In March 2026, members of Central will be asked to approve an Alaska Missions Partnership Agreement to be the McMurtrys’ sending church. We invite you to read the agreement as well as the summary and Q&A.
We will regularly pray for Derek, his family, and their mission work in Alaska.
A. We will provide $400 per month of financial support (already approved by the church body last year).
B. We will receive and process donations to their ministry from other churches through our office.
A. Our church leadership will offer biblical oversight in matters of doctrine, moral conduct, and financial integrity.
B. Our Stewardship Committee will review quarterly financial reports and ensure that ministry funds are handled responsibly.
C. Our Pastor and other leaders will guide and advise Derek without directing his daily schedule or controlling other routine decisions.
We will care for Derek and his family spiritually, encourage them, counsel them when needed, and remain actively involved in their lives as a sending church.
A. We will share ministry and prayer updates within our congregation.
B. Our church leaders will promote Derek’s ministry among churches in our state—especially within our local association.
C. We will send short-term mission groups to assist in Alaska as we are able.
Derek will serve faithfully in evangelism, discipleship, church planting, and church revitalization in Alaska.
Derek will teach and minister in ways that align with Central’s doctrinal convictions.
Derek and his family will join our church as watchcare members so they can maintain a clear connection with this church while still participating in the Alaska Baptist Convention.
A. Derek will maintain proper legal and financial structures for his ministry.
B. Derek will handle ministry funds with integrity and provide quarterly reports to our church leadership.
A. Derek will send monthly updates about his ministry to Central.
B. Derek will have regular virtual/telephone meetings with our pastor and with other church leaders as needed.
C. Derek will return and provide an in-person report to our congregation approximately once per year.
A. Derek will involve our pastor in strategic planning for his work in Alaska.
B. Derek will seek guidance from church leadership in major ministry decisions.
This agreement explains how Central will support and oversee a missionary as a sending church. It provides clarity, accountability, and protection for the missionary, the church, and those who give.
Yes. Churches that serve as a missionary’s sending church commonly use written agreements, especially when they provide financial support, oversight, and accountability.
The full agreement is available online at the link above; copies can also be obtained from the church office.
Central has committed $4,800 per year, paid in monthly installments of $400, for the term of the agreement. The congregation has already approved this support as part of the 2026 budget process.
No. Derek is not an employee of Central. He is responsible for his own taxes, insurance, and legal compliance as a self-directed minister. We, however, stand ready to help him navigate those issues.
Once he finishes his assessments, Derek will receive a monthly stipend from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is also working to raise support from other churches. Support from other churches and individual donors will be processed through Central’s Alaska Designated Fund.
Yes, but every NAMB missionary needs a Sending Church to assume this kind of oversight. Also, NAMB uses a different funding structure than what IMB uses for overseas missionaries. This structure requires NAMB missionaries to raise a portion of their support from churches and individual donors.
Derek and his family have a relationship with our pastor and others in this church that goes back several years through ministries like Trinity Christian Academy and the Pregnancy Resource Center. Our pastor enthusiastically supports Derek’s vision and is eager to help him get on the field. (This also came during a time when our pastor was involved in several meetings with NAMB and IMB, praying about how Central could get more hands-on involvement with missions.)
Yes. Derek will provide our Stewardship Committee with quarterly financial reports.
No. The agreement specifically outlines what our oversight looks like. Central’s leadership does not control daily schedules, ministry methods, preaching content, or routine decisions. Our oversight covers matters of doctrine, moral conduct, and financial accountability. Beyond that, we can advise but do not direct.
Derek affirms the latest draft of the Baptist Faith and Message (2000), which is the same doctrinal statement Central affirms.
Yes. Derek and his family would maintain watchcare membership at Central while also joining a local SBC-affiliated church on the mission field.
The agreement requires any potential disputes to be handled in a Christian manner through the Leadership Team of the Comanche-Cotton Baptist Association rather than in civil courts.
The agreement covers a three-year term, with annual review, and may be renewed, revised, or ended by mutual agreement if circumstances change.
Our pastor and the members of our Stewardship Committee have unanimously approved this agreement. However, our pastor believes that sending a missionary is a congregational responsibility. This agreement reflects our shared commitment as a church body to support missions faithfully, responsibly, and biblically. Therefore, the agreement has been structured to require congregational approval before it can take effect.