The whole of the Scriptures testify to God's glory in advancing His rule (Kingdom) over the earth, and that His reign is to be heralded throughout the world by His servants in every age.  Here is God's directive to humanity to mirror His role as Lord of the Universe. Adam and Eve were to be lords of the earth. Their dispersion over the earth would announce to all its corners the Lordship of God, as modeled in humanity's dominion.

Genesis 1:28 "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

God loves the world. He particularly loves the Israelites and reaches out to them first, but only so that they might turn and declare His salvation to the Gentiles as well. The ransom of His only Son, Jesus, was the price He paid to demonstrate this love.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

In creating the Church, God fulfills His promise to Abraham that he would be a blessing to the nations. The Gentile nations are grafted in and made one with the spiritual nation of God.

Revelation 7:9 "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands."

This great multitude is as countless as the stars God showed Abraham. Here are people from every culture represented in front of the King. They’re not there for judgment, for they wear white robes of righteousness which have been cleansed in the blood of the Lamb. They’re also bearing palms, the symbol of praise and adoration for the King of the Universe.

The Bible records God’s activity in recruiting worshippers. The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a sinner achieves the result of a new heart of flesh that beats for God and His glory. Fists that were once raised in rebellion toward heaven are turned into open palms of praise of their Savior, Jesus Christ. It’s the mission committee’s goal to play an active part in advancing the Gospel, that God might get greater glory in the Shenandoah Valley and the world.

become ’world' Christians  We want the congregation to be aware and reminded of the vast population of the world which is separated from any effective witness to Jesus as Savior and Lord. It needs to have engendered within it God's passion for the world, to desire that all might come to repentance (2 Pt 3:9) and to weep over a lost people (Lk 19:41). Specifically, we would like to expose the people of Covenant Presbyterian to the missionary heart of God through prayer, instruction, giving, going, and participating in conferences.

intercede in prayer  We want the congregation to be encouraged and aided in a ministry of prayer for the world and for our missionaries, both corporately and individually, by example and by active encouragement from the mission committee and the Session. This can be accomplished through emphasis in corporate worship and through the adoption of individual missionaries by Home Groups (small groups) or other ministries/groups in the church.

intercede with action  We want this congregation to be active in mission and aware of the many ways in which it can be involved corporately and individually. We want Covenant's Home Groups ’adopting‘ our missionaries for ministries of prayer, financial support, and encouragement. Opportunities for individual action include emailing an encouraging note to a missionary, lobbying a congressman on behalf of injustice among the persecuted churches, or helping with the distribution of support letters for those who are abroad. There are many creative ways for this congregation to apply their hands as well as their hearts to the Great Commission.

give financially  We want this congregation as individuals to be encouraged to give of the resources God has entrusted to them in personally supporting missionaries.

serve as missionaries   We want to encourage and support those in this congregation who sense a call to paid missionary service, short or long-term.  We want to actively assist them in advancing the boundaries of God's spiritual Kingdom.

priorities  We don't require every missionary we support subscribe to the same priorities. This should, however, describe the heart of the majority (greater than 50%) of missionaries and ministries we support or are intending to support.

church planting  We believe church planting and multiplication is the primary strategy ordained by God for making disciples of all nations. Jesus declared "...I will build My Church.." (Mt 16:18). The ministry of Jesus building His Church was continued as the primary means of spreading the gospel by the apostles. It’s our aim to make church planting a priority, but not a necessity, in the mission committee’s support strategy.

unreached peoples  We grieve that an estimated 40% of the world's population has not been reached with the gospel. It’s our goal to contribute 40-50% of our total mission budget to the spread of the gospel in areas where there is otherwise no self-sustaining evangelistic ministry designed to reach its own people.

reformed witness  We believe the most sound, most correct summary of what the Bible teaches as a whole can be found in the Westminster standards (The Westminster Confession of Faith, the Westminster Larger Catechism, and the Westminster Shorter Catechism). These provide a summary of what is known as ’Reformed‘ theology.

people  We emphasize supporting individuals who have a relationship with members of our church or are from within our Presbytery. We believe these preferences result in a closer relational bond with the person, as opposed to the impersonal nature of supporting only an organization. The relational bond serves to strengthen our compassion and intercession for the individual, whereas that might not be as strong regarding an organization. However, we recognize the validity and, at times, the strategic necessity of supporting organizations which will steward our resources to the people under their charge. We make every effort to labor in prayer and compassion with the same diligence and heart as we direct to the individuals we support.

demographic paradigm  We allocate resources to ministries according to the following percentages.

• 10-20% to ’reached‘ people groups (Jerusalem & Judea): people groups with relatively large evangelical Christian population; opportunities to hear the gospel are pervasive
• 35-45% to ’semi-reached‘ people groups (Samaria): ‘open’ countries and people groups, but relatively few evangelical Christians; includes many U.S. ethnic populations
• 40-50% to ’unreached‘ people groups (ends of the earth): countries/people groups hostile to open Christian witness

The mission committee bases its support decisions based on the

• qualifications of the missionary (their spiritual maturity, ministry experience, doctrinal understanding, etc.),
• people group targeted, and
• sending mission agency.

It’s the responsibility of the missionary requesting support to

• provide an itemized annual budget projection (or total budget for < 1 year trip),
• state their financial need or amount requested of the church, and
• communicate their perceived calling and the scope of work to be accomplished on their proposed mission field.

This is our paradigm for thinking about the missionary enterprise.

1. career 3 or more years (open to members of CPC and other churches)
1. Applicants must demonstrate deep Christian maturity and have been involved intensively as a member in their church, particularly in areas corresponding to the duties required on the field. They must demonstrate a love for people and an ability to work with others in lasting ministry relationships. If married, both spouses must be able to articulate their call.
2. In most cases, a Bachelor's degree (Christian school or secular) and at least one year of seminary education is desirable. Exceptions are based on the person's ministry background or the nature of the mission; e.g., support missions.
3. It’s highly recommended the applicant be trained in evangelism and has already been used by God in leading lost souls to Christ. Going overseas does not automatically render a person an ‘evangelist’.
4. The applicant is strongly encouraged to learn and have already applied Biblical discipleship methods and instruction.
5. The sending agency is evaluated on its preparations in language, culture, and support-raising training.


2. short-term: less than 3 years (open to members of CPC and other churches)
1. Applicants must demonstrate a maturity in their relationship with Jesus Christ and a commitment to the proposed ministry.
2. The applicant must submit to a period of ministry training appropriate to the placement context.
3. The sending agency/body is evaluated on its training preparations for the applicant.
4. Those participating in trips of three months or less must be members (or associate members) of Covenant Presbyterian Church.


3. campus ministry (open to members of CPC only) Covenant Presbyterian Church is blessed with a strategic ministry to the campuses of James Madison University, Eastern Mennonite University, and Bridgewater College. The mission committee desires to support members of Covenant Presbyterian Church who are on staff with approved para-church ministries to these campuses. Because staff changes usually occur annually, the committee observes the following principles.
1. Support is limited to one supervisor and one assistant (or the equivalent level of support) for each approved para-church ministry per campus.
2. We try to provide support if requested by any CPC member in good standing on staff with an approved campus ministry.
3. Local campus ministry support staff beyond the senior staff person be supported in equal amounts determined annually by the committee.

The mission committee also considers providing the catalyst support for those members of Covenant Presbyterian Church pursuing ministry posts at other universities and colleges and for those serving in support roles; e.g. Headquarters.

Training in Bible and communication are strongly encouraged before and during ministry assignments.

The mission committee observes the following priorities when considering whether or not to support and a support amount.

1. church affiliation  Priority for mission support goes to any
• active member of Covenant Presbyterian Church;
• member of another PCA church within the Blue Ridge Presbytery;
• member of the PCA;
• approved missionary or agency.


2. accountability  Covenant supports only those missionaries ministering with an agency operating under a structure of financial accountability, preferably the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).


3. level  Levels of support are based on the criteria specified in this policy and summarized here.   The support is determined is based on these criteria and the funds available in the relevant budget categories.
• church planting
• unreached people groups
• Reformed witness
• missionaries; i.e., people, especially members of CPC, more than organizations
• indigenous typically preferred to cross-culture missions
• language proficiency for cross cultural mission
• mission and relevant ministry experience to date
• career typically preferred to short-term missions
• session approval, recommendations, or other comments
• availability of resources for the particular ministry
• effective communications from the missionary being supported
• ‘word’ witness (evangelism/teaching) typically preferred to ‘deed’ witness
• sending organization; MTW given highest preference
• family status
• changes in the nature of the missions focus/duties
• length of time mission committee has been supporting the missionary
• financial need

Support levels are pro-rated; e.g., a one year commitment vs. a commitment for an indefinite period of time; assignments based on an academic rather than calendar year; assignment less than full 12 month periods, etc.

Our support is allocated over three missionary classifications.

same culture  In light of the decline of the evangelical witness in our culture, it’s essential we endure in our efforts to proclaim the Gospel in our own back yards. We must be proactive in the strategic support and placement of missionaries in our own culture.

cross-culture  Most of our missionaries cross significant cultural barriers to be Christ's ambassadors. We must be realistic about the time and money it takes to bridge these barriers, especially if we’re to preach the Gospel among those who we view as ’unreached’. As Paul writes, "...And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?" (Rom 10:14-15).

indigenous  Among people groups where the indigenous church is gaining strength to reach its own people, we can have a tremendous impact for Christ by coming alongside those nationals whom God has called to minister to their own people. They don’t suffer the cultural frustrations of the ’outsider‘ missionary, nor do they require the sizable funding to completely relocate to another land (and, as is often the case, they don’t require the expensive standard of living to which Westerners are accustomed). Even more, they can minister in their own countries in which it might be illegal for