How To Become a Missionary

What Is a Missionary?

Missionaries are individuals of faith who work to spread the Word of God. There are many different types of missionaries. Some go on long-term missions, others on short-term trips. Some serve internationally, others domestically. Many choose to work temporarily as missionaries while pursuing full-time, permanent employment in other occupations. The role of a missionary may change over time, possibly including more or different responsibilities.1 

Missionaries can perform a variety of services to those in need, but ultimately, their focus is on evangelizing. Since there are many types of missionaries, there is no universal pathway toward becoming one. Explore the general guidelines for how to become a missionary.

69%

Percentage of world population unaffiliated with Christianity2

What Do Missionaries Do?

The primary goal of a missionary is to spread the gospel and teach others about the love of Christ. However, missionaries may perform a range of other services to the population they’re reaching out to. Sometimes, these services may align with the missionary’s primary occupation (e.g., teaching). They also may fall more on the business side of a mission organization, such as helping with accounting or providing leadership. There is really no limit to the services a missionary may perform, but they will generally handle the following responsibilities:1

Pastor standing on stage giving a sermon
Evangelizing

Missionaries spread the Word of God to communities at home and around the world.

Advocacy

Missionaries advocate for human rights, social equality and reform to help improve the lives of others.

Education

A missionary may create and operate schools, providing education that accommodates the community’s needs.

Planting Churches

Missionaries may help establish new churches in communities where Christianity is less common.

Healthcare

Some missionaries may have healthcare credentials and provide medical care to the underserved.

Business Operations

Missionaries may take on management, economic, accounting or leadership positions in mission organizations.

Missionaries may pursue short-term or long-term mission opportunities because they feel called to serve Christ and His people. In doing so, missionaries are fulfilling the Great Commission, which references the Commissioning of the Disciples. In the Bible, Jesus says: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:19-20). Some Christians may decide to become missionaries for the purpose of executing the Great Commission.

What Experience and Education Does a Missionary Need?

There are no standard missionary education requirements. While there are no degree requirements, some missionaries may travel to countries that require a degree to obtain an entry visa. In addition, some missionaries may hold a degree in a field like healthcare to bring their skills to those in need.3 Others may choose to contribute their knowledge of business or nonprofit management, economics, accounting or leadership to help mission organizations operate effectively. While there is no single path for how to become a missionary, you may wish to consider the following steps:

While you’re earning your high school diploma, you may wish to explore opportunities to become more involved in your church community. You could also work on improving your biblical knowledge and deepening your faith. Some churches even offer short-term mission opportunities that individuals can participate in as early as high school.4

Some missionaries may decide to earn a bachelor’s degree in theology or ministry. This can provide a good opportunity for you to deepen your faith and become more familiar with the Word of God. However, a missionary’s job is also to empower the communities they serve with practical services — like building a new school, teaching, working within a mission organization’s business operations or providing much-needed healthcare. Because of this, other types of degrees can also serve as preparation for mission work — ranging from nursing and business to teaching degrees and beyond. You may wish to consider double majoring in theology/ministry and another field.5

While there are no specific certificate programs required for missionaries, you may wish to consider enrolling in one. For example, you might enroll in a certificate program in Christian studies, particularly if your bachelor’s degree did not center on ministry or theology.

There are no entry-level roles required for aspiring missionaries. However, you may wish to consider serving as a volunteer at your local church in order to gain some practical experience. You might also decide to gain some work experience in another occupation before setting off on your mission work.

As you can see, there is no single path toward becoming a missionary, nor are there any strict missionary education requirements. Since mission work is often temporary rather than a full-time, permanent career, you may also wish to plan your academic and experiential pathway with another occupation in mind — such as one that will teach other skills you can use to benefit underserved communities.

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Best Degrees for a Missionary

A missionary’s most important qualification is the desire to serve God and His people. Because of this, a person with virtually any sort of academic background could potentially pursue short-term or long-term mission work. However, some aspiring missionaries might prefer to pursue a degree in Christian ministry or theology.

Whichever degree option you choose, you might also want to use your time in school to research different countries and their cultures to become more familiar with the people whom you may one day serve. You might also reach out to various missionary organizations in search of mentorship opportunities.

  • Faith formation
  • Old Testament
  • New Testament
  • Evangelism
  • Discipleship
  • Biblical interpretation

GCU Recommends These Degree Programs for Missionaries


What Skills Does a Missionary Need?

Missionaries can benefit from possessing a diverse skill set, including both hard and soft skills. Some examples of skills that may support mission work include:6

  • Evangelism
  • Discipleship
  • Flexibility
  • Respect for other cultures and ethnic groups
  • Perseverance
  • Humility
A Missionary speaking with 2 followers

Where Do Missionaries Work?

Missionaries may work in the following areas:

Domestically

Some missionaries carry out their work in their own home countries.

Internationally

Missionaries often travel abroad to other countries to spread the Word of God.

Advancement Opportunities for Missionaries

Becoming a missionary is a calling that people generally do because they feel it is God’s purpose for them rather than because they seek career advancement through mission work. Because of this, there are no specific advancement opportunities for missionaries. However, mission work can give missionaries the opportunity to acquire certain skills that may prove useful in other fields, such as adaptability, public speaking, fundraising and cultural competence.7

Pastor talking to audience

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1 Koering, J. (2024, March 8). What Do Christian Missionaries Do? Nations Outreach. Retrieved Feb. 20, 2025. 

2 Wasserman, P. (2024, Jan. 12). World Population by Religion: A Global Tapestry of Faith. Population Education. Retrieved Nov. 27, 2024.

3 SIM USA. (n.d.). What Kind of Work Skills Are Needed to Become a Missionary? Retrieved Nov. 27, 2024.

4 Kortge, K. (2017, April 12). How High Schoolers Can Prepare for Missions. TEAM. Retrieved Nov. 27, 2024.

5 Silvers, M. (2020, Sept. 30). What Degree Do You Need to Be a Missionary? Crossworld. Retrieved Nov. 27, 2024.

6 Topf, D., PhD. (n.d.). Competency: What Kind of Qualifications Do I Need to Become a Missionary? World Team USA. Retrieved Nov. 27, 2024.

7 TEAM. (2019, Aug. 7). 12 Job Skills Missionaries Gain on the Mission Fiel. Retrieved Nov. 27, 2024.