A burden for the souls of inland Africa
God burdened William and Genevieve Haas for the souls of Africa and led them to ministry there in 1911. This missionary experience compelled them to seek Him for more workers. They returned to gather Baptist pastors together and convincingly presented the opportunity and urgency. The General Council of Cooperating Baptist Missions of North America, Inc. (now Baptist Mid-Missions) was organized on October 15, 1920 at the First Baptist Church in Elyria, Ohio. Our first group of six missionaries courageously sailed a few weeks later to obediently begin the evangelization of French Equatorial Africa.
A vision for passionate ministry and Biblical integrity
William Haas recruited missionaries who embraced a burden for the souls of Africans and for sound biblical ministry. At the same time he encouraged local Baptist churches to send them independently. He was duly concerned by the rise of liberalism and unbiblical compromises made for the sake of manmade unity. The churches joining to organize this new mission shared his commitment to biblical integrity. By 1922, 11 missionaries were on the field of what is presently the Central African Republic. Overtaken by fever, William Haas died there at the village of Bangassou in 1924 and is buried on that first Baptist Mid-Missions African station.
Advancement of the vision worldwide
God has richly multiplied and blessed the vision for Great Commission ministry that William Haas cast before the Baptist pastors and laymen who met together in 1920. Today, more than 1,000 Baptist Mid-Missions missionaries serve on 6 continents in 50 countries of the world. The work continues because the Lord is faithful to His Word in calling and sending laborers into His fields of harvest! Until He comes, Baptist Mid-Missions is committed to the partnership of fundamental, independent Baptist churches advancing biblical missionary enterprise to the ends of the earth.
Burning Wicks by Miss Polly Strong is the record of Baptist Mid-Missions’ history. Contact info@bmm.org to order a copy.