Frequently Asked Questions
What is your mission?
How do you do your mission?
Is church planting all you do?
Are you an American mission?
Do You go to the 10/40 window?
How about China, Mexico, India, or all those other places?
What does least-reached mean?
Can I teach in your bible college?
How are the missionaries paid?
Will you help me raise support?
Why do you emphasize teams?
Will you support my ministry?
How do I plant churches?
Is SEAMIST a denomination?
Are you inter-Denominational?
What are your requirements?
What will you traine me to do?
What is your mission?
It is the mission of South East Asia Mission Teams to preach the gospel and plant the church in South East Asia. This defines what we believe God has called us to do as a missions organization. This is what we exist to do.
How Do You do your mission?
Our vision is to recruit, equip, send, and assist missionary teams that effectively preach the gospel and successfully plant the church among the least reached people groups of South East Asia. This give us a “roadmap” so we can accomplish our mission.
Is church planting all you do?
Our goal is to plant the church especially where there are none or only very weak churches. To do that you have to win some people to Jesus, baptize them and get them together in worship and sharing God’s Word, and teach them everything Jesus commanded. All these tasks can be done in hundreds of different ways.
Our missionaries do prayer, translation work, radio programs, bible studies, evangelistic crusades, tent-making, all kinds of teaching, street evangelism, medical missions, social work and community development projects… and many more things to get the gospel out of their lives and into the hearts and minds of the unreached peoples of South East Asia.
Are you an American mission?
South East Asia Mission Teams is a Non-Stock Corporation in the Philippines, SEC Reg. # G200001063. Our Board of Directors is mostly Filipinos. We are a “sister” agency to World Indigenous Missions in New Braunfels, Texas, USA. Our current general director and his wife are WIM missionaries assigned to work with SEAMIST.
Do You go to the 10/40 window?
Yes, of course. We want to send teams to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines. All of these countries are in the 10/40 window. We also go to Indonesia although it lies at the 10/40 border.
How about China, Mexico, India, or all those other places?
No, our call is to South East Asia. If you are called to some other place then you are not called to work directly with SEAMIST. We will refer you to WIM and other agencies that can help you.
What does least-reached mean?
We want to send our missionaries to the peoples of South East Asia that have not heard the gospel in a way they could understand and receive Jesus. We look for groups of more than 10,000 who have none or few churches and little work going on, and who really need missionaries to come and work.
Can I teach in your bible college?
We train our workers, rather than teach them. There is a difference. Teachers are needed everywhere, but SEAMIST does not have a Bible College at this time. We are open to veteran missionaries that want to help train workers.
How are the missionaries paid?
All SEAMIST missionaries are faith missionaries just the same as most western missionaries. That means they raise prayer and financial support from churches and individuals who God uses to provide for their needs. When God calls a person He provides everything they need to succeed.
Financial support is sent to our office, the giver gets an official receipt, 10% is given to SEAMIST, and 90% is given to the worker.
Will you help me raise support?
We train our missionaries to raise support. We do not provide the support for them, they have to seek God and pray and go out and find the people and churches God is calling to be their partners in mission. When they do that in faith and obedience, God always provides for all their needs. We do all we can to help each missionary find the support they need, including helping them network with foreign sources and organizations.
Why do you emphasize teams?
Jesus sent them out two by two. We send missionary families to places where it is difficult to work. They need two or three to be able to overcome Satan and establish God’s kingdom where no one has done that before. Teams provide encouragement and accountability. Teams succeed where individuals fail. We think of a team as three or more “units”, a unit being a single or family. During training a team may be not be possible.
Will you support my ministry?
We often get requests to help other ministries. We pray over every one, but we usually can only assist our own missionaries. If you are affiliated with another agency, they should help you get your financial support. If you are independent, then you will need to do this for yourself. If you have your own ministry from the Lord, He will supply all your needs.
How do I plant churches?
Don’t worry, we train our missionaries to plant churches. We use on-the-job training techniques rather than a classroom. Our training base is in the Philippines so you can get practice doing the things you will need to do when you finally arrive at the place God called you. We will help you find a strategy that will work and then use it for the Lord.
Is SEAMIST a denomination?
No, we are a mission agency. The churches we plant are under many different groups. There are no “SEAMIST” churches. We have no pastors.
Are you inter-Denominational?
Yes. Any church can use SEAMIST as an agency to train and send their missionaries. However, SEAMIST agrees with the Pentecostal and Charismatic perspectives on faith and doctrine. See our Statement of Faith.
1. You must have a clear call from God to be a missionary or church planter.
2. You must have a conviction that it is the will of God for your to server with South East Asia Mission Teams.
3. You must have a strong desire to reach an unreached people group.
4. You must have a local church or organization to send you. Your pastor or leader must agree that you are called by God to be a missionary and approve of your choice to join SEAMIST as a missionary.
5. You must be mature in your faith, active in ministry in your church, and you should know the Bible well. If you need more training, we will help you.
6. You must be willing to work hard to raise your prayer and financial support.
7. You must be willing to be trained under a SEAMIST trainer.
What will you train me to do?
Each candidate is given a unique training program that will especially prepare them to go to the people and place they are called to. Survey trips and helping to plant a church are a part. All get training in indigenous principles, cross-cultural communication, language learning, church planting, leadership, and teamwork. You may even earn a degree in Bible Studies if you have not had full bible training.