Foreign Missions

Two Types of Missions
1. Organized Mission
Missionaries are sent to the mission field under the direction of an organization (i.e., a Missionary Society).

In the early years of the Restoration Movement, all missionaries were sent to the mission field through a Missionary Society. Missionary funding was sent to the Missionary Society and the society determined how the money would be dispersed to the missionaries.

2. Independent Missions (Direct Support Missions)
​Missionaries are sent to the mission field through the support of a church, several churches, and/or individual supporters.

One of the early Direct Support Missionaries was W. D. Cunningham, a verysuccessful missionary in Japan.
Cunningham wanted to go to the field through a society, but came down withpolio and was judged unfit for missionary service – So, he raised support andwent to Japan without the backing of a society.