News International Missions Board Votes to Restructure Funding System

May 1st, 2008

Antioch, TN—In a historic act, the Board of International Missions voted unanimously this week to implement a new funding structure. This action is a result of more than two years of research, study, and planning.

“We are thrilled with this decision,” said board chairman Danny Williams. “Free Will Baptists are committed to the Great Commission and the way we fund our missionary effort is nothing more than a tool to help us reach people and plant churches. We believe the new plan will be a better tool than our current overburdened and complex system.”

“The most basic component of the new funding system,” according to General Director James Forlines, “is the Global Evangelism Fund.” This undesignated fund will be set up to underwrite the basic costs to keep every Free Will Baptist missionary on the field.

“No longer will we ask missionaries to travel all over the country to raise their own funds for their own accounts,” Director of Development Barry Simpson rejoiced. “Now, all of us will work together to help all of our called and approved missionaries get to, and stay on, their fields of service.”

Highlights of the plan include:

  • An undesignated Global Evangelism Fund established to pay all the costs of keeping all missionaries on their fields.
  • The Global Evangelism Fund will be underwritten by contributions to the World Missions Offering, church giving, and individual undesignated contributions.
  • Every FWBIM missionary will also have a designated ministry and project fund to underwrite the cost of field ministry.
  • Each missionary’s ministry and project fund will be underwritten by a limited number of strategic partner churches (or groups of churches).
  • Any designated contributions to a missionary will be placed in the designated missionary’s ministry and project account.
  • An annual analysis of ministry and project accounts will be conducted and reconciled as follows:
  • Any deficit in underfunded accounts will be offset by funds transferred from the Global Evangelism Fund.
  • Any surplus in overfunded accounts will be transferred into the Global Evangelism Fund.
  • A Board-enforced limit on the percentage of income allocated to administrative expenditures.
  • The plan will be implemented January 1, 2010.
  • All designated funds received prior to implementation will be used as designated.

In advance of implementation of the new funding system, the IM board has directed the staff and missionaries to undertake a campaign to inform Free Will Baptist people of the details and implications of the new system. “Our friends and supporters can expect to see information in receipt letters, in ONE Magazine, on the International Missions website and in special communications to pastors and churches,” explains Mark McPeak, director of communications.

Randy Wilson, vice-chairman of the International Missions Board says, “We believe this plan is needed to help us broaden the base of support so we can send more missionaries and work with our maturing national churches.” Wilson adds, “The Board is excited about a plan that can include every Free Will Baptist and allows all of us to support every one of our missionaries.”

The Board prayerfully asks all Free Will Baptists to help make the new funding system a success.

More information on the proposed restructure will be placed on the Funding System page of the website over the next two weeks.