers—average yearly cost was $44,299
  • In 2004, 257 mission co-workers—average yearly cost was $50,125
  • In 2005, 274 mission co-workers—average yearly cost was $50,445
  • In 2006, 252 mission co-workers—average yearly cost was $51,110

Editor’s note: the number of mission co-workers listed here for 2006 (252) differs from the number listed above at the question, “In what pattern of service do they serve?” for this reason: 252 is the total number of months served by mission co-workers in 2006 divided by 12. In other words, although 271 mission co-workers were under appointment at some time during 2006, the cost to support them was equivalent to supporting 252 mission co-workers for 12 months.

 
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  6. What's the structure of Presbyterian World Mission?  
         
 

Presbyterian World Mission, born January 1, 2007

The General Assembly Council restructured the PC(USA) national staff in 2006. On December 31, 2006, the Worldwide Ministries Division ceased to exist and staff were assigned to two different program units.

Staff from People in Mutual Mission and Ecumenical Partnerships were assigned to the World Mission program unit, now called simply "Presbyterian World Mission." With the addition of the National Volunteer Office, Presbyterian World Mission is successor to the Worldwide Ministries Division’s work of recruiting, sending, and supporting mission personnel. World Mission also continues the work of relating and supporting the mission work of our international church partners directly and through the involvement of PC(USA) congregations, presbyteries, and synods.

Staff from Global Service and Witness (Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Self-Development of People, the International Health Ministries Office, and the Jinishian Memorial Program) now form part of the Relief and Development program unit.

Two offices were closed as staff units on December 31, 2006: the Ecumenical and Mission Partnerships and Global Education and International Leadership Development (GEILD). Many of the functions of these offices have been assumed by staff in World Mission. Technically, the GEILD remains as an accounting designation; the scholarship program will be adapted and funded out of World Mission through the work of area offices.

Mission Service Recruitment advertises for mission workers, recruits them, assesses their gifts, matches their gifts with the open positions, and interviews candidates.

Mission Personnel Relations provides overall insight, coordination, and management of all the functions of support, care, and budget related to international mission personnel of all categories and patterns of service. This includes salary, pension, health benefits, travel, and pastoral counseling.

Mission Connections helps international mission personnel communicate to the church about mission. Mission Connections sends out newsletters, writes mission profiles, maintains Web pages for all long-term mission personnel, and helps missionaries do mission interpretation during interpretation assignment. Mission Connections also participates making the decisions that determine the timing and the length of interpretation assignments for mission co-workers. In 2006 and 2007, Mission Connections is responsible for organizing the Mission Challenge ’07.

The Education, Training and Events Office develops and coordinates educational and pastoral programs and events to equip, support, nurture and encourage international mission personnel, such as International Mission Service Orientation, Sharing Conference, Continuing Education and various types of retreats for international long-term personnel and young adult volunteers.

Seven area offices. Area coordinators, the church’s key ambassadors to the church around the world, nurture relationships between the PC(USA) and churches and institutions around the world. They share responsibility for supervising mission personnel and are the church’s principle resources for the direct mission involvement of congregations, presbyteries, synods, validated mission support groups, and other mission groups.

Since the restructuring, area offices now facilitate short-term mission teams and mission networks. The area offices are:

  1. Africa Area Office
  2. Asia and the Pacific Area Office
  3. Central America and Mexico Area Office
  4. Europe Area Office
  5. Middle East Area Office
  6. South America and the Caribbean Area Office
  7. Frontier Area Office, which also coordinates the PC(USA)’s international evangelism efforts, focusing on Central Asia (including Afghanistan) and part of Southeast Asia (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam). The Frontier Area Office supports partner churches in preaching and teaching the gospel. One of its focuses is bringing the gospel to people groups who have not heard the Word of God in their mother tongue. It also funds church buildings and supports translation and distribution of the Scriptures.

The Interfaith Relations Office supports Presbyterians in building relationships of understanding and respect with Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and other neighbors of different faiths. It assists the church in addressing theological and practical issues arising out of interfaith relations. It coordinates a network of Presbyterians for the sharing of information, models, international study trips, and educational resources.

The Direct Mission Involvement Office is responsible for the Mission to the U.S.A. program, which enables PC(USA) congregations to invite a pastor from another country to minister to them for periods of four to six weeks. It works with the international site coordinators of the Young Adult Volunteer program, and it coordinates the sending of short-term (less than 11 months) international volunteers, including the LINKS program.

The National Volunteers Office provides opportunities and support for volunteer mission service and life discernment in the United States through national Young Adult Volunteer sites, internships, and older adult volunteer programs in support of sites some of which are directly connected to PC(USA) congregations and presbyteries.

 
         
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  7. Presbyterian World Mission budget 2007:  
 

Where does it come from?

 
 

Editor’s note: Since the restructuring of the General Assembly Council that took effect on January 1, 2007, Presbyterian World Mission now includes the National Volunteer Office and does not include the programs that were in the former Global Service and Witness work area (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Hunger Program, Self-Development of People, Jinishian Memorial Fund, and International Health Ministries). Any comparison between current World Mission budget figures and the former Worldwide Ministries Division budget figures of years past must take this into consideration.

 
         
  Restricted   $15,714,155 (73%)  
  Unrestricted   $5,739,510 (27%)  
  Total   $21,453,665  
         
  What is "restricted giving?"  
         
  There are two kinds of restricted giving: supplemental and select.  
     
  Supplemental giving  
     
  Extra Commitment Opportunities (ECOs)   $4,239,394  
  Validated Mission Support Groups   $996,194  
  Mission Initiative   $796,773  
  Partner churches   $637,446  
  Other gifts   $149,395  
  Future Year Event   $21,518  
  Sale of resources   $399  
         
  Total supplemental giving:   $6,841,119  
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  Select giving  
         
  Endowments   $3,497,659  
  Directed Mission Support   $4,979,829  
  Pentecost Offering   $246,153  
  Salary rebate   $149.395  
         
  Total select giving:   $8,873,036  
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  What is "unrestricted giving?"  
         
  Unrestricted giving is sometimes referred to as "unified giving" or "undesignated giving." These funds come from Presbyterian churches through their Basic Mission Support giving, which supports the mission of presbyteries, synods, and the General Assembly Council.  
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  Presbyterian World Mission Budget 2007: How is it spent?  
         
  Grants   $5,279,038  
  Mission personnel   $12,605,843  
  Staff   $2,392,557  
  Programs   $614,263  
  Administrative expenses   $189,356  
  Travel   $280,273  
  Resources   $53,399  
  Meetings   $38,936  
         
  Total:   $21,453,665  
         
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For more information contact Peter Kemmerle (888) 728-7228 x5612, Anne Blair (888) 728-7228 x5373, or Bruce Whearty (888) 728-7228 x5628 - Or write to: 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY, 40202

 
     
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