SPECIAL EDITION ANNUAL REPORT

Transcription

1 INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES SPRING 2015 N LOCATION SPECIAL EDITION ANNUAL REPORT Stretch Forward Miriam (right), is a member of the Baptist church in Gori, Hungary. She sings and plays the pandori, a folk guitar, in worship. She also teaches Sunday school and teaches the guitar to children. As a result, some children have made decisions for Christ. Mine is a very small gift, Miriam says. God s gift of eternal life is much better! (Story on pages )

2 Letter from the Executive Director The newly formed United States was in the second year of its second war with Great Britain when International Ministries (IM) was organized in Upon hearing this news, churches throughout the nation must have asked, Will it last? The evidence is in the data. Thanks to the efforts of more than eight generations of staff and supporters, we have sent and assisted over 4,000 missionaries. We now serve in 70 countries working side-by-side with more than 250 partnering organizations. In , IM entered its third century of mission, sustained by God and convinced that the Holy Spirit is calling us to stretch forward in new efforts to meet human need while helping people experience the fullness of God s love through faith in Jesus. In , we established partnerships in Egypt and Armenia and renewed our partnership with Poland. We appointed 14 missionaries to serve globally and in Thailand, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, Hungary and Japan. And we endorsed four additional people to prepare for work in France and Lebanon and regionally in Africa. Honoring donor intent is a core value for IM and has been our official policy since We have continued to preserve and carefully manage endowed gifts given to IM. Our permanent fund, established in 1823, generates and releases resources for mission far exceeding the value of the initial gifts, applying those resources as the givers have requested. At the 2014 International Partners Consultation, our partners told us: Know how grateful we are for your excellent work in our region. Central and South America Our mission is not complete! It is still fundamental to the nature of God to take his Word and his love where it is not known. We need a new generation of missionaries. Press on! Africa IM gives freedom and is not controlling. You never dominate or manipulate us. East Asia We believe that what IM is doing all over the world is impacting many of your partners in a mighty way. We encourage IM to continue to grow and send more missionaries to many different parts of the world for the advancement of God s kingdom. Southeast Asia Do not leave us isolated. We need your presence in our midst. Caribbean Reid S. Trulson Endorsed in to Serve Worldwide through IM IN THIS ISSUE Letter from the Executive Director... 2 Letter from the Board President... 3 Responding to the Call... 3 Theological Education... 4 Health and Healing... 5 Economic Development... 6 Anti-Human Trafficking... 7 Peace and Refuge... 8 Education... 9 Evangelism Mission Advancement Financial Snapshot Vocational Development Volunteers in Global Mission Meet IM s Area Directors Global Personnel Board of Directors IM Staff Leadership Mission Partnerships...22 Events Global Mission Projects N LOCATION INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES SPRING 2015, VOL. 7, NO. 2 Reid S. Trulson, executive director Catherine Nold, communications director Laura Timmel, editorial assistant Devon Nassif, senior designer Francisco Litardo, senior photographer To subscribe to this free newsletter, send your name and address to: On Location International Ministries P.O. Box 851 Valley Forge, PA Holale Adzongjani and Awenam Anifrani France Melanie Baggao Lebanon Duane and Janet Doyle Central Asia Marilyn Raatz Africa Carrie and Kurt Smalley Hungary Shigemi Tomita Japan Jeanine White Global

3 Letter from the Board President The year 2014 marked the 200th anniversary of the appointment of our first international missionaries, Ann and Adoniram Judson. We enjoyed huge celebrations and looking back was inspiring. But looking forward is also important. The apostle Paul wrote, Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before. I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13 14, ASV) The biblical call for us, like the apostle Paul, is to stretch forward in faith. In part, this stretching forward is visible in the work of our missionaries, staff, volunteers, partners and board. But this stretching forward is also expressed in our planning initiative, Responding to the Call. Thank you for stretching forward with us in this process as you shared your insights and experiences! May God continue to bless this work as we press on together towards the goal of our high calling in Christ Jesus. Responding to the Call by Karen Smith, director of mission design In Responding to the Call, International Ministries has sought to discern the leading of the Spirit by listening to the body of Christ. We asked about your hopes and dreams for IM s future, and we listened! We gathered responses from almost 2,000 people all around the world and prayed that God would speak to us through the data. It was a joy to see the reaffirmation of IM s essential purpose (inviting people to be disciples, meeting human need and working with partners) through this comprehensive and amazing process. It was also a joy to witness the consensus of the discernment team regarding IM s ministry priorities and the areas in which we hope to see significant growth over the upcoming years. The final results will be presented to IM s board of directors for a vote just prior to the mission summit in Overland Park this June. May we all stretch forward with great hope into the future to which God has called us! Reginald Mills Responding to the Call Photo by Bill Mason Images 3

4 MINISTRY FOCUS AREA THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION And what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.. 2 TIMOTHY 2:2 IM equips pastors and the laity by working alongside national leaders to provide training in seminaries, Bible schools, pastoral institutes and non-traditional settings. THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION WORLDWIDE THROUGH IM 32 GLOBAL SERVANTS $1.9 MILLION FOR GLOBAL SERVANTS SUPPORT 4 VOLUNTEERS Mexico Nicaragua South America Missionary Couple Equips Pastors and Lay Leaders in Nicaragua by the Reverend James G. Layton Known by their network supporters as the BGs, husband-and-wife team Carlos Bonilla and Mayra Giovanetti work together to provide theological education in seminaries, sanctuaries, and satellite regional centers. Their time of service through IM has taken them to Chile ( ), Spain ( ) and now Nicaragua. Carlos and Mayra began working with the Baptist Theological Seminary in Nicaragua in a program of informal theological education. They explain: Within six months of our arrival in January 2013, we were able to visit all nine regions of the Baptist Convention of Nicaragua. We introduced ourselves and, more importantly, learned of the churches needs, challenges, and desires. The BGs set out to address the feedback they had received from the churches, and as a result they created a new training curriculum. This resource was designed to be used in two settings the seminary s satellite regional centers and local churches. Due to distance and transportation costs, many would-be students from rural communities are unable to study at the seminary s headquarters in Managua. Satellite centers, planted throughout Nicaragua, can allow these church leaders to achieve a seminary education without traveling so far from home and the BGs curriculum can enhance that education. The curriculum also provides non-traditional theological education in local church settings. Carlos says: This approach shares the word of God with those who come hungry, not for a diploma, a title, or a position, but who may have limited literacy, which is still very common in the rural communities, and yet who seek to learn and serve. So, we are taking advantage of technology laptops, ipads, tablets to teach what Jesus taught, through images and stories. The BGs have also led workshops for church members on such topics as evangelism, discipleship and family life and have encouraged them to be aware of life beyond the walls of their church buildings and become the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus to those in need. To learn more about the ministry of Carlos Bonilla and Mayra Giovanetti, visit their profile page at 4

5 HEALTH AND HEALING WORLDWIDE THROUGH IM MINISTRY FOCUS AREA 17 GLOBAL SERVANTS $1 MILLION FOR GLOBAL SERVANTS SUPPORT 270 VOLUNTEERS IM helps people experience abundant life, including physical and mental wholeness, by serving alongside national medical professionals including doctors, nurses, therapists and preventive health care workers. HEALTH AND HEALING...that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.. 3 JOHN 1:2 Medical Missionaries Multiply Their Hands of Healing by the Reverend James G. Layton Mexico Haiti SOUTH AMERICA Have you ever heard someone say, I can t do everything I only have two hands!? When it comes to the healing ministry of Dr. Steve and Nancy James in Haiti, that is not true. Steve says, One of the most exciting and encouraging changes in Haiti is happening through our work with Community Health Evangelism (CHE), and we re pleased to be members of the board (pictured above). CHE empowers people to become healing leaders in their villages. We help train our Haitian brothers and sisters to share their faith as well as teach lessons in prenatal health, hygiene, clean water, micro-enterprise and many other subjects. The Jameses expand the results of their work by teaching the trainers to deal with typhoid, malaria and the building of mud stoves and latrines. Nancy reports: One village was so proud of the latrines they built that they maintained them, which wasn t always so. I was shown a dilapidated latrine that had been built by a nonprofit organization some years ago. The women had no ownership of that latrine and believed it was up to that group to maintain it. But they cared for this one because they built it themselves. Among the other results of the training provided through CHE are: Parents having their babies vaccinated at local clinics, lessening outbreaks of polio and whooping cough. Leaders in communities becoming a part of a committee for transformation. Reduced diarrhea where lessons in prevention of cholera have been taught. The health care workers also participate in faith-building Bible study lessons, which they take back to their communities. The Jameses write: These workers give of themselves sacrificially without pay and make a deep impression on those they serve. Last year during the training, we were gratified to hear the young people share the hope they felt, believing that because they were now equipped, they could make a difference in their country. And, thanks be to God, they can! To learn more about the ministry of Nancy and Steve James, visit their profile page at ANNUAL REPORT ON LOCATION SPRING

6 MINISTRY FOCUS AREA I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.. ZECHARIAH 13:5 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IM mentors local leaders, helping communities build and strengthen their economies, using expertise in agriculture, finance and technology to achieve short-term goals and long-term sustainability. Chile ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORLDWIDE THROUGH IM 12 GLOBAL SERVANTS $ 715,000 FOR GLOBAL SERVANTS SUPPORT 69 VOLUNTEERS IM Missionary Helps Pollinate a Field of Possibilities by the Reverend James G. Layton Chile is home to several indigenous peoples, such as the Mapuche in southerncentral Chile, who maintain age-old cultural practices in rural communities. As they struggle to adapt to the modern world, these communities tend to have a shortage of sustainable jobs, and as a result suffer in severe poverty. Since 2002, IM missionaries Barbara and Dwight Bolick have been ministering to the Mapuche through IM s partnership with the National Baptist Convention of Chile. The Bolicks serve in multiple ways. One of those for Barbara is education, and one of Dwight s focus areas is economic development. The Bolicks strive to help rural Chileans discover their vocations as productive stewards of God s creation, says Dwight (on the left in both photos). Toward that end, one of their most successful economic development projects has been beekeeping. When Dwight trains a beekeeper, he is helping create a source of income that will not only sustain that person s family but also impact the entire community. He emphasizes good life skills, such as stewardship of the earth, business leadership and planning for the future. When Pastor Tomás Vivanco (on the right in both photos) entered the beekeeping program several years ago, his small church could not provide him with a livable salary. Dwight says, Tomás is a pastor who has long carried the treasure of his pastoral vocation in the clay jar of economic distress. But beekeeping has offered him a way to generate income, and now he is the best example of a bi-vocational pastor I have ever seen, a pastor-beekeeper. Tomás began with three beehives and now has more than 50. This growth has in turn enabled his pastoral ministry to expand beyond his congregation. He joins Dwight in assisting others who are starting their own apiaries. Together, they proclaim the biblical truth, The ordinances of the Lord are true sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:9 10) To learn more about the ministry of Barbara and Dwight Bolick, visit their profile page at 6

7 ANTI-HUMAN-TRAFFICKING WORLDWIDE THROUGH IM 6 GLOBAL SERVANTS $358,000 FOR GLOBAL SERVANTS SUPPORT MINISTRY FOCUS AREA 2 VOLUNTEERS IM combats modern-day slavery, sometimes called human trafficking, through ministries of rescue and after-care, addressing physical, mental, spiritual, educational, relational and vocational needs. India Thailand China ANTI-HUMAN- TRAFFICKING He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted ISAIAH 61:1 Newly Endorsed Missionary Rovaughna E. Richardson of Charlotte, North Carolina, was endorsed in January 2015 as an IM global worker. Through IM s partnership with the Ghana Baptist Convention, she will be ministering to girls and young women who have escaped or been rescued or released from the trokosi tradition of ritual slavery. In this practice, young girls are forced to devote a lifetime of service to shrine priests, enduring forced labor, sexual and physical abuse and social isolation. Rovaughna feels that God has called her to use her volunteer mission experience and social work skills to globally promote the importance of mental health in creating empowered and self-sustaining individuals and families. Learn more at teams/richardson. Hope Comes to Trafficked Women by the Reverend James G. Layton You ve been sold! Those words, reports International Ministries missionary in Thailand Annie Dieselberg, sent a shockwave flooding through Marguerita s body and soul. She had flown from Columbia to China to purchase products for her beauty salon. Upon arriving at the airport, she was glad to see her acquaintance waiting for her until she heard the words, You ve been sold to these Chinese. The men took her away and brutally forced her into prostitution. The next two years for Marguerita were a nightmare. When her visa for China expired, she was sent to Bangkok, where she escaped her trafficker and his demands for $20,000. However, without any means of supporting herself, Marguerita continued in prostitution. Finally, in what seemed like a divine appointment, a Spanish-speaker from an international church met Marguerita and referred her to NightLight, a ministry that Annie helped found in Its purpose is to rescue, assist and repatriate internationally trafficked women. Annie continues: We met with Marguerita and listened to the graphic horrors she described through a torrent of tears. I told her that we would shelter her and send her home to her family. Marguerite cried again, but this time in joy. She had been crying out to God and he had answered. A few months later, Marguerita was on a plane headed home to her family in Columbia. She called us Angeles her angels. In the past seven years, NightLight has helped more than 65 internationally trafficked women return to their homelands in Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and South America. NightLight s outreach team frequents Thailand s red light districts, looking for opportunities to tangibly share the love of Christ. It also builds networks around the world that help the women who return to continue to heal and reintegrate into their families and communities. To learn more about the ministry of Annie and Jeff Dieselberg, visit their profile page at ANNUAL REPORT ON LOCATION SPRING

8 MINISTRY FOCUS AREA PEACE AND REFUGE Seek peace, and pursue it. PSALM 34:14 PEACE AND REFUGE WORLDWIDE THROUGH IM 3 GLOBAL SERVANTS $179,000 FOR GLOBAL SERVANTS SUPPORT 371 VOLUNTEERS IM trains individuals in skills of conflict transformation and assists local workers to provide refuge to those displaced by violence, persecution or natural disaster. Livestock Rustler Becomes Peacemaker by the Reverend James G. Layton For as long as anyone can remember, conflict has existed between ethnic Pokot and Turkana livestock owners in northwestern Kenya. Cattle raids are common, and on many occasions they have escalated to periods of violence. Pokot-born Boaz Keibarack (far right in the photo above) was only a child when he experienced this rivalry firsthand. After his mother remarried and sent him away to live on the streets, he turned to the nomadic lifestyle of his people and began participating in raiding parties. Fortunately, unlike many of his peers, Boaz was saved from this dangerous lifestyle by a Christian family that took him in and taught him about the Prince of Peace. In 2008, Boaz attended a meeting hosted by government area chiefs to address the chronic problem of cattle rustling. A voluntary District Peace Committee was established, and Boaz was elected secretary of the board. In the years following, he made peacemaking visits to the remote villages caught up in the violence, where even Kenyan authorities would not venture. But his heroic actions produced no results. In 2012, Boaz met Dan Buttry (second from the right in the photo above), International Ministries global consultant for peace and justice, at a three-day conflict transformation workshop. The following year, Boaz participated in a 10-day conference led by Dan and his wife, Sharon. These programs gave Boaz a new understanding of peacemaking and not a moment too soon. Dan says, Immediately after that training, severe violence erupted between the Pokots and Turkanas, leading to the deaths of more than 130 people. Boaz quickly headed to the region and eventually negotiated a disengagement of the warring groups. He then set up mediation and reconciliation dialogues with leaders of the tribes to keep small issues from reigniting the violence and to decrease the cattle rustling. Boaz has expanded his peacemaking beyond his home area by establishing Kingdom of Peace and Development, an organization whose motto is my peace, my responsibility. He imagines a time when all will open our hands to work together across ethnic lines to build a new, more inclusive image as children of our Almighty God. Newly Endorsed Missionary Currently a court mediator on Cape Cod, Marilyn Raatz of North Chatham, Massachusetts, was endorsed in September 2014 to promote peace and justice as an IM regional missionary in Africa. Applying her postgraduate training from institutions like the Center for Nonviolent Communication in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Marilyn will be working with IM partners across the continent. She says: Having had personal experience with conflict and seeing how destructive it can be, God has called me to work in collaboration with students, teachers, young leaders and pastors to foster deep self-reflection and mutual understanding, and to share practical skills for transforming conflict into constructive, life-enhancing possibilities. Learn more at teams/raatz. To learn more about the ministry of Dan Buttry, visit his profile page at 8 ANNUAL REPORT ON LOCATION SPRING 2015

9 Literacy Is Only a Beginning by the Reverend James G. Layton MINISTRY FOCUS AREA Democratic Republic of the Congo IM provides education that reduces child labor, improves health, empowers local economies and enables people to read, make informed spiritual commitments and exercise leadership in their churches and communities. My ministries here in the Democratic Republic of the Congo start with education, says IM missionary Miriam Noyes, wife of IM agricultural missionary Ed, but they are part of a whole gospel outreach, which involves the growth and health of the church and the people of God. This holistic approach is clearly illustrated in her literacy team s work with the Twa, the aboriginal pygmy people who live in the Congo s northern Bandundu Province. In 2009, two of Miriam s literacy coworkers and a nurse visited the Twa to train literacy teachers. Fifty-one newly trained Twa teachers started classes for 971 men, women and youth in 10 Twa communities. But literacy was not the only fruit of this effort. The Twa were so impressed with the team s Christian love and witness that they wanted to join the Baptist church and even asked for evangelists. Since then, the literacy group has maintained a relationship with these 10 communities. In 2014, Miriam took a team to answer the Twa s request for agricultural help, bringing plants, tools and training. While they were there, they also encouraged the literacy teachers and counseled groups of Christian believers. Later that year, another team visited to celebrate the graduation of literacy students, give basic medical care and formally organize two churches. These efforts have led to the need for trained pastors and lay leaders a necessity throughout the Congo, where many churches have only visiting pastors. As a first step, Miriam is working with retired pastor Makwala to translate materials into Langala, the language of the Twa. Their hope is for these resources to be used to train not only pastors but also Twa evangelists for distant Twa settlements that have not yet heard the good news. Miriam observes, Starting from literacy with the Twa but moving into agriculture, health care, pastoral training and evangelism, this ministry exemplifies Jesus purpose from John 10:10b: that they might have life, life in all its fullness. To learn more about the ministry of Ed and Miriam Noyes, visit their profile page at EDUCATION You shall love the Lord your God with all your mind. MARK 12:30 EDUCATION WORLDWIDE THROUGH IM 24 GLOBAL SERVANTS $1.4 MILLION FOR GLOBAL SERVANTS SUPPORT 91 VOLUNTEERS

10 MINISTRY FOCUS AREA EVANGELISM make disciples of all nations. MATTHEW 28:19 More Than 200 New Churches Founded in Europe and Central Asia Thanks to Dynamic Baptist Partnership by Roger Amerman Members of the Baptist mission station in Gvlevi, a rural village in central Georgia, pray for a young man about to enter the military. Pastor Vasil Antonishvili (at the left with his hand on the table) leads church services for about 15 men and women in a member s home. Pent-up spiritual hunger has resulted in nothing less than an explosion of new Baptist churches in more than 25 countries in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, remarked the Reverend Charles Jones, area director for Europe, the Middle East and Liberia for American Baptist International Ministries (IM). Praise be to God for this new passion for Christ, especially in areas with a historically low presence of Christian believers! Jones added. From the brutal cold of Russian Siberia to the mountainous Caucasus region of Eastern Europe, and from countries recently admitted to the European Union to volatile nations in the Middle East, thousands are coming to faith and are growing in Christ, thanks to an ambitious mission outreach of the European Baptist Federation (EBF), an IM partner. IM has been helping EBF start new churches since EBF began this outreach in Supported by generous congregational and individual gifts to the World Mission Offering, IM has helped plant new churches in the following countries: Republic of Georgia (3), Jordan (1), Norway (1), the Czech Republic (1), Hungary (1), Ukraine (1), Serbia (1) and Russia (1). EBF Mission Coordinator Daniel Trusiewicz explains: Over the past 12 years, with the support of IM and other partners, EBF has helped at least 200 churches to start. About 10,000 people have become members of new congregations and many more thousands have been influenced by the gospel. That s a small fraction of the massive movement that has been taking place in Eastern Europe in the past 25 years, as virtually thousands of new congregations have been planted. IM invites people to faith in Jesus, helping them form churches to live together under God s reign and work together in God s mission of transforming all creation. EVANGELISM WORLDWIDE THROUGH IM 11 GLOBAL SERVANTS $656,000 FOR GLOBAL SERVANTS SUPPORT 554 VOLUNTEERS Europe Africa Hungary 10 ANNUAL REPORT ON LOCATION SPRING 2015

11 Over the past 12 years, with the support of IM and other partners, EBF has helped at least 200 churches to start. About 10,000 people have become members of new congregations and many more thousands have been influenced by the gospel. The Bible used to be a forbidden book and Christian leaders went to prison or were sent to Siberia in those days. After the fall of the communist system in 1990, we have seen great spiritual hunger for the gospel rise up among the people who had been earlier suppressed. Now these nations are free and can evangelize, as well as plant new churches. Changed lives and transformed communities are tangible outcomes of this work. We are really delighted to have been partnering with International Ministries for many years in this fruitful gospel ministry, delivering the good news of Jesus Christ to materially deprived nations with tremendous spiritual potential. Indigenous Church Planters Are the Key to Success In 2014, EBF and its mission partners such as IM supported about 50 individuals, called church planters, who have been called to start new churches in 25 nations. These dedicated Christians are selected and supervised by national and local Baptist leaders and are indigenous to the countries they serve. They are achieving dazzling success because they know their people, culture and language, Trusiewicz says. They are highly motivated and eagerly implement personal, contemporary methods of evangelism, using Bible study guides, tracts, Christian concerts, English language courses, summer camps and more. When IM-sponsored Baptist church planter Vasil Antonishvili started a church in the small town of Khashuri, Georgia, he took into account the material needs of the community. He now uses a variety of methods to strike a balance between evangelism and humanitarian work in his effort to share the good news of Jesus Christ. With the help of their mother church, Antonishvili and his small congregation distribute monthly food parcels to needy families, using this as an opportunity to share the gospel as well. The pastor also conducts seminars and distributes shoebox gifts received from Samaritan s Purse. During a recent six-month period, he reported sharing God s word with nearly 400 people. I work with children closely, Antonishvili says, and as a result I visit their parents as well. My strategy for the future is to help young believers get a good theological education and to expand our work in the many villages surrounding Khashuri. I would also like to help some of them get a good secular education. Otherwise, they will be doomed to exist in their own world with no prospects for future life. EBF provides full salary support for local church planters for the first 30 months, with gradually reduced support after that, Jones explains. The goal is for each church to become self-sufficient within five years, and to become a church-starter in its own right. Obstacles and Opportunities As exciting and effective as the EBF indigenous churchplanting mission project may be, Trusiewicz says, it presents several obstacles to overcome. The Baptist church in Georgia, for example, suffers persecution at the hands of some Orthodox believers. In Russia, the great distances between inhabited areas are a natural hindrance to collaborative mission work. In addition, all of the post-soviet nations struggle with poverty and high unemployment, both of which hamper evangelistic activities. The presence of occult practices and secularism also have a negative impact. But there are also exciting opportunities, the greatest of which is a spiritual hunger that seems to be growing in the areas where indigenous church planters serve. In addition, as young churches meet with success, they are able to reach out and help form more churches. Jones is excited about IM s partnership with EBF, he says, because it gives us the opportunity to be highly contextual in church planting. We want to support the planting of more Baptist churches in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. Newly Endorsed Missionary The Reverend Carmella Jones was endorsed in 2015 to serve as a chaplain in Baptist-run schools in Hungary. Jones, from Maryland, is a registered nurse and ordained American Baptist pastor. She will be IM s fifth global worker in Hungary. Learn more at ANNUAL REPORT ON LOCATION SPRING

12 MISSION ADVANCEMENT by Albert Evon, associate executive director for Mission Advancement What is Mission Advancement? God s mission is to transform lives, setting all things right in the world. International Ministries is responding to Jesus call to fulfill a very specific role in that mission: crossing cultures to make disciples for Christ while meeting human needs. Advancing that mission starts with transformation in our own lives and in the lives of those with whom we partner, both at home and abroad. That s why IM seeks to develop mutually beneficial relationships that nurture spiritual formation. Simply put, we seek to minister to those who participate with us while we are working together in God s mission. We advance mission through witness. Through personal conversations and publications, IM strives to educate, inform and inspire others to glorify God, who is renewing lives, families, communities and creation itself. These communications go beyond information to invitation welcoming an ever-growing circle of people into that work of transformation. The apostle Luke made note of the people who accompanied Jesus and his disciples and supported the ministry with their resources. (Luke 8:1 3) Today, as in Luke s time, mission advancement involves securing human and financial support for the work. The list on page 15 describes sources of IM s financial revenue ways that people generously share their resources for mission. This Grace of Giving Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given to the churches in Macedonia. They have suffered a great deal. But in their suffering, their joy was more than full. Even though they were very poor, they gave very freely. I tell you that they gave as much as they could. In fact, they gave even more than they could. Completely on their own, they begged us for the chance to share in serving the Lord s people in that way. You do well in everything else. You do well in faith and in speaking. You do well in knowledge and in complete commitment. And you do well in the love we have helped to start in you. So make sure that you also do well in this grace of giving to others. (2 Corinthians 8:1 7, NIRV) We are thankful that, just like the Macedonians, many of you contribute with grace and generosity to support the work God is doing through IM. In the last fiscal year, some 6,500 donors contributed to IM, and those donations: supported the work of global servants around the world, helped IM care for those individuals and their families, enabled IM to continue raising up a new generation of crosscultural workers and allowed IM to provide crucial resources for partner ministries. In short, these gifts helped people come to faith in Jesus, grow in their relationships with God and change their worlds through the power of the Spirit. The letter at the right gives one example of the impact your gifts have made: It has been a privilege to be able to channel the gifts that you have provided this past year into the hands of children and witness the joy and the pride of owning something as simple as a book. Illiteracy in South Sudan is amongst the highest in the world. Few things will inspire children to read more than having access to books and people around them who can read. Parents and children lined up in the hundreds to every place we went to receive basic readers for the children. What a joy it has been these past few months to distribute books to children in town on weekends and in refugee settings during Bill s medical trips. Frederick Douglass once said, Once you learn to read, you will be forever free. Many of the children may spend half their early lives in closed-in settings behind barbed wire or in camps far from their homes. If only in their minds, books can give them the freedom of imagination and kindle hope for tomorrow. Victor Hugo wrote, To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark. Thank you for bringing not just the love of Christ to these children, but a spark to build a flame and passion for creating a better tomorrow. Thank you for allowing us to be a blessing to the new nation of South Sudan and most especially to its children! Serving, in partnership with you, in South Sudan, continued on page

13 continued from page 12 The Many Ways to Give IM honors donor intent and offers many ministry options. Donations can be directed to support: the entire work of IM, one or more global servants, one or more mission projects, White Cross health, educational and social ministries, events such as the World Mission Conference and the Call Retreat, short-term mission trips and IM s endowment to provide long-term resources. The variety of methods through which donors can exercise stewardship include: Cash Most gifts are given by cash, check, credit card, money order and bank draft. Cash contributions can be made in either lump sum payments or installments. Securities Common stock or other securities. Tax benefits may be realized by giving securities that have appreciated in value since their acquisition. Charitable Trusts Some donors create trusts that will pay out income over time. A Remainder Trust pays income to the donor, bequeaths the trust property to IM and allows the donor to take current federal income tax deductions. A Lead Trust pays income to IM and allows the donor to retain the trust property to bequeath to other beneficiaries at the end of the trust term. Life Insurance Gifts of life insurance are a popular mode of giving that can provide a sizable gift at a relatively low cost. Bequests The simplest gift planning method, bequests allow supporters to donate a set amount or percentage from their estates. The bequest often establishes a lasting memorial in honor of the supporter or members of his or her family. Employer Matching Gifts Many employers will match the funds that their employees donate to qualified charities. As you make your gift to IM, please see if your company has a matching gift or volunteer program. In addition to financial gifts, you may also support IM: through your prayers by being a friend-raiser : sharing the story of the IM, its ministry and its mission with your friends and associates, and by going and serving around the world. White Cross White Cross has been a vital ministry for over 95 years for IM s global staff and partners. In 2015, White Cross has made some changes in response to feedback from contributors around the country. These changes include reduced paperwork, unlimited handwork and more opportunities for giving. Going forward, each region or state will have the opportunity to set its own goals and recipients. Additionally, donors now have the option of four new funds: White Cross General, Education, Health and Human Trafficking. Online giving is also available. For more information, please visit: or NEW Global Mission Study Guide This year, the annual Mission Study Guide is becoming the Global Mission Study Guide. This guide is designed to be used by anyone interested in mission. The booklet will be distributed as part of the World Mission Offering packet. Additional copies will be available through Judson Press by calling Item #W914 Stewardship and Prayer Please prayerfully consider the various options for how you may support God s work through IM. Determine how the Lord is leading you in your stewardship. Regardless of which method you select, your gifts will glorify God in all the earth. Contributions to IM, a private not-for-profit organization, are taxdeductible as provided by law. IM is committed to principles of good stewardship and pledges to use the gifts you generously provide to benefit God s kingdom. As you prayerfully consider a gift to IM, please consult your tax adviser or financial planner. 14

14 FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT Sources of Operating Revenue for Ministry Fiscal Year Ending 09/30/ Revenue Revenue Sources Amount (In $) Congregations 6,476,105 Church-Related Groups 424,236 Individuals/Families 3,324,918 Planned Gifts 594,889 Endowments 2,155,960 Other Organizations 1,464,455 Other Income 1,535,166 Total Operating Revenue 15,975,729 Individuals/ Families 21% Planned Gifts 4% Endowments 14% Other Organizations 9% Other Income 9% Congregations 41% Church-Related Groups 2% Where Operating Ministry Dollars Were Spent Fiscal Year Ending 09/30/2014 Operating Expenses Amount (In $) Global Mission Personnel 6,259,220 Global Partner Projects 2,780,975 Donor-Specified Projects 2,467,998 Mission Education and Communication 1,603,102 American Baptist Foundation 120,000 Home Office Ministry Support 1,952,359 Investment Fees 25,127 Development and Fundraising 808,465 Other Expenses 37,684 Total Operating Expenses 16,054,930 American Baptist Foundation 1% Mission Education and Communication 10% Donor-Specified Projects 15% Expenses Investment Fees <1% Home Office Ministry Support 12% Development and Fundraising 5% Other Expenses 1% Global Mission Personnel 39% Note: 81.7% of the Total Operating Expenses was used to fund Program, 13.3% was used to fund Administrative Support Services and 5.0% was used for Development and Fundraising. Global Partner Projects 17% Note: Management reports represented here are unaudited financial statements. Note: For a copy of IM s audited financial statements, please visit the Resources section of our website. ANNUAL REPORT ON LOCATION SPRING

15 Photo by Bill Mason Images VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT by Jim Bell, director of vocational development When our friends from other mission agencies talk about what they struggle with and ask how IM does things, we find ourselves not sharing a whole lot. It s actually a little embarrassing to realize how well IM takes care of us! A sentiment expressed to me by several IM missionaries during the 2014 All-Staff Gathering at Green Lake, Wisconsin Long-term international mission service is an enormous commitment, and it comes with great responsibility. For this reason, International Ministries takes a very individualized and in-depth approach to the discernment process. Here s a sample of what it takes to become an IM missionary: Attending a Call Retreat an optional but helpful time of focused discernment through worship, prayer and interaction with IM staff and current global servants Months of conversation with Vocational Development staff about God s calling and what s involved in international life and service A rigorous assessment process including written applications, vocational and psychological testing, counseling, a home visit and interviews IM area directors working with international partners to identify opportunities that match the candidate s giftedness, education, ministry experience and sense of call Endorsement: being formally recognized as an IM global worker preparing for international service Forming a Mission Partnership Team (MPT) of dedicated individuals who will help through every stage of preparation and ministry Working with the MPT to build a Mission Partnership Network of people committed to providing prayer, encouragement and financial support Ministry preparation, including security training, language acquisition, cross-cultural orientation and more Commissioning: a formal service recognizing and celebrating the call to international service Assignment: leaving to begin international ministry This is a long and sometimes arduous journey. But we have seen that it results in global servants who are confident in their calling, Christ-centered, competent, cared-for and deeply and connected with a network of supporters. Looking back after a few years of active service, the missionaries at Green Lake said to me, Now we understand and appreciate why IM made us do all those things! To learn more about Vocational Development team and opportunities to serve, visit or contact Jim Bell at jim.bell@internationalministries.org. 16 ANNUAL REPORT ON LOCATION SPRING 2015

16 VOLUNTEERS IN GLOBAL MISSION by Angela Sudermann, coordinator of volunteers John Hite s first mission experience was when he was seven years old, participating with his family and others from his church on a trip to Mexico. Only God knew that 14 years later, that energetic, talented little boy would be stretching forward in new ways with International Ministries. At 13, he participated in a trip to serve in Chile. After high school, John took a gap year to study Spanish and volunteer with IM missionaries Ketly and Vital Pierre in Bluefields, Nicaragua, where he began growing deeper in his own personal relationship with Jesus, stretching forward in faith. John s call from God continued into the summer of 2014, when he was part of the young adult team that I felt full of happiness, joy, love, and warmth along with pain from knowing all the people we interacted with. served for a month in Bolivia. About his experience, John writes, I felt full of happiness, joy, love, and warmth along with pain from knowing all the people we interacted with. An ancient Hebrew word ruach defines the feeling. It is the spirit of breath and life in all people and animals, the wind that fills us. It s a name to the unnamable experiences we have with the divine. It is the invisible power that hovers over the waters in creation, and breathes new life into the dry bones in Ezekiel. John understood God s love in a new way, and he was challenged with how to apply this ruach in his daily life. John is now stretching forward in the summer of 2015, serving with missionaries Debbie and Keith Myers in Puebla, Mexico. He is stretching forward by listening to God, and stepping out in faith. To learn more about the Volunteers in Global Mission team and opportunities to serve, visit or contact Angela Sudermann at angela.sudermann@internationalministries.org. ANNUAL REPORT ON LOCATION SPRING

17 MEET IM S AREA DIRECTORS Advancing the Cause of International Mission by Roger Amerman Have you ever wondered about who oversees, encourages and equips the more-than 1,800 International Ministries long- and short-term global workers around the world? Have you ever wondered who matches new ministry needs worldwide with the people and resources that can help or how those needs even became known in the first place? Have you considered who develops, maintains and nurtures the relationships between IM and the Baptist Conventions and partners in 70 countries around the world? These are the crucial and oftencomplex tasks of IM s five Area Directors. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they perform their tasks with great love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control! Part ambassador, part encourager, part planner and part problem-solver While Area Directors are based in the IM home office in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, their responsibilities frequently take them overseas as they nurture IM s partnerships and help ensure that the wide-ranging ministry goals in their areas are being met. They are ambassadors to IM s partners, fostering collaborative relationships while advancing the cause of cross-cultural mission throughout the world. They are the encouraging, supportive face of IM to global workers in their areas providing personal, pastoral and professional care and ensuring that all of the workers are able to make effective use of their gifts. They are team players, freely sharing their expertise and experience as they serve as members of IM s collaborative decision-making process. They are IM s resident experts on their specific areas who share specific needs and opportunities with IM s directors of recruitment, overseas development and budget. They are visionaries who, drawing on their understanding of the cultures they serve, explore and monitor new areas of work and ministry with IM partners, nurturing partner organizations dreams and offering helpful feedback. They are ambassadors, consulting with and raising awareness of IM in churches nationwide. They help promote a local ownership of and passion for global ministries. They help in the vital screening, interviewing and recruiting of global workers for work in their areas and in other parts of the world, providing wisdom to help ensure the right fits for workers and ministry partners alike. Broad responsibilities require broad-based support! The hands-on work of IM s Area Directors is crucial to the success of global ministry today and for helping to provide the vision for life-changing ministry in the years ahead. When you give to the World Mission Offering, you are providing direct support to our Area Directors so they can do the vital work of helping people around the world to come to Christ, grow in their relationships with God and change their worlds through the power of the Spirit. OUR AREA DIRECTORS Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chan East Asia, India, Hong Kong, China Rev. Adalia Gutiérrez Lee, M.D. Iberoamerica and the Caribbean Rev. Charles Jones Europe, the Middle East and Liberia Leslie Turley Southeast Asia and Japan Rev. Eleazar Ziherambere Africa 18

18 On the Road in the Republic of Georgia with Area Director Charles Jones With deepest gratitude, we thank our recently-retired area directors. Rev. Dr. José Norat-Rodriguez Iberoamerica and the Caribbean Served with IM Rev. Stan Murray Southeast Asia and Japan Served with IM Last January, writer Roger Amerman spent a week on the road in the Republic of Georgia with Area Director Charles Jones. He witnessed firsthand the gifts and graces that are evident in all of IM s area directors, as Charles met with the leaders of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia and the pastors and congregations of five recently-established Baptist churches in that country. (See the story on pages ) Despite his varied responsibilities, Charles Jones exuded a calm, encouraging, Spirit-filled demeanor as he visited Baptist churches in the cities of Gori and Ozurgeti; Kutaisi, the former capital of Georgia, and mission stations in the off-the-beatenpath rural villages of Gvlevi and Kvirike. The trip also included a visit to a camp outside of Kutaisi, where many Georgian Baptists go during the summer for spiritual growth and renewal. Charles met (and travelled hundreds of miles on Georgia s highways and back roads) with Archbishop Merab Gaprindashvili and President Veleri Buiglishvili, IM s partners in the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia. He preached in and prayed for the churches, their pastors and their members. He listened to their joys and encouraged them in their challenges. He shared his happiness in IM s connection with them and discuss ways in which IM s global workers could assist them in their ministry. All along the way, his familiarity with Georgian customs helped to smooth his conversations and fortify his relationships. And throughout his all travels where he could track down a Wi-Fi signal Charles was busily checking s from back home, nine time zones away, keeping the ball rolling on many of his other responsibilities. Roger Amerman ANNUAL REPORT ON LOCATION SPRING

19 GLOBAL PERSONNEL For the period of October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014 Africa Dem. Rep. of the Congo Glen & Rita Chapman Kathy Charland Jill & Mike Lowery Katherine & Wayne Niles Ed & Miriam Noyes Kathy & Tim Rice Katrina & Kyle Williams Liberia Larry & Rebecca Stanton South Africa Anita & Rick Gutierrez South Sudan Ann & Bill Clemmer Asia China (Amity) Judith Sutterlin Philippines Jonathan & Thelma Nambu Japan Mainland Gordon & Lee Ann Hwang Roberta Stephens Shigemi Tomita Japan-Okinawa David & Leslie Turley Nepal Carole Sydnor Thailand Duane & Marcia Binkley Kim Brown Scott & Tan Coats Annie & Jeff Dieselberg Chuck & Ruth Fox Lea Lindero Becky Mann Jan & Larry Martin Jeni Pedzinski Kit Ripley Karen Smith Debby & Kyle Witmer Europe & Middle East Bulgaria Terry & Tom Myers Czech Republic Nora & Pieter Kalkman Lebanon Dan & Sarah Chetti United Kingdom Hermelinda & Jorge Damasceno Iberoamerica & the Caribbean Bolivia JD & Rhonda Reed Brazil Ann & Bruce Borquist Phil & Corenne Smith Chile Barb & Dwight Bolick Costa Rica Sue Hegarty Ruth Mooney Dominican Republic Madeline Flores-López Peter & Sarah McCurdy Haiti Deliris Carrión-Rosa Nancy & Stephen James Nzunga Mabudiga & Kihomi Ngwemi Honduras Dagoberto & Dilia Zelaya Mexico CICEM Debbie & Keith Myers Chuck & Ramona Shawver Mexico Baja North Mercy Barnes Patti & Tim Long Adalia Schellinger-Gutiérrez & Ray Schellinger Mexico Baja South David & Joyce Reed Nicaragua Carlos Bonilla & Mayra Giovanetti David & Laura Parajón Ketly & Vital Pierre Panama Ingrid Roldán-Román Regional Missionaries Mylinda Baits Kristy Engel Kim Kushner Dominguez Mario Morales Global Consultants Lauran Bethell Dan Buttry Sharon Buttry Mike Mann Stan Slade Jeanine White Walt White Development Workers Dwayne & Janet Doyle Katie & Taku Longkumer Joel Hoefle & Trish Magal Lori & Matt Mann Deb Mulneix Emerson & Ivy Wu Endorsed as Missionary Candidates Holale Azondjani & Awenam Anifrani Melanie Baggao Cheryl Jones Marilyn Raatz Special Assistants (Volunteers assisting specific IM staff in global mission under formal agreement) Gail Aita Myanmar Paul Aita Myanmar Rob Ely Youth Leaders Training in India Samuel Escobar Spain Connie Gates East Asia & India Vic Gordon Haiti Max Hill Fraternity of Cuban Baptist Churches Joseph Huse Christian Stewardship Development in India Anthony Ng Capacity Building Ministry Herb Rogers Haiti & VIGM Carla Romarate-Knipel Philippines David Sagar Leadership Development in South India Bob Santilli Global Prayer Ron Schlosser Media Distribution and Archiving Sandra Schoeninger Finance Alan Selig Vietnam Gam Shae Yunnan, China Lisa Simmons Missionary Partnership Teams David Wong Swatow, China Jabbie Chia East Asia & India Don Watson MPT coach Greg Creasy Russia Colleagues in Mission (American Baptists in recognized relationship with IM serving with other agencies) Dan Sparkman Japan: teacher, Kanto Gakuin University Partner Missionaries (Personnel from international partners whose ministries are partially supported by IM) Africa 14 East Asia & India 169 Europe & Middle East 9 Southeast Asia & Japan

20 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Reginald Mills, Board President Mercy Johnson, Board Vice President Paul Vick, Treasurer Board Directors Calendar Year 2014 Reginald Mills, Ill., President Mercy Johnson, Ore., Vice President Paul Vick, N.Y., Treasurer Lacey Alford, Ga. Wendy Bernhard, Nev. David Gnirk, S.Dak. Sharon Gober, Wash. Lorna Hansen, Maine Manuel Hernandez, Ind. Thomas Lacy Jr., Va. Kathy Longhat, Okla. Vivan Martindale, N.H. Jorge Medero, P.R. Paul Nelson, Va. Timothy Pantoja, N.Y. Jenny Quey, Calif. Roger Raikes, W.Va. Richard Schweissing, Colo. Nancy Shaver, N.J. Allen Yeh, Calif. Board Directors Calendar Year 2015 Reginald Mills, Ill., President Mercy Johnson, Ore., Vice President Paul Vick, N.Y., Treasurer David Ball, Oh. Wendy Bernhard, Nev. David Gnirk, S.Dak. Sharon Gober, Wash. Lorna Hansen, Maine Manuel Hernandez, Ind. Thomas Lacy Jr., Va. Kathy Longhat, Okla. Vivan Martindale, N.H. Ronald Maxwell, Oh. Jorge Medero, P.R. Paul Nelson, Va. Timothy Pantoja, N.Y. Jenny Quey, Calif. Roger Raikes, W.Va. Richard Schweissing, Colo. Nancy Shaver, N.J. Allen Yeh, Calif. IM STAFF LEADERSHIP Reid S. Trulson, Executive Director Stanley D. Slade, Associate Executive Director Program Patti Glasser, Associate Executive Director Administration Albert Evon, Associate Executive Director Mission Advancement Staff Leadership, Reid S. Trulson Executive Director Stanley D. Slade Associate Executive Director for Program Patti Glasser Associate Executive Director for Administration Albert Evon Associate Executive Director for Mission Advancement Paul Vick Treasurer, IM Board of Directors ANNUAL REPORT ON LOCATION SPRING

21 MISSION PARTNERSHIPS The Value of an Effective Mission Partnership Team by Ruthie Stevenson, mission partnership coordinator I formed my Mission Partnership Team (MPT) while I was serving in Cuba, which was an isolated place to be. Because I felt alone, I came to really appreciate my MPT members and the support they provide for me, says Sue Hegarty, who is now serving in Costa Rica. Ruthie Stevenson An MPT is a group of individuals who respond to God s call by using their gifts and abilities to aid those serving globally with International Ministries. MPTs provide holistic support for the workers and help them share God s ministry. They also open up the opportunity for partnership between the global workers and a wide network of churches and individuals. Sue s team is a good example of an effective MPT. Together since 2005, the 12 members represent five of her supporting churches. They offer their time and talents to support Sue and her daughter, and they help Sue connect with more than 400 churches, individuals and groups that pray for and financially support her work in Costa Rica. MPT member Beverlee Everett explains that the team works diligently alongside Sue. We have the benefit of technology that has helped the MPT meet with Sue regularly by Skype and phone from several locations, including Pennsylvania, Illinois and Florida. Sue s MPT members contribute to her work by distributing monthly updates about her ministry, writing thank-you notes to donors, representing her at church and regional mission events, providing pastoral care and prayer, hosting fundraisers, arranging speaking engagements and serving as her key advocate within their own congregations. Seven MPT members have personally visited Sue in her country of service. Most recently, several of them provided an opportunity for others to join them to experience firsthand what God is doing through her ministry. Jerry and Sheila Fite serve on Sue s MPT as Mission Energizers. It is our job to Sue Hegarty missionary in Costa Rica visit Sue in Costa Rica and encourage others to visit Sue, Sheila explains. The opportunities to visit the mission field give me a better idea of what Sue s life is like in Costa Rica, and more specifically what her ministry involves. My visits have also enabled my friendship with Sue to grow and strengthen. 22

22 EVENTS by Karen Mason, special events/web content manager International Ministries sponsored 4 unique events in GLOBAL MISSION PROJECTS Global mission projects fund immediate needs around the world. These projects, unlikely to be supported in any other way, are identified by International Ministries global servants and partner organizations, which also monitor the projects to ensure that good stewardship principles are applied and that donations from individuals and churches are wisely used. Visit to learn more. The All Staff Gathering brought all of IM s mission personnel and their families together for the first time since HEARtheCALL The Call Retreat helped 78 people discern whether God is calling them into ministry as missionaries, pastors or local mission workers. The International Partner Consultation was the first large meeting of IM s partners from around the world. At IM s invitation, 128 global leaders gathered to discuss the future of ministry. WORLD MISSION CONFERENCE The World Mission Conference had more than 1,150 attendees who came together to learn more about global mission and to celebrate IM s 200th anniversary. Coming soon Call Retreat October 9 12, 2015 Camp Canonicus Exeter, Rhode Island To learn more about IM events, contact Karen Mason at karen.mason@ internationalministries.org. EDUCATION Women Forging New Paths Costa Rica IM missionary Sue Hegarty This project seeks to raise $5,830 per year to provide 30 scholarships for women in Costa Rica to take two basic courses, Being a Woman is Wonderful and Healthy Relationships, over the course of a year. Learn more at HUMAN TRAFFICKING Women in Crisis in the Mekong Region Thailand IM missionary Scott Coats IM partner Misaw Chermer, director and founder of the Bala Foundation This project seeks to raise $27,500 by the end of 2015 to train and support 20 peer counselorlisteners. The purpose of the project is to bring care, healing and changed lives to 150 young people who were trafficked and exploited in Thailand s Mekong region. HEALTH Health Animation Series South Africa IM missionaries Rick and Anita Gutierrez This project seeks to raise $33,000 every year for the next three years to produce three vital health animation videos. It is anticipated that these animations will be widely viewed throughout Africa, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people by raising awareness about the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis, heart disease and diabetes. Learn more at Learn more at EVANGELISM Build a House of Prayer India IM partner the Reverend Dr. Jolly Rimai, mission secretary for the Council of Baptist Churches in North East India This project seeks to raise $11,000 for the construction of a house of prayer and worship for new believers in India. Learn more at ANNUAL REPORT ON LOCATION SPRING

23 N LOCATION INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES VOL. 7, NO. 2 SPECIAL EDITION ANNUAL REPORT American Baptist Foreign Mission Society P.O. Box 851 Valley Forge, PA Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Southeastern, PA Permit No. 167 Responding to the Call We asked some 2,000 people about the past, present and future of International Ministries. Here are some of the things they had to say: We are so inspired that you are making adjustments to changing times and cultures and delivering the same gospel of Christ. International Ministries sits at the feet of the poorest and most marginalized to learn how to do ministry. IM is flexible, innovative, perseveres, shows up, attends to needs, is servant minded, has integrity and listens to God. IM missionaries are effective, enthusiastic and passionate! Read more on page 3. I475.PUB.05/15