VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 1/31/11)—In two separate partnership agreements, American Baptist International Ministries (IM) formalized relationships with the Native Baptist Church of Cameroon and the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel.

The Native Baptist Church of Cameroon began working with IM in 2005. The partnership agreement signed in January, 2011, serves to formalize and affirm this already strong relationship. According to Reid Trulson, IM’s executive director, “We believe that it will be to God’s glory and our mutual benefit to share God’s blessings with each other in friendship and cooperative service.”

IM and the Native Baptist Church of Cameroon will continue to work together on two major priorities. The first is to train future church leaders by identifying, training, coaching and supporting local individuals for lay and ordained ministry. The second is to create economic opportunity which will seek to improve people’s living conditions through economic and other development activities.

The new partnership between IM and the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel was signed in January, 2011, and establishes two major priorities. The first is to work together in the pursuit of peace and justice and to provide refuge for displaced persons. The second is to train future church leaders by identifying, training, coaching and supporting local individuals for lay and ordained ministry.

American Baptist International Ministries is a Christian mission organization that works with more than 200 partner organizations globally (primarily churches, hospitals, schools and seminaries, and foreign mission agencies), and nearly 100 long-term missionaries to help people come to Christ, grow in Christ and change their worlds with Christ. Grants to partner organizations are funded by gifts to the World Mission Offering, designated contributions and income from some endowments. World Mission Offering gifts from churches and individuals are accepted by IM all year around.

American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.