Ethical Engagement in Global Missions: A Qualitative Inquiry into Planner Motivations and Host Experiences

Short-term mission (STM) trips are limited duration service experiences, commonly organized by faith-based organizations (FBO), in which volunteers travel domestically or international to provide ministry, community outreach, and/or health-related services. In recent decades, the number of these trips organized by organizations in the United States has increased exponentially, but the phenomenon is difficult to accurately measure due to its decentralized nature and the lack of standardized terminology. Despite their prominence, limited research has been conducted to examine planning, implementation, and evaluation processes of international STMs organized by FBO, particularly through a public health lens. The purpose of this study was to explore how STMs are conceptualized, planned, implemented, and evaluated by two related participant groups; 1) U.S.-based planners from faith-based organizations and 2) Partnering leaders from international organizations who work with these teams. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten U.S.-based planners and five international leaders. Results were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Five major themes were identified: 1) Mission Models and Strategy, 2) Cultural Dynamics, 3) Participant Experience, 4) Logistics and Operations, and 5) Ethics and Defining Success. Findings revealed tensions between U.S. participant-focused goals vs. community-defined needs, cultural competence as a knowledgebase vs. cultural humility as a posture, response to emergent needs vs. developing long-term capacity, and U.S. participant-driven outcomes vs. actualized community impact. This study contributes to the limited knowledge base on faith-based short-term missions by incorporating international perspectives. Findings from the interviews were synthesized with critiques from the literature to develop a cyclical best-practices model to guide faith-based STM planners from the U.S. in culturally respectful, community-driven, and sustainable trip design. The proposed model and its implications are relevant to faith-based organizations and global health professionals engaged in international service work.