“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2–3)
Freelancing is everywhere. Writers freelance, designers freelance, consultants freelance. Even in ministry, we sometimes slip into freelance models—missionaries who operate more like entrepreneurs than servants of the church. Parachurch ministries, mission agencies, and independent initiatives can all intentionally/unintentionally reinforce the idea that a Christian’s ministry comes from their own drive, their own funding, or their own network. But Scripture paints a very different picture.
To freelance in missions is to operate apart from the sending and ongoing authority of a local church—functioning independently, accountable only to oneself or to a self-chosen circle. A missionary might raise funds, travel, and even send reports, but without living accountability to church oversight, that ministry drifts into self-direction. Barnabas and Paul remind us of the opposite: they were Spirit-called and church-confirmed. They were not adventurers chasing experiences, nor empire-builders chasing movements. They were sent.
1. Antioch as a Biblical Pattern
Acts 13 is not just a bit of missionary trivia. Luke slows down here to show a pattern of missions. Antioch became the launching pad for gospel expansion—not because of clever strategy, but because the church obeyed the Spirit.
- The Spirit said, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul.” The word “separate” (aphorisate) means “appoint for a specific purpose.” Barnabas and Saul weren’t uprooted and left to drift. They were branches extending from the church at Antioch, still nourished by its roots, separated for purpose.
- The church “laid their hands on them, and sent them away.” The verb sent (apelysan) does not mean that Barnabas and Saul cut ties with Antioch. The laying on of hands was not a farewell, as if they were separating themselves from the church. Rather, the church released them from their local ministry responsibilities in order to follow the Spirit’s leading to new fields. We understand this kind of release in other settings: when a soldier is deployed, his family releases him to new duty but he remains their son; when parents bless a daughter at her wedding, they release her to new responsibilities but she remains their daughter; when a company reassigns a valued worker, they release them from one role to serve in another, still affirming their trust. In each case, the release is not separation but blessing. So it was with Antioch—they released Barnabas and Saul to new ministry, but they remained with them in fellowship and support.
- Later, in Acts 14:26–28, they returned and “rehearsed all that God had done with them.” Sent from Antioch, accountable to Antioch, returning to Antioch—Luke records the pattern that anchors the mission.
From Antioch’s roots Paul and Barnabas were sent—rooted still, yet reaching farther, accountable though not controlled. Antioch was no waypoint; it was the root—rooted deep, reaching wide.
2. Missionaries Are Sent, Not Self-Appointed
Barnabas and Paul didn’t just wake up one day and say, ‘Let’s see the world.’ They weren’t empire-builders saying, ‘Let’s do big things for God.’ They were Spirit-called and church-confirmed.
And that distinction is critical:
- Missionaries do not self-commission; they are sent.
- Missionaries do not freelance; they are rooted, serving under the ongoing accountability of their sending church.
- Missionaries do not merely “check in” with their churches for reports or fundraising. Even sincere updates are not enough if there is no living connection of shepherding, accountability, and mutual care.
If someone says, “God has called me, so I don’t need the church,” the right response is: “God never sends His servants alone—He sends them with the care and confirmation of their church.”
3. Responsibilities in Sending
- Teach the Pattern
Help your church see from Acts 13 that missions is both a divine call and the church’s stewardship—it is never just a private pursuit. - Confirm the Call
The Spirit calls, but the church discerns. Look for character, doctrinal clarity, and proven fruitfulness at home before confirming a missionary for abroad. If they’ve never led a soul to Christ in your county, odds are slim they’ll thrive cross-culturally. - Commission Publicly
Laying on of hands was no symbolic gesture. It was the church declaring: This person represents us, carries our doctrine, and goes with our blessing. - Maintain Oversight
Paul and Barnabas reported back. Keep missionaries connected with accountability. Missions without communication is like a son who never calls home: the relationship frays, and the trust erodes.
4. Encouragement
The Antioch model frees you from thinking missions must be outsourced to big agencies or left to lone adventurers with a dream and a passport. The Spirit works through the church, and He guides through pastors who shepherd, test, send, and affirm.
Our engagement is not optional — it’s central. Missionaries are stronger when they know their church walks with them. And our people grow when they are lead in biblical sending.
Conclusion
Antioch reminds us: the Spirit calls, the church confirms, the church sends, and the church receives back.
Church—guard this stewardship. Don’t let anyone slip out the side door under the banner of “freelance missions.” Send biblically, send prayerfully, and send accountably.
Faithful missions require faithful churches who send, not freelancers who go.
Andy Streit | Rooted and Sent 
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