Volume 11, Fall 2009
BMF’s MISSION STATEMENT
With the salvation of souls around the world as its chief aim, the Brethren Mission Fund provides a channel through the Brethren Revival Fellowship to help resource sound Brethren mission work or Brethren workers wherever the gospel of Jesus Christ is being presented.
Ten Years of Mission Funding Through the Brethren Mission Fund
At this year’s Annual Conference in San Diego, CA, Carl Brubaker, a member of the BMF committee and the fund’s treasurer, reported on the highlights of the BMF in the last ten years! The fund was begun in 1998 after overwhelming approval at that year’s BRF Annual Meeting. The purpose of the fund was to provide a channel through the BRF to help resource sound Brethren mission work where the gospel of Jesus Christ is being presented for the salvation of souls.
There had been a waning emphasis on soul-saving world missions in the Church of the Brethren. Therefore, it was hard for Brethren mission workers to find places to serve in the COB. But this type of fund gave conservative and evangelical congregations a channel for sound mission work.
The fund is held in a separate account from the BRF. Without any denomination-wide high-pressure fundraising effort, the fund has received over $1,100,000 from 1998-2008. We want to avoid competition with official Brethren fundraising efforts and yet let our mission fund efforts become known where there may be interest. The majority of the contributions (63%) have come from individuals while 27% has come from churches. In the past ten years, over $800,000 has been disbursed through the fund with the majority of it going to General Board programs (51%) and 28% going to fund Brethren missionaries in non-Brethren programs. Nearly 10% of it has gone to fund work camps and short-term mission trips. The funds have gone to the following regions: about 47% has gone to the Caribbean area; about 12% to the United States; 11% to Africa; 11% to Asia; about 7% to South America; 4% to Oceania; 4% to Central America; and about 3% to Europe.
We are very grateful for the generous support for this fund over the past ten years and look forward to continued support in the years to come.
Kristalene (Bollinger) Bautista
Kristalene Bautista is from the Middle Creek congregation (ANE District). She, along with her husband Isai, are doing mission work in Oaxaca, Mexico through Commission to Every Nation (CTEN). The BMF has been supporting Kristalene for the past year. However, since Kristalene is underfunded, the committee approved increasing her support to $1,000 per quarter, or a total of $4,000 for the next year.
John and Shirley Kurtz
John and Shirley Kurtz, members of the Middle Creek congregation (Atlantic Northeast District), moved to Atmore, Alabama in September, 2007, where John became assistant chaplain in the St. Clair Correctional Facility through the We Care Program. The BMF committee approved another one-time gift of $1,000 and will welcome their request for further support in the years to come.
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PRAYER REQUESTS
1. That the Church of the Brethren would seek to obey Christ and fulfill the Great Commission.
2. That Jay Wittmeyer would have biblical conviction and clear vision as the new Executive Director of Global Mission Partnerships for the
Church of the Brethren.
3. For the missionaries that the Brethren Mission Fund is supporting.
4. That new mission requests and financial resources would be generated.
5. That the BMF committee will have wisdom in responding to requests.
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James F. Myer, Director
234 Keener Road
Lititz, PA 17543
(717) 626-5555
Eric & Linda Brubaker, Editors
The Brethren Mission Fund is a ministry of the Brethren Revival Fellowship.
BMF Webpage
http://www.brfwitness.org/?page_id=9
BRF Website:
(This newsletter may be copied and distributed freely within congregations and beyond.)
Contributions may be sent to:
Brethren Mission Fund
P.O. Box 543
Ephrata, PA 17522-0543