There are two very different categories of thinking when it comes to taking on MTS Trainees. First, you and your staff team, and your elders, and your key leaders, and everyone in your church needs to be convinced that your MTSers are NOT employees. They are different to staff. A church has staff for the sake of the church, for the sake of the kingdom’s growth through that church. Staff don’t do what they want, they don’t do what will help them grow as a person. Staff do whatever is needed.
And that’s why staff and MTSers might appear so similar. Often MTSers can be seen doing jobs that just need to get done. But that shouldn’t be WHY they’re doing it.
MTSers are not Employees, they are more like Developees.
Yes. I just made that word up. But it describes the real purpose behind taking on an MTSer. Taking on an MTSer is when a church takes on the relational, financial and ministry COST of developing a person towards becoming a Christian leader.
Is it costing your church’s effectiveness by letting an MTSer take on a particular role, task or job? If its not, then it’s worth asking… Is taking on this MTSer primarily good for you or good for them?
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MINISTRY PRINCIPLES & PRAGMATICS 
I totally agree with you Dave. This mindset protects MTSers from being seen as cheap labour and values training for long-term fruitfulness far above the short term gain in one aspect of church.
I remember it also changed how our conversations about ministry were focussed. While on MTS the primary goal of those conversations was trainee development. After MTS as an employee the conversations were primarily addressing ministry development.