STRATEGIC VISION

Three initiatives with big potential to advance missions ministry worldwide—that’s the strength behind BMM’s new strategic vision launching in January 2025.

The vision’s three initiatives include:

1. Enlist—challenge more people to take up the calling of missions.

2. Equip—provide resources for our missionaries and supporting churches to excel and grow.

3. Expand—reach into new communities, countries, and people groups with the gospel.

“The glory of God compels us to do our best for Him,” says Dr. Patrick Odle. “This plan allows us to envision what God might have in store for an even more fruitful future for BMM.”

HAVEN FOR BRAZILIAN PASTORS

Overburdened and overbusy. Pastors in Brazil face the same challenge as pastors in North America. When a pastor suffers burnout, their church suffers also. Using wisdom gained from nearly 40 years of Brazil church planting, Dave and Jan Santos want to avert pastoral burnout through a special shepherding ministry.

Meeting with small groups of pastors in the São Paulo area, Dave (photo— front, at right) will provide a confidential, safe place to share challenges and find help. Jan likewise plans a similar ministry for pastors’ wives. Their ministry has potential to expand through conferences and retreats to help Brazilian leaders and churches grow strong and stay strong.

PROJECT PARIS 2024

"We cannot even begin to understand what Godwill do with what was done this summer in Paris.”
—Jonathan Laase

Project Paris 2024 volunteer teams blanketed Paris with more than 45,000 gospel tracts during the Summer Olympics. The project was organized by France missionaries Jonathan and Priscilla Laase, Randy and Patricia Laase, and their sending church (Canton Baptist Temple in Canton, Ohio).

Volunteers interacted with visitors from at least 95 countries, some of whom came from the world’s most closed nations, where formal missions efforts are virtually impossible. Having never heard the gospel, the visitors’ hearts were stirred and they visited Project Paris 2024’s website to learn more. One of the volunteer teams led a man from the Congo to saving faith during the Olympics.

The volunteers came from the Laases’ supporting churches and other churches associated with them. A QR code led tract recipients to the website explaining the gospel in nine languages and giving access to the Jesus film and Bible apps, along with forms to request prayer and find a local church. The website has received over 15,000 hits so far.

Millions visited this summer’s Olympics, but the best prize for many was hearing Christ’s life-saving gospel through Project Paris 2024.

WORLD RELIEF

When you hear of the world’s tragedies, it’s good to have a giving outlet that meets physical and spiritual needs. Baptist Mid-Missions’ World Relief ministry is that kind of outlet. It equips missionaries and national Christians to give compassionate, gospel-focused help when people need it the most.

Nearly three years after Ukraine’s invasion, Slovakia missionaries Don and LeAnne Waite continue to provide supplies to a small Polish church housing dozens of Ukrainian refugees. The Waites still deliver supplies inside Ukraine, where national missionaries Vova and Laura have a powerful ministry to those affected by the war. They recently presented to Dr. Patrick and Ruth Odle a Ukrainian flag signed by people helped through World Relief (photo).

Another couple, Leonid and Natasha, have seen at least 16 new Christians baptized and added to their local church. A Bibles International couple with Ukraine connections are helping their national partners courageously minister in villages near the front lines. As they offer food, Bibles, and a listening ear, they find abundant opportunities to share Christ.

World Relief also helped southern Brazil’s flood victims earlier this year. We still have active projects in India and in a Creative Access Nation torn by civil war. Consider a gift to World Relief to help missionaries and their national partners bring light into our world’s darkness.

Learn More.

RESTORING LIFE TO CHURCHES

Baptist Mid-Missions hosted its Church Revitalization Seminar June 4–6 in Cleveland, Ohio. More than 25 attended the three-day course, which gives valuable training to pastors, church planters, and missionaries desiring to strengthen plateaued or struggling churches. Because the seminar’s focus meets a vital need among churches, BMM administrators Steve Anderson and Jason Ormiston are taking the seminar to college campuses to equip the next generation of church planters and revitalizers. On October 14–18, they held the seminar as a four-credit class at Bob Jones University. Upcoming classes will be held in May 2025 at Faith Baptist Bible College & Seminary, and back again at BMM in June 2025.

Learn More.