US Missionary Retention Study - worldevangelicals.org · o US Report of Findings on Missionary...
Transcript of US Missionary Retention Study - worldevangelicals.org · o US Report of Findings on Missionary...
ReMAP II: Worldwide Missionary Retention Study &
2/24/2010 1
Retention Study &Best Practices
Missions Commission
WEA Missions Commission Commitments—globally….
� To provide a place, a forum and services
� To serve regional and national mission
movements, global networks, mission agencies,
missional churches and miss. training programs.
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missional churches and miss. training programs.
� Listening to the global grass roots
� Listening to the voices of “mission structures”
� Catalysing and connecting church and mission
leaders, missionary equippers/trainers
Focus of ReMAP II
� Research into Older and Newer Sending
Countries (like ReMAP I)--
�22 nations
�600 mission agencies
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�600 mission agencies
�40,000 missionaries
� Issues related to retention of missionaries
� Revealing good agency practices
Key International Agency Practices1. Careful Candidate Selection
2. Effective Leadership with
� Good interaction with missionary
� Servant attitude
� Flexible structures
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3. Provide opportunities for training and development of gifts
4. Encourage missionaries to improve ministries and agency’s operations
5. Changes are not imposed top down
6. Utilize insight of their missionaries
7. Partnership with other agencies
ReMAP II:USA Missionary Retention
Findings
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USA Missionary Retention Findings
Overview of Study
� Participants: Leaders from 65 agencies participated
in the US study, representing 14,000+ missionaries.
� Agencies were ranked by rate of retention, from
highest to lowest.
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highest to lowest.
� These agencies were divided into 3 groups, so that
each group had approx the same number of
missionaries.
� High and low groups had 29 agencies.
� The leader’s responses of the highest and lowest
groups were compared
General Finding� The average agency keeps 94% of
its people each year.
� High Retention agency: 97%
� Low Retention agency: 91%
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Low Retention agency: 91%
� This means that over a 10 year period the average agency
•Keeps 54% of its people
•Loses 46% of its people
Retention Impact: 10 years
US Average77%
Retention
23%
Attrition
29 High
Retention Agencies
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54%
Retention
46%
Attrition
37%
Retention63%
Attrition
29 Low
Retention Agencies
Trend:
Agencies are losing a greater percentage of their missionaries for potentially preventable
reasons during the past 20 years.
Since 1981, 50% of the annual departures
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Since 1981, 50% of the annual departures
were for potentially preventable reasons
Examples: Departures
Potentially PreventableUnpreventable
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� Work or team related
reasons
� Dismissal
� Personal issues
� Agency issues
� Retirement
� Death
� Loss of visa
� Appointment to leadership
in agency
Percentage of Missionaries Leaving for Potentially Preventable Reasons
48
50
52
54
% of People
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40
42
44
46
48
1981-
1985
1986-
1990
1991-
1995
1996-
2000
%
% of People
Leaving for
Preventable
Reason
Since 1981: High Retention Agencies are countering the
general trend.
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general trend.
High Retention Agencies: Missionaries leaving for Preventable Reasons
40
50
60
Pe
rce
nta
ge
These Agencies lose
50% less than the
average US Agency.
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0
10
20
30
1981-1985 1986-1990 1991-1995 1996-2000
Pe
rce
nta
ge
10 Year Attrition:
■ Unpreventable
■ Preventable
High Ret. Agencies
11%
12%
77%
US Average
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Low Ret. Agencies
37%
26%
US Average
26%
20%
54%37%
Impact of Turnover on the Agency:Interview with David Seaton,
Retired Mgr Best Practices for Shell Oil Products
� Added cost for recruitment and training
� Loss of synergy, relationships and momentum (3-5 yrs)
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momentum (3-5 yrs)
� Loss of souls coming to Christ
� Detriment to reputation of agency
� Solution: More cost effective to increase the time and budget for the support, and care of the existing missionary.
How are these high retention agencies
countering the trend?
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countering the trend?
1. Greater Importance on Screening
2. Pre-field Training
3. Good Communication Practices
4. Greater Emphasis on Prayer
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4. Greater Emphasis on Prayer
5. On-going Training Opportunities
6. Care Practices
7. Leadership Practices
Greater importance on screening
#1#1
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Screening Criteria � High Ret. Ag.
� Low Ret. Ag.
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
Ra
tin
g
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
Calling
Agen.Princ
Mature Char
Chrch Exper
Health.Check
Psych.assess
Pray.Support
Pre-Field Training
� High retention agencies require approximately
3 semesters of formal missiological studies
(vs 1 semester for low retention agencies)
#2#2
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(vs 1 semester for low retention agencies)
� High retention agencies spend 5-6 weeks in
orientation
(vs 3 weeks for low retention agencies)
Good Communication
� Clear communication of plans and job descriptions
� Free flow communication to and from leadership
#3#3
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� Effective communication between sending base and field
� Policies are well understood throughout the mission
Greater emphasis on Prayer
� Promoted throughout the agency
Emphasized in Home Office
#4#4
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� Emphasized in Home Office
� Important screening factor
On-going Training
� Language programs for new missionaries
� Opportunities for on-going
#5#5
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� Opportunities for on-going language and culture learning
� Opportunities for development of gifts and skills
#6 Care Practices � High Ret. Ag.
� Low Ret. Ag.
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
Ra
tin
g
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
Pers Spirit.Life
Ann.Vacation
Fin.Support
Project.financ
Ag.Finances
Pre-field.screen
H.O.prays
Re-entry.Prog
Debrief
#7 Leadership Practices� High Ret. Ag.
� Low Ret. Ag.
2.53.03.54.04.55.05.56.0
Ra
tin
g
1.01.52.02.5
Lead by example
Probl.solved
Supervision
Ann.Review
Four Factors That MOST CONTRIBUTE to a
Missionary’s Effectiveness
� Development of good relationship/team.
� Commitment to ministry.
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� Commitment to ministry.
� Effective leadership with good supervision and accountability.
� Clear objectives, goals, and expectations that are agreed upon.
3 Factors That MOST HINDER
A Missionary’s Effectiveness
� Finances
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� Finances
� Family Issues
� Relationship problems
Strategic Recommendation
A corporate goal: to increase your
retention rate each year.
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retention rate each year.
5 Strategic Steps
� These 5 steps are from the book
Best Practices in Organizational
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Development and Change. Some
or all of these ideas have already
been expressed in your groups.
First Step: Determine the Retention Rate for your Agency
� This retention rate number will
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give your mission agency a
starting point/base line for
determining how well you are
doing from year to year.
Second Step: Discover your people’s needs
� Survey your people
� Informal interviews/Debriefings
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� Exit Interviews
Third Step: Design a Plan of Action
� Based on results of the surveys, choose the most strategic issue/s to focus on, which will
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issue/s to focus on, which will have the potential of increasing the retention of good missionaries, and reducing turnover.
Fourth Step: Train your Leaders
�Good interpersonal skills in
relating to the people
�Good management skills
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�Good management skills
�How to motivate, encourage and
support their people
Fifth Step: System of Accountability
� Is the retention rate gradually increasing from year to year?
� Are the issues being addressed in the action
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� Are the issues being addressed in the action plan (step 3) improving from the missionaries’ perspective?
� Are the issues for resignations the same or different?
Resources Available
� WEAresources.org
o Tracking Guide
o US Report of Findings on Missionary Retention
o This power point
� Too Valuable to Lose
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� Too Valuable to Lose
� Worth Keeping guides agencies in self-
assessment process of retention correlated best
practices.
� Engage! Global Mapping can survey needs of
agency’s field staff (gmi.org)
Wrap Up
Great Commission requires the
retention of missionary personnel
with long-term presence.
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with long-term presence.
Following are supplemental charts
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Definitions� Retention: the ability of an agency to keep its people
(especially those it wants to keep).
� Total Retention rate: the percentage of people an agency keeps each year.
� Unpreventable Retention rate: percentage of people retained, after those who left for acceptable reasons.
� Preventable Retention Rate: the percentage of
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� Preventable Retention Rate: the percentage of people retained in a given year, after those who left for potentially preventable reasons (conflict, dismissal, etc).
� Best Practices: those practices, policies, actions and attitudes that promote the retention of good personnel and their effectiveness (fruitfulness).
Pre-Field Training
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
Ye
ars
RRT H
RRT L
0.0
0.2
0.4
33. Form
.missiol
36. Ag.orie
nt
Ongoing training
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
Ra
tin
g
High Ret
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
40. Vision
41. Plans&Job.D.
42. Comm.Lead
43. Comm.f-h
ome
44. Includ.decision
45. Policy.docum
46. Culture.of.P
rayer
47. Lead.example
48. Probl.solved
49. Supervis
ion
50. Ann.Review
51. Handl.C
omplaints
52. Field.Orientation
53. Language.Learn
54. Ongo.Language.L
55. Gift.D
evelop
High RetAgencies
Low RetAgencies
Prayer
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
Ra
tin
g
High Ret
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
40. Vision
41. Plans&Job.D.
42. Comm.Lead
43. Comm.f-h
ome
44. Includ.decision
45. Policy.docum
46. Culture.of.P
rayer
47. Lead.example
48. Probl.solved
49. Supervis
ion
50. Ann.Review
51. Handl.C
omplaints
52. Field.Orientation
53. Language.Learn
54. Ongo.Language.L
55. Gift.D
evelop
High RetAgencies
Low RetAgencies
Communication Practices
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
Ra
tin
g
High Ret
2.0
2.5
3.0
40. Vision
41. Plans&Job.D.
42. Comm.Lead
43. Comm.f-h
ome
44. Includ.decision
45. Policy.docum
46. Culture.of.Prayer
47. Lead.example
48. Probl.solved
49. Supervis
ion
50. Ann.Review
51. Handl.Complaints
52. Field.Orientation
53. Language.Learn
54. Ongo.Language.L
55. Gift.D
evelop
High RetAgencies
Low RetAgencies
Care Provided
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
High Ret
Agencies
Low Ret
Agencies
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
71. Team
72. Past.C
are
73. Interpers.Confl
74. P.Spirit.
Life
75. MK.School
76. Health.Care
77. Ann.Vacation
78. Risk.Assess
79. Hm.Church.Inv
80. Finan.Support
81. Finan.Back-up
82. Project.fin
anc
83. Agen.Finances
84. Pre-fie
ld.screen
85. Pre-fie
ld.orient
86. Home.O.prays
87. Re-entry
.Prog
88. Debrief.H
ome
Organization Practices
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
Av
era
ge
Ra
tin
g
High RetAgencies
Low RetAgencies
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
Average
EducationSelection
Prep Time
Orientation
Spiritual life
Person.Care
MemCare /2
Organizational Values
4.4
4.6
4.8
5.0
5.2
5.4R
ati
ng
High RetAgencies
Low RetAgencies
3.8
4.0
4.2
4.4
Organisation
Leadership
Staff.Develop
Ministry
Min.OutcomeFinances
Home.Office
Allocation of Personnel
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
High RetAgencies
Low RetAgencies
0
5
10
15
6. %Unreached
7. %Evangelism
8. %Supp.church
9. %Social.work
10. % Services
Ministry Values
1.52.02.53.03.54.04.55.05.56.0
Ra
tin
g
RRP H
RRP L1.01.52.0
56. Assign.giftg
58. Spirit.
W arfare
61. Not.overload
69. Develop.leaders
RRP L