See our previous articles on the why and how of funding national partners or organizations and on how to find them.
Vetting indigenous partners for missions work requires a delicate balance between strategic focus and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Strategy involves setting clear guidelines, protocols, and methodologies that align with your organization’s mission and goals. It helps determine where you're called to serve and what type of work you will engage in. At the same time, the Holy Spirit's role is paramount. He is our paraclete (guide, counselor, and source of power). A deep reliance on God's leading through prayer, discernment, and wise counsel is essential.
Both elements—strategy and spiritual guidance—must work together, forming a foundation for effective and Spirit-led partnerships that advance the kingdom.
Establishing Strategic Criteria
The first step in vetting indigenous partners is ensuring alignment with your organization’s mission through clear and measurable criteria. Doing so provides one the ability to assess and determine alignment. With a strategic criterion, you have a filtering process for clarity, wisdom, and discernment, thus making it easier to say “no” to those with whom you are not in alignment and prevent mission drift. Without a strategic criterion, how do you assess?
We desire parallel orientation on the core foundations that are non-negotiable.
At TRIAD, we employ three overarching approaches in our evaluation process to determine whether a national partnership is viable:
1. Core Foundation
From the outset, we have some basic non-negotiables that are essential for us when vetting nationals or national organizations. First and foremost, they must be national-led and composed of national workers. This is very black-and-white for us. It is not to say that foreign expats cannot be a part of the team; it just means that we want indigenous brothers and sisters leading the way.
In addition, the national partner must have the same core convictions we have. We have a Statement of Faith that we provide our partners to ensure alignment at a core level. For example, we will not support a Mormon or Jehovah Witness who may be doing good works but is propagating a false gospel. We desire parallel orientation on the core foundations that are non-negotiable.
2. Context and Strategic Focus
One of the core considerations is whether the partner operates in the context your mission is focusing on. TRIAD uses the Stratus Index, a tool that identifies regions with significant social, economic, and spiritual needs, to narrow down its focus. Simply put, we work exclusively with partners who are actively advancing the gospel in countries with a high Stratus Index (i.e., those dealing with the most significant spiritual, physical, political, and social barriers).
We have also identified the strategic focus of what we will support. The frontline initiatives we support are church planting, creative access platforms, discipleship, evangelism resources, humanitarian projects, leadership training, mobilization, and Scripture translation.
Being clear about the context you are called to and the focus you are meant to have in that context helps in filtering potential partners, allowing your organization to focus on those who truly fit your mission.
3. Partner Evaluation
After confirming the partner is working within the appropriate context, the next step is to undergo a detailed evaluation process for the potential partner. Here is a sample rubric that organizations can use to build out a more complete evaluation tool to be used when vetting indigenous partners. The fields below are rated on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest:
Theological Soundness: To what extent do they share a theological foundation with our mission?
Risk: What level of risk is related to their work and daily lives?
UPG Engagement: To what extent are they effectively working in these areas?
Impact: To what extent are they making a significant impact in their community? Is there visible fruit?
Transparency: To what extent do they model accountability, and can they provide transparent and reliable reports?
Financial Stewardship: To what extent have they demonstrated sound stewardship of resources?
There may be other areas of evaluation, such as cultural connectivity, strategy, program diversity, organizational structure, and physical and spiritual focus.
No checklist can replace the need for spiritual discernment.
The Spirit’s Role in Vetting Partnerships
While strategy is crucial, the role of the Holy Spirit cannot be neglected. Missions work is first and foremost the work of God! Discerning the right partnerships requires prayer, faith, and openness to his guidance. No checklist can replace the need for spiritual discernment. There have been occasions in TRIAD’s history when we were unable to physically assess a potential partner’s work due to political or security issues. However, based on the recommendations of those we deeply trust and have a long history with, we have entered into fruitful partnerships we would have otherwise had no access to. This reliance on the Spirit helps guide decisions, especially when risk or uncertainty is high. It ensures that partnerships are not only strategically sound but also divinely appointed.
Practical Challenges and Solutions
Despite the best strategies and spiritual discernment, vetting indigenous partners is often fraught with challenges. These can range from logistical obstacles to misunderstandings due to cultural differences. It’s important to be prepared in advance for these common challenges.
1. Create Common Understanding
Misunderstandings in language and terminology can create confusion. For instance, on one occasion, we invested heavily into a “church plant” that was later revealed to be a house fellowship working toward becoming a church plant. There was no deceit intended by the partner, just an honest misunderstanding. Situations like this highlight the need for clear communication and defined expectations.
2. Create Solutions for Logistical Barriers
Logistical barriers are plentiful when working with national partners. For example, in high-conflict zones, gathering accurate information from partners can be extremely difficult. At times, TRIAD has had to rely on trusted third parties to validate reports and assess the work on the ground.
3. Create Communication and Accountability Pathways
Establishing clear expectations upfront is critical to avoid confusion and ensure accountability. Regular reports, prayer updates, and transparent communication keep both the mission organization and the indigenous partner aligned. At TRIAD, we use monthly reports and prayer updates to build relationships, foster accountability, and measure progress.
Vetting Partners Remotely
Vetting partners remotely when we are unable to meet in person or observe their work firsthand requires careful, case-by-case consideration. Even when geographical or language barriers exist, English is often widely spoken, and translators can usually be found. When personal meetings aren’t possible, you must choose to rely on credible sources to vouch for the work of potential partners. These sources provide firsthand accounts and serve as trusted witnesses. There’s always an inherent level of risk when working with national partners, particularly in hard-to-reach areas; however, being willing to embrace some risk while relying on both strategy and spiritual guidance allows for continued impact on the mission field.
Conclusion
Vetting indigenous partners in missions work requires a careful balance of strategy and reliance upon the Holy Spirit. The challenges of vetting partners remotely, overcoming logistical barriers, and ensuring accountability in difficult contexts will always exist. However, moving forward with a clear strategy and faith allows organizations to form partnerships that are both strategic and Spirit-led, which ultimately serves God’s kingdom in powerful ways.
Co-written by Josh Duncan, Executive Director, and Eddie Lozano, Director of Mobilization and Training of TRIAD.
TRIAD is a global missions organization committed to sharing the gospel among the hardest-to-reach places and people groups. We work to mobilize, train, and deploy the body of Christ and support indigenous-led work in hard-to-reach and gospel-hostile nations like Afghanistan, Somalia, North Korea, Iraq, and the Himalayan region in order to see Jesus glorified in every tribe, people, nation, and language.
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