New Rules Could Close Doors to Foreign Missions on Some!
By Raul Rivera
One common thread among churches is the desire to spread the Gospel throughout the entire world. In fact, a vast majority of missionaries stationed across the world are sent from America. Having assisted nearly 15,000 churches, and having read the purpose and mission statements of many thousands of them, I see the overwhelming vision to reach into the world with the Gospel. Whether it is supporting overseas missions or actively participating in overseas trips, pastors and leaders across America have a heart desire to send the message of hope to all corners of the earth.
Are you aware that there are rules that govern how a church, ministry, and even a for- profit business can participate in overseas activities? Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush signed executive orders that require all U.S. businesses to ensure that any overseas activities not benefit any terrorist organizations. As a result, every church and ministry must have a carefully followed, anti-terrorism policy. In addition, if your church has a guest speaker that is not a U.S. citizen, it must ensure that the individual is not on the list of U.S. sanctioned countries and individuals that is published by the Office of Foreign Asset Control. This lists terrorist organizations and individuals and is over 470 pages in length.
What is the new federal rule?
We thought that the executive orders were burdensome before, but now the State Department is issuing a new form for any American citizen applying for a passport. If you are a missionary, or supervise your church's missions department, this may greatly affect you. The new form asks for all of your addresses since the day you were born; your entire lifetime employment history, such as names of employers and supervisors, their addresses, and telephone numbers; and personal details of all your siblings, including your mother's address one year prior to your birth. The form also asks if there was any "religious ceremony" around the time of your birth, and the form states that failure to provide the information requested may result in the denial of your U.S. passport, documents, or service. The application is so personal and detailed that some citizens will not be able to prove their legal status even if they were born in the U.S.
As of April 25th, the State Department will issue Form-DS-5513 which, as stated in the Federal Register, will affect approximately 75,000 people applying for passports. This will certainly affect some who are called to the mission field, but cannot produce the over burdensome information asked for in the form. It will also keep some people from being able to go on an overseas mission trip sponsored by the church.
Act now if you are called to missions
If you feel that the Lord has called you to missions, or you believe that you will make an overseas missions trip in the next several years, now may be the best time to get your passport, before the long form becomes more common.
A word to pastors and leaders
It is very important to remember that executive orders mandate that churches and ministries take the necessary measures to prove that the church followed prescribed procedures to avoid doing transactions with individuals on the List of Sanctioned Countries and Individuals. We teach information such as this in a step-by-step format at our conferences.