During the USA strategic planning session, the USA  Ministries department came to our President, Reese Kauffman, convinced that unless we solved the problem of decreasing staff in the USA, the ministry will not grow. While ministry to children in the U.S. is increasing, the number of missionaries in the USA is decreasing. The largest decrease is at the local level. The eventual outcome will be fewer staff which means fewer children reached. 

During the USA strategic planning session, the USA  Ministries department came to our President, Reese Kauffman, convinced that unless we solved the problem of decreasing staff in the USA, the ministry will not grow. While ministry to children in the U.S. is increasing, the number of missionaries in the USA is decreasing. The largest decrease is at the local level. The eventual outcome will be fewer staff resulting in fewer children reached. 

Assessment 

A time of assessment was focused on discovering the causes of this decline. This assessment was done in conjunction with state and local staff as well as records of exiting interviews from staff who had left. While there are various reasons that cause staff to leave, three major causes were identified:

--Lack of funding which created stress on the ministry and individual missionaries.

--Missionaries ill-equipped in the areas of  character and/or education to persevere.

--Discontinuity in the recruitment to placement process that made it possible for those interested in the ministry to "fall through the cracks."  

 This assessment led to the development of an approach that would provide fully trained, fully supported and fully equipped missionaries for States, Local chapters and International regions