• To promote cooperation among missions
• To develop higher standards of gospel and relief work as well as rehabilitation of persons
• To prevent duplication
• To distinguish the properly operated mission from those that are not
• To conduct an annual convention, hold regional training institutes and to provide a training program for individuals within member missions
• To provide programs of benefit to its membership

In 1923 the charter members of the IUGM felt it important to set up "standards" to distinguish the legitimate missions from the illegitimate ones; promote cooperation among those missions considered legitimate; and prevent duplication of services. Additionally, the association and its member missions perceived their role to be an "arm of the Church." Its role is both holistic and evangelistic; meeting the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of those people not reached by the traditional church.

From the beginning, the IUGM did not divide on issues of doctrine but follows the statement of Jerry McAuley, father of the rescue mission movement, "No creed but Christ---no law but love." As a result, many modern day rescue missions bear yet today the word "Union" in their title (as in Union Gospel Mission, City Union Mission) to signify that they are a union of different denominations.

In 1990 the association's name became the "Association of Gospel Rescue Missions." Today, the AGRM continues to set standards that stretch its member missions to higher levels of performance by recognizing missions who comply in basic health, safety, financial accountability and management standards the Rescue Mission Certification Program and by encouraging membership in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

The AGRM continues to promote cooperation among its member missions, discourage duplication, and play a mediating role in disagreements. The AGRM assists member missions to be good stewards of their finances by providing cooperative buying programs for supplies, retirement plans and various types of insurance. 

The AGRM continues in its goal of expansion. In recent years, its Expansion Program has helped to establish such ministries as the New Orleans Mission, Charleston Urban Youth Ministries in Charleston, WV, the Daytona Beach Rescue Mission and the Bridgeport Rescue Mission in Connecticut . In 1993, the AGRM completed a two year commitment to the port Cities Rescue Mission, Port Arthur, Texas. Overseas, the AGRM worked cooperatively with ministries in Bogotá, Columbia to begin an outreach to street children and young prostitutes and provided through member missions shipments of food, clothing, and other materials to new rescue missions in Russia and Romania.  Currently, with a full-time Director of Expansion, the AGRM is assisting over twenty new rescue missions throughout North America and overseas.

AGRM's goal to train and educate its workers continues to move forward. Attendance at the Annual Convention increases annually, with nearly 1,000 in attendance this year. The Convention featured nationally-known speakers and over 50 seminars pertinent to those working in rescue missions such as drug/alcohol treatment, women and family shelters, fundraising and management/legal issues. 

AGRM's distance education program, Rescue College, offers both a certificate program and a bachelor degree (with transferred credits). Its job placement rate for graduates is 100% .