One of the most common questions regarding the many missionaries that Cornerstone supports is "How are these missionaries actually selected?" This daunting task is undertaken by the Cornerstone Missions Committee through much time, prayer, and face to face interaction with missionaries.
One of the initial questions that Cornerstone considers when selecting new missionaries is “In what type of mission will you be involved?” The Missions Committee attempts to balance missionary support by keeping several broad guidelines in mind that have been established by the Cornerstone Session. First, Cornerstone desires for at least half of its financial missions support to go to foreign missions work. While work in North America is important, at least half of our financial support goes overseas. Second, Cornerstone desires for at least half of its financial missions support to go to works that are directly involved in the work of the church, such as church planting, teacher and pastor training, and church support work. Missions like these include seminary professors, foreign pastors, or teams working to establish new churches. Language translation, missionary school teachers, and other support roles are all given financial support through the Cornerstone Missions Program, but at least half of missionary support goes to direct church work.
In addition, Cornerstone desires for at least half of its missionaries to have a “Cornerstone Connection.” While the Missions Committee is in no way opposed to supporting missionaries that come across our path over time, at least half of the support goes to missionaries that have been sent out from Cornerstone, have spent time at Cornerstone, or have some other connection, such as relatives, at Cornerstone.
All potentially supported missionaries meet face to face with the Cornerstone Missions Committee and discuss issues such as a personal statement of faith and doctrine, potential mission field, family dynamics, call to ministry, past training, the sending mission board, and other information pertinent to the missionary's desire to go abroad.
