Self-funded field personnel

A self-funded field personnel is a Christian who senses the leadership of God to share his or her faith cross-culturally. Self-supporting personnel can serve through the CBF's field team structure. This may be through their career (tent making) as teachers, professors, business people, medical professionals, etc. We utilize a wide variety of training and experience on teams ministering with the “most neglected” worldwide.  Ministers, theological educators, ESL teachers, physicians, et al. can bring their individual gifts to the task and strengthen the overall team. It may also be through the direct financial support of partners. Regardless of support structure, the ultimate goal is to have long-term self-sustaining ministry. 
 
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship operates in a world without borders.  We seek not to compete with or duplicate the efforts of others.

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How does the program work?  

There are two threads of service, those that are self-funded and are not employees of the Fellowship, and those are self-funded employees of the Fellowship.

Non CBF-employed
These individuals do not need or desire employment with CBF. This would be the ideal option for someone working for a company, NGO, church, University/school, is retired, etc… that does not need access to health insurance, salary and other benefits.

Requirements of this type of service:

• This option requires proof of external employment and/or verification that you do not want to be a self-funded employee of CBF.
• You will be responsible for your own personal health insurance coverage. By virtue of our commissioning you as a CBF field personnel, you may choose benefit coverage through the Church Benefits Board (CBB) of CBF. To receive these benefits CBB requires that such persons are self-employed, or have an employer relationship with a church or ministry organization. Persons choosing to receive benefits through the CBB are provided access to and may choose to purchase retirement, disability and life insurance coverage.
• Affiliates that need additional ministry financial support may create ministry projects through the team structure within which CBF Global Missions works. CBF will receive, hold, and track financial contributions from partners for these projects. We consider these contributions “charitable contributions” for tax purposes with the understanding that CBF assumes complete discretion and direction over the use of the gift (it is our policy to use the gift as designated). Affiliates must record and provide receipts for all expenses designated for projects, through our internal accounting procedures.
• U.S. citizenship is not required to be a non-CBF employee Affiliate but the Affiliate must be eligible for employment, green card, work permit, or meet expatriate requirements for employment to be eligible for optional benefits offered by CBF.
• All Affiliate appointments are for designated terms (ex. 3 years). After the term is complete, a new term and any adjustments occur through the AYG Evaluation and Renewal process.

Requirements of this type of service:

• This option requires an annual budget developed in conjunction with, and approved by CBF Global Missions
• The first three months of your budget must be in hand at CBF with 100% of the remaining term budget pledged by partners and churches before you attain employed status with CBF.
• All Affiliate appointments are for designated terms (ex. 3 years). After the term is complete, a new term and any adjustments occur through the AYG Evaluation and Renewal process.
• To maintain active status as a self-funded CBF employee, we expect an average of three months of your budget in hand at all times, with 100% of your total term budget pledged. This means that as your monthly expenses are reimbursed and salary paid, contributions continue to be received, which replenish your on hand funds and keep you at a three-month average.    
• Self-funded employed Affiliates have access to benefits through CBF Human Resources. The HR department will provide as overview of benefit options including the costs for each. These costs will be projected for the length of the term, and actual costs will vary (higher or lower) each year. Employed Affiliates may then choose the benefits that they need. The costs for benefits will be included in the budget that the Affiliate is raising support for from partners.    
• CBF will receive, hold, and track financial contributions and pledges from partners. We consider these contributions “charitable contributions” for tax purposes with the understanding that CBF assumes complete discretion and direction over the use of the gift (it is our policy to use the gift as designated). CBF employees are required to maintain financial accounting and reporting through our internal accounting procedures, which includes sending ministry expense receipts to CBF.
• U.S. citizenship is required to be a Self-funded employee personnel.

Am I eligible to be a self-funded field personnel?

Basic guidelines for becoming a self-funded personnel include the following:

• Active faith, “believer’s baptism”, and current church membership
• A call from God to mission service
• Good moral character and reputation
• A lifestyle of actively sharing one’s faith with non-Christians
• Demonstrates Baptist identity
• Embraces CBF Global Mission’s organizational identity and philosophy of missions
• Employment possibility in strategic location which will correspond with a service assignment from an existing field team.
• Experience and physical capability to meet the demands of the service assignment
• Desire and capability to participate in team strategy, accountability and consensus building when relating to a field team
• Willingness to attend team meetings at least once a year either on the field or in conjunction with the General Assembly
• Demonstrates spiritual and emotional maturity
• Married candidates need to have been married at least 2 years 

If you would like to become a candidate for service, please fill out the information form. You may also like to ask further questions before becoming an active candidate, feel free to call or e-mail Amy Derrick or Lori Irons-Crenshaw at (770) 220-1600. 

Where can I serve?

The following is a list of available service assignments requested by CBF field personnel.