Report of the
Board of Missions
We have a vision statement that declares we are a fellowship of churches united to make disciples of Jesus Christ. I stand amazed at what God has accomplished in that partnership and vision!
I challenge you to read the statistical report that follows. The number of missionaries is not simply statistical figures, but fellow Bible Fellowship members that have heeded the call of God to missions. The financial report is not simply an accounting of dollars and cents, but an accounting of the sacrificial giving of the Bible Fellowship Church.
With great honor and joy, it is a privilege to report what God in His grace is doing through and among us! The statistical report does not reflect the additional hands-on ministries of the BFC such as the continued growth of Short Term ministries. Many of these short term trips are made up of young people who become aware of the unbelievable needs and opportunities in the world. Statistically, well over ninety percent of adults who follow the Lord’s call into career missions had already participated in a Short Term Missions trip and well over thirty percent already sensed God’s call upon their lives prior to age 16!
Of the over sixty short term trips that I am aware of, one stands out as truly amazing. This winter, forty BFC’ers from nine different BFC churches responded to the needs left by Katrina’s devastation in the south. Another two work teams are in the making for future ministry in Louisiana. Again the BFC responded with financial gifts for Katrina victims as they did so generously before for the tsunami victims.
New this year is the Buttress Fund. Seed monies from a most generous gift and a bequest have generated a fund to assist missionaries. $29,000 has already been distributed to missionaries facing difficult financial needs. Through investments and anticipated future bequests, other distributions of monies from this fund will take place each January and June far into the foreseeable future.
The Pastor’s Initiative fund this year helped another five students in Kenya. The impact of this fund may best be reflected in a recent letter from Justus Musila who administers the fund at Scott Theological College:
“We bless the Lord for His goodness and mercy towards his people. PSI has truly been a channel of blessing to many students, some of whom are now in the field serving the Lord and others are here at the college being prepared for the same”.
Blessings and peace,
Justus Musila
To assist our churches in meeting the expanding call of God upon us, the Board of Missions provides the following services to the Bible Fellowship Church:
1. Missionary Care including field visits
We are available and willing to meet with those considering missionary service and our missionaries needing advice or counsel regarding their ministry. Visits to the field of ministry are made to help and encourage our missionaries as the needs arise.
2. Seminars
The BOM offers to the Bible Fellowship churches a host of informational resources.
• Design Your Impact Workshop – This five-hour seminar enables church leaders to discover their congregation’s key characteristics and resources (their DNA) and move toward identifying a strategic missions focus that can unleash powerful, new global dynamic from their church.
• Knowing God’s Will Seminars are conducted each year on a denominational level at a fall Retreat Within a Retreat (RWR) held at Pinebrook, but is also useful as a weekend course for a youth group in a local church setting.
• P.O.M. (Parents of Missionary) Retreats. This weekend retreat seminar is designed to keep the parents of our missionaries on track with the ministry of their sons and daughters (and grandchildren) overseas.
• Culture Link Seminars is a program that prepares your short-term missionary teams to be fully prepared for ministry. This is a necessary seminar for any church serious about getting the most from a cross-cultural experience.
• Speaker Resource. The office personnel remain available for mission emphasis in local congregations. This includes all stated public worship services, Sunday School, mission conferences, and special events. The office also provides a complete listing on our website (see #3) of all our missionaries that are available for your missionary event needs.
• Mentoring Services are available to assist a church’s board of elders and missions committee in developing a comprehensive, long range and balanced outreach plan that uses every member in God’s global cause.
• Short-term planning advice and assistance to help you and your church partner with your missionaries by means of short term missions trips through the services of Chris Merrick, Short-Term Projects Coordinator and Nelson Randolph, Short-Term Partnership Coordinator.
3. Prayer Calendar
The Prayer Calendar will provide your congregation prayer information that is current. The new format is an attractive readable prayer aid that is offered to the churches at a reduced rate. Nearly 1900 are sent out each month.
4. Board of Missions Website
The BOM website is quickly becoming a focal point of information needed by everyone interested in missions in the BFC. This site continues to grow with useful information for both the church leadership and anyone seeking God’s direction for possible service through the Board of Missions. Personal support needs and biographical information are continually updated and available 24 hours a day. There are also helpful links in planning short-term or career-missions involvement. You can log on to the site at www.bfcbom.org.
5. Email Subscriber Lists
a. Daily Prayer
Daily Prayer is a daily e-mail you can receive that allows you to not only view the Prayer Calendar request for the day, but also receive up-to-the-minute news and prayer requests from the field. Readership is around 125.
b. Friday Prayer
This is an in-depth prayer document produced each Friday and sent by e-mail. This document meant for missionary-to-missionary communication, is also available to a select group of other prayer partners. Readership is 190.
6. Let’s Fish.
A newsletter is produced each Wednesday intended to keep those interested in short – term missionary trips and possible career missionary involvement on the cutting edge. It is a place for the exchange of ideas, as well as prayer and ministry opportunities. This document enjoys a readership from ages 14 years thru adult, with backgrounds that include pastors, missionaries, youth leaders, mission chair people, laymen, and students. There is a readership of nearly 250 each week. A full archive is available on our website.
7. May Missionary Rally
This annual gathering of missionaries and BF churches provides a world-wide panorama of missions, both local and overseas. It also provides networking opportunities and interaction between churches as they endeavor to highlight God’s heart for the world in their church. A children’s program for Kindergarten through 8th grade has become a successful part of this day. This year’s rally will be held May 11th at Lebanon BFC.
8. Missionary In-Residence at Pinebrook Bible Conference Summer Family Camp
To promote missions in the BFC, the BOM will supply a missionary family for each of the eight weeks of family camp. Each week the campers will have opportunity to interact at a very personal level with a missionary from the Bible Fellowship Church. Additionally, the missionary will have opportunity to present their ministry during public meetings.
9. Office activities
The office remains the hub for donor and church information and financial processing. We compile and maintain all the necessary information to keep you abreast of the financial needs of the entire missionary family. Addresses and birthdays are kept up to date for missionary committees and societies. Receipting of financial donations are meticulously recorded for both the donor’s and the missionary’s records.
The members of the board and the home office thank you for your continued sacrificial giving to the needs of our missionary family. We remind you that the operations of the board are totally dependant upon the financial support of the BFC.
Found elsewhere in this report is the financial and statistical information that will give you a glimpse of what God is doing. An updated list of all the missionaries and sending boards is also in the Annual Conference Yearbook.
James W. Harris resigned from the Board of Missions due to relocation. Susan Figard from the Cedar Crest BFC was elected to the Board on May 26, 2005 to fill this vacant position.
The Board of Missions recommends the following:
Whereas, Dana E. Weller was appointed by the Board of Missions to be Director for a three year term, therefore be it
Resolved, that Dana E. Weller be ratified as Director of the Board of Missions for a three year term.
Missionary Units as of December 31, 2005
General Statistical Report on December 31, 2005
1. Number of Sending Boards under which our
missionaries are working. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
2. Number of countries in which our missionaries
are working. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3. Number of Missionaries:
Family Couples Singles Total
Units Adults
Active Missionaries 80 62 18 142
Leave of Absence 1 0 1 1
Appointees 8 6 2 14
Active Applicants 2 1 1 3
TOTALS 91 69 22 160
4. Geographical Areas where our missionaries are assigned and their number
Area Families Adults Countries
| USA | 37 | 64 | United States of America |
| North America | 5 | 10 | Canada, Mexico (excluding U.S.) |
| Central America | 3 | 5 | Costa Rica, Guadeloupe |
| Caribbean | 1 | 2 | Bonaire |
| South America | 3 | 6 | Bolivia, Brazil |
| Europe | 19 | 32 | Austria, France, Germany, UK, Greece, Hungary, Spain, Northern Ireland, Yugoslavia, Czech Republic |
| Africa | 7 | 11 | Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco |
| Asia | 10 | 16 | Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, India, Thailand, Ukraine |
| Southeast Asia& Pacific | 5 | 8 | Philippines, Australia, Malaysia |
Candidates and Commissionings
The local church continues to produce world-bound missionaries. This year the Board of Missions processed a number of new applications and approved 12 candidates (Jay & Ruth Burrington, Billy & Cindy Dunn, Carl & Wren Fitzgerald, Chris & Alma Hunsicker, Annette Kriner, Nathan Sefiane, Colby & Theresa Weinhofer). Six missionaries were commissioned: John & Karen Elias, Nathan & Cindy Sefiane and David and Sherry Shelly
Individuals Ending Their Active Missionary Service
Mel & Jan Babcock
Osborne and Diane Buchanan
Rob & Tio Lockhart
Paul & Julie Zimmerman
Annual Reports From Missionaries
Annual activity reports from missionaries will be sent out by the missionaries themselves. These reports for 2005 will be sent out in early 2006.
Dates To Mark On Your Calendar Of Events:
Thursday, May 11, 2006 Conference-Wide Missionary Rally 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at Lebanon BFC, Lebanon, PA
Board of Missions: Ralph M. Soper, Chairman; Dana E. Weller, Director; Daniel G. Oswald, Financial Secretary; Robert A. Sloan, Secretary; Donald S. Faust, Sue Figard, Leroy O. Herb, Jacob J. Susek, Jr., Gerald L. Schlonecker, Thomas P. Shorb.