IMB Opportunities & Service Pathways
A complete overview of the ways to serve with the IMB — from one-week trips for teenagers to fully-funded career church planting — with age ranges, duration, funding, and degree requirements for each.
Quick-Start Links by Audience
Use these official IMB pages to explore opportunities that match your age and availability.
Short-Term & Student Pathways
Ideal for teenagers, students, and young adults exploring a call to missions — ranging from a single week to a full year.
IMB Missions Residency
A pathway for 18–29-year-olds who wish to serve cross-culturally with the IMB. If you're considering a career in missions or church planting, this pathway will sharpen your skills and provide practical ministry experience.
Journeyman Program
A fully-funded, two-year opportunity for young adults to serve internationally, share the gospel, and make disciples. You'll be sent by your local church and become part of an international missionary team — working to plant churches and show the love of Jesus while being developed as a missionary.
Over two years, you'll:
- Be immersed in a new culture and language
- Be mentored by experienced missionaries
- Make disciples and help plant churches
- Grow in faith, leadership, and ministry skills
Mid-Term & Flexible Pathways
For those ready to commit a few years — including professionals and retirees — without a long-term lifetime call.
International Service Corps
For anyone who wants to go but doesn't want to go long-term. Through this pathway, an individual can serve for two to three years on missionary church planting teams. No college degree or seminary credits are required. Retirees who want to spend a few years on the field are especially encouraged to go through this route.
Field Support
Includes professionals who work in logistics, finance, or another role that directly supports church planters and other IMB personnel on the field. While they work overseas and still focus on sharing the gospel, the majority of their time is spent in their professional role.
Long-Term & Career Pathways
For those with a lifetime call to the mission field as church planters and disciple-makers.
Missionary Associate
Does the same work as a church planter, but there is no seminary requirement. This role is ideal for someone who has pastored or worked in ministry for many years but has no seminary degree. The requirement here is a life-experience requirement.
Career Missionary
Serves as a church planter. They begin their first four-year term as an apprentice missionary, working alongside an established church planting team. The next term they return as a full church planter. A church planter's full-time job is the core missionary task.
Seminary-Integrated Pathways
For those with a long-term call who still need seminary training — earn your degree while serving.
Macedonia Project
For individuals who have a long-term call but no seminary training yet. Participants go to the field and, while working on a church planting team, also take seminary classes. The IMB pays for half of the degree, while one of the six Southern Baptist seminaries covers the other half.
While this is a more difficult pathway, one of the many rewards is a debt-free seminary degree. There is no age limit for this pathway.
Two + Two Program
Another avenue through the seminaries. The first two years are spent physically at a seminary, and the last two years are spent working with a church planting team on the field. Unlike the Macedonia Project, this opportunity isn't funded through a scholarship — but the last two years of overseas service are IMB funded.
All Pathways at a Glance
A quick side-by-side comparison of every IMB opportunity covered above.
| Pathway | Who / Age | Duration | Funded | Seminary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Trips | Teens & Students | 1–3 weeks / summer | Varies | No |
| Missions Residency | Ages 18–29 | 4 mo – 1 yr | Varies | No |
| Journeyman | Ages 21–29 | 2 years | Yes | No |
| Int'l Service Corps | All / retirees | 2–3 years | Yes | No |
| Field Support | Professionals | 2–4+ years | Yes | No |
| Missionary Associate | Experienced ministers | Long-term | Yes | No |
| Career Missionary | Lifetime call | Long-term (4-yr terms) | Yes | Yes |
| Macedonia Project | No age limit | 3–4 years | Yes | Earn it |
| Two + Two | Long-term call | 4 years (2+2) | Field yrs | Yes |
From a single week to a lifetime — whatever your age, profession, or season of life, there is a pathway to take the gospel to the nations with the IMB.
Explore all opportunities at imb.org/go
Pathways, funding, and requirements may change — always verify current details directly with the IMB.