1. As an applicant, you must be a born again, Spirit-filled believer with a definite personal call from God to the ministry of missions. You must be an active member of an independent, fundamental, Baptist Church and you and your church must agree with our mission’s doctrinal position, practices and policies.
2. You must be approved and commissioned by your local church and have the approval of your pastor.
3. You must have a happy and harmonious marital relationship if you are to enjoy a successful ministry.
4. You must allow God to teach you to be resourceful in the managing of your personal finances.
5. Those working in an area where a foreign language is spoken must acquire a good working knowledge of that language.
6. A copy of your monthly prayer letter is to be sent to the Mission Board, as well as your contributing churches and individuals. Every offering must be duly acknowledged to the contributor and the amount specified.
Missionaries using foreign language translations are expected to use those that are based on the reliable O.T. Masoretic Text and N.T. Received Text. Also, any translation work done by Truth For Today missionaries should be done on this basis.
Our dress code deals mainly with the “outside” upon which the world looks. It applies whether the missionaries are on deputation, furlough, or vacation. We expect them to be convicted that these are right everywhere.
Our missionaries are to conduct themselves as Christian ladies and gentlemen at all times. This is to show in their attitude, speech, actions, and appearance. Since their appearance is obvious to all, we are elaborating upon it. We seek to follow the guidelines established in the Word of God for His people. We believe that the Bible establishes at least three minimum standards for Christian dress:
1. Christian Dress in Modesty:
(I Timothy 2:9; II Timothy 2:22) It is true that God’s standards for men and women are high.
2. Christian Dress in Distinction:
(Deuteronomy 22:5; I Corinthians 11:14, 15) Men should dress like men and women should dress like women. Notice in Deuteronomy 22:5 the verse says that if we do not dress according to our sex, we are an “abomination unto the Lord our God.”
3. Christian Dress in Identification:
(Romans 12:1, 2; I John 2:15, 16) I Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou and example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” God’s Word is so clear that we are to dress and conduct ourselves befittingly as His children.
Ladies:
The Bible clearly teaches that women are to adorn themselves in modest apparel. Your dresses and skirts must be long enough to completely cover your knees. The neckline of your dresses and blouses must not be revealing or suggestive. Do not identify yourself with the women of our day who are rebelling against being a woman by wearing unisex clothing.
Do not wear shorts, see-through clothing, tight-fitting, revealing clothing, or dresses or skirts with slits extending above the bottom of the knee. Should the need arise you can wear culottes. If you have a question regarding whether or not to wear something, it is safer to wear something of which you have no question. Keep your hair clean and well groomed.
Men:
Dress like Christian gentlemen. Be sure you are clean and neatly dressed. Keep your hair clean and well groomed. It must not touch your ears and/or your collar and must not in any way identify you with styles which have been set by the standards of this world. If you choose to wear sideburns or a mustache, they must not be extreme and must be kept neatly trimmed. Men are not to go without a shirt.
We expect our missionaries to be spiritually mature enough to discern appearance that would be considered worldly, to refrain from it and teach their children to observe the same.
REASONS FOR DISMISSAL FROM TFTBM
1. Involving ones self in liberal theology. Neo-orthodoxy, Neo-evangelicalism, the Charismatic or Tongues Movement, Ecumenicalism, 5-Point Calvinism (Tulip) and/or Arminianism.
2. The use of alcoholic beverages.
3. The use of drugs (except medicinal drugs).
4. Adultery or fornication including pornography.
5. Any type of sexual perversion (homosexuality, lesbianism, incest, etc.)
6. A change in position on the King James Bible.
We wish to emphasize that Truth For Today Baptist Missions is not a para-church entity. It is an integral ministry of the local, independent, fundamental Baptist Churches. Thus it is identified as an in-house service ministry to missionaries.
We believe that problems that may arise while the missionaries are on deputation, or serving on the field to which God has called them, that may warrant discipline must be referred to their local church that commissioned and sent them forth to the work. These matters must be handled by that church who in turn will advise Truth For Today concerning the action taken.