About Us
About Us
At Missions21, we believe that fulfilling the Great Commission is a collective effort, but for too long, the connection between the local church and their missionaries has felt disjointed.
My journey in ministry has given me the privilege of seeing this work from every perspective. I served as a pastor for seven years, followed by nine years as a church-planting missionary, and the last three years in missions leadership. Having stood in each of those roles, I understand the hurdles missionaries face while raising support, and I know the challenges pastors face when trying to find and vet laborers for the harvest.
That is why Missions21 exists. We aren’t just a website; we are a ministry dedicated to bridging that gap.
A Shared Vision
This journey began several years ago with a simple goal: to help missionaries on deputation. Since then, it has grown into a comprehensive hub for the Independent Baptist community.
We are so glad to have been joined in this endeavor by Anthony Master, our systems architect, who started IFBMT over 10 years ago and has helped hundreds of missionaries on deputation raise their necessary support.
Together, we are combining our years of experience in ministry and technology to build a ministry that serves the entire body.
Ministry, Not a Business
One of our deepest convictions is that Missions21 is a ministry, not a business. We operate with the belief that if we focus on helping as many people as possible, the Lord will take care of the rest.
Our heart is simple: we want to provide the best tools possible to the widest reach of people, often at our own personal investment of time and cost. We see a day where every missionary and every pastor has one centralized place to share information, find training, and build lasting partnerships.
We aren’t just building a platform; we’re building a bridge. Whether you are a pastor looking for your next missionary or a missionary preparing to head out, we are here to help you make that connection easier, faster, and more effective.
We’re in this together for the sake of the Gospel.
Dr. Leland Johnson
Frequently Asked Questions
Every independent Baptist missionary has faced the challenge of raising support. The process hasn’t had an upgrade since the 1940s until now.
What does Missions21 believe?
We believe strongly in the authority of the local New Testament church. Leland Johnson is a missionary sent out of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Missions21 operates as a ministry under the authority of Pastor Jim Ogle and the congregation at EBC.
To learn more about our calling and personal ministry: Visit www.pastorplanting.org
To understand our doctrine and sending church: Visit www.ebckingsmountain.com
Why U.S.-based missionaries only?
God is working all around the world, and we recognize that missionaries are being sent out from many countries across the globe, not just the United States. However, Missions21 was specifically designed to help U.S.-based missionaries connect with pastors within the U.S.
Because our ministry is based in the United States, we are unable to personally verify the legitimacy of ministries based in other countries. While many are undoubtedly legitimate, our priority is to provide a platform where every connection is rooted in verifiable information.
For more details, please see our Eligibility Requirements below.
Eligibility Requirements
Missions21 is a platform designed to facilitate connections between United States-based pastors and missionaries who are actively raising support within the U.S. To maintain the integrity of these connections, we require the following:
Verifiable “Base of Operations”: While U.S. citizenship is not mandatory, all missionaries must have a verifiable base of operations within the United States.
Definition: This is defined as the ability to actively visit churches, solicit financial support, and hold the legal standing to receive it (demonstrated by a Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number).
U.S. Affiliation: All users must have a confirmed affiliation with a sending church or missions board located within the United States.
Verification Policy: Failure to provide verifiable information regarding a U.S. sending church or mission board may result in temporary account deactivation. If a U.S. base of operations cannot be confirmed, the account will be permanently deactivated and deleted.
Note: While Missions21 acknowledges and respects the valuable Christian work conducted globally, this platform is specifically tailored to serve the unique needs and logistical requirements of the U.S. missions community.
Is this service really free? Will you ever charge?
While Missions21 is free for missionaries and pastors to use, it is not free to operate. We have made the intentional choice not to charge the missionaries or pastors who use it. We never want a single servant of God to miss out on these tools because of a lack of finances.
Our heart is to provide the best resources possible to the widest reach of people, often at our own personal investment of time and cost. Lord willing, we will never charge missionaries or pastors to use this service.
How we sustain this ministry: Because there are significant monthly costs for servers, development, and administration, we rely on the body of Christ to keep Missions21 running.
Church Partnerships: We encourage pastors and churches to consider adding Missions21 to their regular missions budget.
Special Offerings: Some churches choose to take up a once-a-year offering to help offset our operational costs.
When you support Missions21, you aren’t just paying for a website—you are helping every missionary and every pastor on the platform connect more effectively for the sake of the Gospel.
Is Missions21 a mission board?
No! Absolutely not! Mission boards are help organizations that assist local churches in getting missionaries to the field.
Missions21 is a ministry that provides the tools to aggregate missionary information and help connect missionaries and pastors more effectively. We are not a mission board, and we are not a church. We are a ministry burden and a collaborative network designed to help get missionaries to the field faster than ever before.
Missions21 was not started by a mission board and is not affiliated with any specific mission board. We serve the entire Independent Baptist community by bridging the gap between the laborer and the local church.
However, we maintain great relationships with almost all of the Independent Baptist mission boards and work hard to help them promote their missionaries. We view ourselves as a resource that works alongside these boards to help their appointees reach the field.
Can I support missionaries through your site?
No. Supporting missionaries financially is the job of churches, many times assisted by mission boards. Missions21 does not process funds for missionaries and we do not involve or insert ourselves into any financial process carried out by the church or the mission board.
We believe that supporting missionaries outside of a local church or missions board can be dangerous. It removes the accountability structure and allows missionaries to operate as “free-agents” instead of those “under authority.” For this reason, we are strictly in place to upgrade the process of raising support by using 21st-century technology, while all financial support and oversight remains firmly within the established biblical channels of the local church.
Is Missions21 a 501c3 organization?
While Missions21 is a registered organization, it is not a 501(c)(3). Missions21 is a ministry of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Kings Mountain, NC, and is legally established as a Limited Liability Company (LLC).
Establishing and maintaining 501(c)(3) status involves significant expense and administrative overhead. The government also maintains very strict requirements for these organizations, particularly those that are not officially registered as a church. For these reasons, we have chosen not to register in this way at this time.
However, if you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to Missions21, you may do so through our sending church.
How can I help support Missions21?
Thank you so much for asking this question. We want to keep this service free forever, but we also need to pay for the service and develop new features.
There are two ways that you can help support Missions21.
1. If you do not need a tax deductible donation, you can give online via PayPal using a credit or debit card using the link below or mail a check to the address below:
Online:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8CZVKQZ7LFJDW
Mailing Address:
9805 Statesville Road Suite 6535, Charlotte, NC 28269
2. If you need a tax deductible donation, you can give online via our church’s website or mail a check to the address below: our sending church. Write the check out the church and put “Missions21” on the memo line
Online:
https://ebckingsmountain.com/online-donations/
Mailing Address:
Missions21
c/o Emmanuel Baptist Church
102 Canterbury Rd, Kings Mountain, NC 28086