VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 5/18/12)—A generous group of donors wants to call a new generation of American Baptist International Ministries (IM) missionaries into service for Jesus Christ. These donors are inviting others to join them by offering to match new or additional gifts to IM at 100% between May 18 and July 31. The available matching pool now stands at $250,000.
As IM enters its Third Century of Mission, two significant trends are emerging. In the next decade a growing portion of IM’s long-term missionaries will approach retirement. At the same time, requests for IM to send new missionaries are increasing. IM’s partners are in need of missionaries to help people come to faith in Jesus, grow in their relationship with God and change their worlds through the power of the Spirit.
“Unless we are very proactive in helping people to discern their call to international cross-cultural work, we will face a significant shortfall in global missionaries,” comments Reid Trulson, IM executive director. “The Mission3 Matching Gift Opportunity will help us send new personnel into service on location and strengthen the support for our 100+ current missionaries, development workers and global consultants.”
Today, more than 4.8 billion people have yet to experience God’s love through Jesus. “Our global partners are asking for help,” adds Trulson. “As missionaries and local believers partner together, their capacity grows to make disciples for Jesus while meeting pressing human needs, such as poverty, hunger, sickness, education, conflict and slavery.”
Both new and current donors may participate in this matching gift opportunity. For current donors, matchable gifts must be in addition to current giving. Gifts of any size are welcome and will be matched at 100%. The opportunity will end on July 31, or when the matching pool is depleted, whichever comes first.
Gifts may be made online at http://www.internationalministries.org/drives/6, or by mailing a check to: International Ministries, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482.
American Baptist International Ministries (IM) was organized in 1814 as the first Baptist international mission agency in America. It began its pioneer mission work in Burma and today works in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas serving more than 1,800 long-term and short-term missionaries. Its central mission is to help people come to faith in Jesus, grow in their relationship with God and change their worlds through the power of the Spirit. It works with respected partners in over 70 countries in ministries that meet human need.
American Baptist Churches USA 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.