My wife typically drives about 100 miles a week. So thirteen years after we bought her vehicle, we finally had to purchase a new set of tires. Like a fool, I complained. Then I was reminded we bought the car when George W. Bush was in his first term as president. A new set of tires every thirteen years is actually better than I bargained for. It’s just the cost of doing business.
In the Baptist Bible Fellowship, we have innovative, effective, committed, and passionate missionaries doing a great job pushing the Gospel outward and onward. However, without a supporting infrastructure in place, they just wouldn’t be as effective. It’s just the cost of doing business.
Our Mission Office is primarily tasked with processing funds securely and maintaining records accurately. In an age where international digital transactions are frequently targeted by criminals, we must sustain highly secured procedures with professionally trained personnel in order to see God’s work go forward. It’s just the cost of doing business.
Additionally, our Mission Office gives great attention to the emotional and spiritual care of our missionary force. The staff are uniquely qualified to understand the needs our missionaries face. Ongoing communication, as well as special events and gatherings, help minister to every member of the missionary family. These are just some of the ways the Mission Office supports and encourages our missionaries. Again, it’s the cost of doing business.
Our Mission Office is a bit like my wife’s car – long on service and short on maintenance. The driving philosophy of our Fellowship has been to keep our overhead minimal so the bulk of our missionary giving goes directly to the field. The necessary services of the Mission Office always carry a monetary cost. Our support of the Mission Office facilitates the structure that directly assists an army of missionary personnel.
It’s just the cost of doing business, God’s business.
TIM ADRIAN || BBFI VICE PRESIDENT (MISSIONS) PASTOR • HUTCHINSON, KS
I could tell he cared. That’s what I remember most about the call.
We were missionaries in Mexico in the age before WhatsApp and easy international smartphone calling, when my wife became critically ill. It was a time of uncertainty and it felt like our network of supporting churches was a million miles away. Then, Steve Bender from the Mission Office managed to reach us at the hospital. It meant the world to us, and we were delighted to share the good news with Steve and the rest of the Mission Office team when God intervened and Charise recovered.
When we returned to the United States a year later, I saw the Mission O ce through the perspective of the senior pastor.
The relationship changed, but the care did not. They were always ready to serve. Whether dealing with prospective missionaries, veteran missionaries with ambitious ministry projects, or those enduring a crisis on the field, the care, integrity, and professionalism of the Mission Office has never changed. They are always ready.
It’s an extraordinary relationship, and I am so glad to be part of it.
BRUCE GARNER || PASTOR • HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA
The Mission Office cares for three families sent out from our church. It brings great peace to our church knowing that there is a team in place assisting our missionaries with any needs that might arise.
As a sending pastor, I feel the Mission Office provides the best care, assistance, and protection available. Any time there is a safety concern on one of the fields, I am immediately contacted and my missionaries are informed.
As a supporting pastor, I know BBFI missionaries have been interviewed, prayed over, and chosen from the best candidates. The Mission Office also provides speakers, artwork and media presentations, statistics, and information when we need it.
As a field representative, I am allowed the privilege to interview new missionaries, hear their heart for their eld, and be reinvigorated by their passion.
As a member of a BBFI church who personally gives to Faith Promise Missions, knowing that 100% of all giving goes to the missionaries without a processing fee or percentage is still the greatest testimony for the Missions Office. I appreciate Director Konnerup and his team for all the hard work they do on behalf of our missionaries.
NATHAN BURCH || PASTOR • AURORA, MO
As the pastor of a church which makes it a priority to train and send missionaries, I have come to know and value our Mission Office and its gifted and faithful leadership. They provide world-class support and care for our Graceway missionaries, which gives me, our mission committee, and our entire church great peace of mind. When you send your very own to the far reaches of this dangerous world, many times into harm’s way, it’s a good feeling to know there is someone to come alongside in a support role. Our Mission Office provides counsel and assistance that is invaluable.
As the pastor of a church that makes it a priority to support missionaries, I appreciate the tools our Mission Office makes available to the local church. From faith promise commitment cards and brochures, to entire missions conference media packs and logistical support for mission trips, the Mission Office really is a one-stop shop for the missions-minded church and pastor.
I commend and recommend our Baptist Bible Fellowship Missions Office to any missionary seeking a missions agency, and to any pastor and church looking to do a better job of ful lling the Great Commission around the world.
ROBERT STEPHENSON || PASTOR • SPRINGFIELD, MO
We are so grateful for the Mission Office for a variety of reasons. A year and a half ago, we came to candidate school, knowing next to nothing about the BBFI, and knowing no one in the home office.
During our time there we were blown away at what a helpful, caring, loving organization we were joining. We were amazed at how the singular focus of every person in the office was to care for and help the missionaries so that they could focus on spreading the gospel all around the world.
We are so grateful you take time every day to pray for us as we serve around the world. Your investment into training us, e orts to help us avoid problems with the IRS, and provision of opportunities to learn and grow, all make the BBFI Mission Office one of a kind. We are so grateful to be a part of this organization and to be partnered with you in spreading the Gospel in Bolivia and around the world.
JEREMY EULBERG ||MISSIONARY • BOLIVIA
We have been missionaries now, for almost 33 years, and in that time the talented team at the BBFI Mission Office has literally kept us on the field on four separate occasions when hostile governments were poised to send us out of their particular countries. With their many years of experience on the mission fields of the world and their legal and professional knowledge, they were able to provide the many requested documents and information needed to keep us on the field winning souls and establishing churches.
Not only that, but I have personally bene ted from their spiritual guidance and counsel. Twice, I have been so discouraged by the lack of tangible results, that I seriously thought about leaving the field. On two other occasions, we have been confronted by challenges that we could not resolve. In every one of these situations, the staff guided me through the word of God and with their vast experience in the ministry to help me not only stay on the field, but advance forward in the cause of Christ. Their godly counsel and decades of experience are treasures that should not be squandered or taken for granted.
That is why we have supported these dear servants of Christ for many years in prayer and financial support. They are the unsung heroes of the strong right arm of the BBFI. Let’s pray for them on a daily basis and support them financially on a monthly basis! It is an investment that will produce eternal dividends!
MARK HALE || MISSIONARY • PORTUGAL
The older I become, and the more I become involved in ministry, the more I am thankful for the work of the Mission Office staff . Here are seven reasons why I am thankful.
- They are friendly. Every time I go there, I am greeted warmly. One of the ladies even baked me a pie!
- Their advice is helpful. When I was trying to solve a serious problem, advice from Jon Konnerup guided me in the direction of the best solution.
- They are efficient. Whenever I ask for their assistance, they are quick to comply with my requests. When the Kokura church applied for a loan for our new building, the staff processed the loan immediately.
- They are encouraging. Every month, Jon Konnerup sends a letter of encouragement that always seems to arrive when just when I need it.
- The Missionary Care ministry is excellent. Recently I had a chance to witness this with my own eyes when Steve Bender and I visited missionary Bill Neel in the hospital just a few days before he went home to be with the Lord.
- They keep me connected with my missionary friends. I have not seen some of my missionary friends in years, but the Mission Office sends regular updates that keep me informed about their health and prayer requests.
- Their spiritual ministry is a blessing. When the Kokura church celebrated its 30th anniversary, Bro. Konnerup was our guest speaker and brought two excellent messages. Steve Bender and his wife, Jenell, were our special speakers for this year’s Summer Camp, and their ministry was a great blessing to the churches in Kyushu.
By the way, I show my thanks by sending monthly support to the Mission Office.