Report of the
Board of Missions
One hundred years and twenty days ago from the day I am writing this report, Henry Weiss was writing a letter to the Seventeenth Annual Conference. He and his wife Kate had sailed three years earlier to Chile and were now involved in an extensive outreach ministry in the southern part of the country.
A century later I type a quotation from that report:
“Several of our converts died triumphant in the faith. Three of the brethren have been put to jail for the gospel’s sake. Another a Chileno convert, was compelled to kneel down and pray, and then shot and killed.” (Proceedings, 1900, page 22)
Events were happening that were touching the hearts of our forefather. The well-publicized call and death of Eusebius Hershey started a spark that kindled the fires for world evangelization, but perhaps the above statement read as part of the Foreign Missions Board’s report to that Conference in 1900 provided the fuel that has kept the fires burning for well over a century.
People often ask me a question: “Why is there such a passion for missions in the BFC?” I never really had an adequate answer to such a probing query. As you read the statistics at the end of this report, the sheer magnitude of the numbers for such a small denomination is quite astonishing. Per capita our financing and sending of missionaries are quite extensive. I always had the figures to support that finding, but never the reason.
Then it struck me. A letter kindled the passion written one hundred years ago. The above quotation moved the members of the Seventeenth Annual Conference. Recorded in the proceedings was this statement:
“The report of the Secretary of the Foreign Mission Board was read and received. The Lord touched hearts, and a real glory-cloud of missionary spirit hovered over the Conference.” (Proceedings 1900, page 12)
A glory-cloud of missionary spirit hovering over the Conference! What a unique observation from the Conference secretary! He sensed God moving hearts. He sensed that out of the report of martyrs the pastors and delegates of that conference were deeply moved. He recorded a moment in history that would ultimately change forever the Great Commission vision of this Group. Out of that conference, we can begin to see a fellowship of believers who were determined to reach the world for Christ. They made a passionate commitment to send its own sons and daughters into all the world.
What a rich heritage we have. As we assemble at the One-Hundred-Seventeenth Annual Conference, we still assemble under that “glory-cloud of missionary spirit”.
General Statistical Report on December 31, 1999
1. Number of Sending Boards under which our
missionaries are working. . . . . . . . . . . . .35
2. Number of countries in which our
missionaries are working. . . . . . . . . . . . .32
3. Number of Missionaries:
Family Couples Singles Total
Units Adults
Active Missionaries 79 58 21 137
Leave of Absence 1 0 1 1
Appointees 3 2 1 5
Active Applicants 6 6 0 12
TOTALS 90 66 24 155
4. Geographical Areas where our missionaries are assigned and their number
Area Families Adults Countries
U.S. . . . . . . . . . 31 52 U.S.
North America. . . . . 36Canada, Mexico (excluding US)
Central America. . . 6 11 Bonaire, Costa & (Caribbean)Rica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe,
South America. . . . .6 10 Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela
Europe. . . . . . . . . . 14 22 Austria, France, Greece, Hungary, Spain, UK, Yugoslavia, Germany
Africa . . . . . . . . . . . 8 14 Kenya, Tanzania, Mali, Morocco
Asia . . . . . . . . . . . 6 12 India, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Mongolia, Thailand, Ukraine
SE Asia & Pacific. . .5 9 Guam, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia
TOTALS. . . . . . . . .79 137 32COUNTRIES
Annual Reports From Missionaries
Annual activity reports from missionaries will be sent out by the missionaries themselves. These reports for 1999 will be sent out in early 2000.
Dates To Mark On Your Calendar Of Events:
Thursday, May 11th, 2000 Conference-Wide Missionary Rally from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Grace BFC in Quakertown
August 5-11, 2000 World Missions Week at Pinebrook Bible Conference
The Board of Missions has participated in the work of a Task Force commissioned to create a new mission agency that would replace both the Board of Missions and the Board of Church Extension.
Whereas, Dana E. Weller has been elected by the Board of Missions to serve as Director for three years, therefore be it
Resolved, that the election of Dana E. Weller as Director of the Board of Mission be ratified for a term of three years.
Whereas, Charles J. Albert, Jr. has been elected by the Board of Missions as Financial Secretary for three years, therefore be it
Resolved, that the election of Charles J. Albert, Jr. as Financial Secretary of the Board of Missions be ratified for a term of three years.
The Board of Missions is in agreement with The Report Of the Task Force On the Creation Of A New Missions Agency From the Board Of Church Extension and The Board Of Missions and along with Church Extension offers the following report and its resolutions to the 117th Annual Conference:
Report Of the
Task Force On the Creation
Of A New Missions Agency
From The Board Of Church Extension
and The Board Of Missions
The Boards of Church Extension and Missions appointed three men from each Board to come together and explore the ways and benefits for the creation of a new missions agency from the two Boards.
Initial discussions focused on how missions is dependent on church planting. We cannot send out missionaries, domestic or foreign, unless we have churches to support the work and church planting as the focus of our missions enterprise. We also agreed, that in order to see if the creation of a new missions agency is a viable and Spirit-led project, we would need to take a step-by-step approach and have both Boards in agreement as we work through the process. The Task Force worked on a Missions Statement of Purpose which would be approved by the Boards. The Following Statement was constructed and presented to the two Boards, and was approved.
THE BFC MISSIONS STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The Biblical mandate for missions is to make disciples through preaching the Gospel to all people everywhere. This mandate will be accomplished in the Bible Fellowship Church through an aggressive and comprehensive missions program that is focused on church planting in our Jerusalem, our Judea, and Samaria, and the world (Acts1:8).
Along with the formulation of this Purpose Statement, the Task Force began to look at a new Paradigm for Missions in the Bible Fellowship Church. Several models were presented and investigated. The Task Force also asked brothers Robert Zentz and Charles Albert to review the new Paradigm and give their input, since they serve on the Boards and have experience with administrative models. The Task Force is still considering the new Paradigm and at this time is not ready to present it to Annual Conference. With the transition taking place in the directorship and office move of Church Extension, the Task Force looked into ways of combining the office space and administrative duties of the two Boards. At this time we are considering a joint move and combined office location at Fellowship Manor when the new addition is completed. This move would also, most likely, coordinate with the presentation to Annual Conference of a new Paradigm for Missions. This presentation to the churches of the Conference, we believe, will take place sometime this year and formally at next year’s Conference. Another item the two Boards were in agreement on was a name for the new missions agency, The name approved is: GREAT COMMISSION MINISTRIES The Missions Agency Of The Bible Fellowship Church
As we continue to work on this Paradigm for Missions and develop the leadership and administrative aspects of the new paradigm, we would ask that you pray for us and that God would lead us, based upon what He wants the work of missions to be in the BFC, and not what our desires or prejudices might want. A statement which was made at one of our meetings has become a guide for us through this process and might be a help for those concerned and interested in this work of the Task Force. The statement is this, “no one owns anything.” Our view of the meaning of this statement is that the new Missions Paradigm must be God’s will and desire for missions in the Bible Fellowship Church and we all should be open and supportive of the changes He will bring into existence. The Task Force recommends the following resolutions to Annual Conference for approval:
Whereas, the Task Force and the Boards Of Church Extension and Missions have agreed that the creation of a new missions agency is God’s desire and a viable endeavor, and
Whereas, the Annual Conference needs to be supportive of such an effort in order for the Task Force to move ahead in its work, therefore be it
Resolved, that the Annual Conference is in agreement with the work of the Task Force in seeking to create a new missions agency from the Board Of Church Extension and The Board Of Missions.
Whereas, the Boards Of Church Extension and Missions have approved a new missions statement of purpose for the work of missions in the Bible Fellowship Church, and
Whereas, the new missions statement of purpose gives a more comprehensive view of missions and focuses upon the priority of church planting as the basis for carrying out the Great Commission,
Resolved, that Annual Conference approve for first reading the following BFC Missions Statement Of Purpose:
THE BFC MISSIONS STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:
The Biblical mandate for missions is to make disciples through preaching the Gospel to all people everywhere. This mandate will be accomplished in the Bible Fellowship Church through an aggressive and comprehensive missions program that is focused on church planting in our Jerusalem, our Judea and Samaria, and the world (Acts1:8).
Whereas, the Task Force is working on a new missions Paradigm for the Bible Fellowship Church, and
Whereas, the new Paradigm will be creating a new leadership and organizational structure, and
Whereas, the names of the two Boards will no longer be relevant to the new Paradigm,
Resolved, that Annual Conference approve for first reading the following name for the new missions agency: GREAT COMMISSION MINISTRIES The Missions Agency Of The Bible Fellowship Church
Resolved, that The Great Commission Ministries Board will be composed of five (5) ordained ministers and five(5) elders, and further
Resolved, that classes be formed as follows:
Class I Two pastors and two elders
Class II Two pastors and two elders
Class III One pastors and one elder
Resolved, that when the Great Commission Ministries Board is elected, the Board of Church Extension and the Board of Missions will cease to exist.
Task Force On Combining The Board Of Church Extension and The Board Of Missions:Ralph M.Soper, Chairman; David R.Way, Secretary; David E. Gundrum, Richard E. Taylor, Dana E. Weller, Daniel G. Ziegler.
Board of Missions: Ralph M. Soper, Chairman; Dana E. Weller, Director; Charles J. Albert, Jr., Financial Secretary; James W. Harris, Secretary, David R. Way, Leroy O. Herb, William W. Mull, Gerald Schlonecker, Thomas P. Shorb, Donald Faust.