by Jon Konnerup
Online donations are one of the most-requested services by churches of the BBFI. Therefore, we developed a website, http://donate.bbfimissions.com, that allows us to securely accept donations. Churches can utilize the Multiple Gift Entry section to give to several missionaries at one time. The two online giving methods are credit/debit card or a bank account (ACH/eCheck). With both, the Mission Office is assessed a handling fee by the merchant services company. The Mission Office will cover any fees associated with using a bank account. However, if a donor gives using a credit card, a charge will be added to cover the online giving fees. Regardless of the payment method, BBFI missionaries will continue to receive 100 percent of their donations. The Mission Office does not benefit anything from these fees. These are banking fees. This service was approved in the September 2010 Fellowship Meeting. Since then we have been completing and testing the process.
Following is the disclaimer that appears on the new giving website for individuals giving to missions through their local church:
The Baptist Bible Fellowship International’s theology and philosophy is strongly rooted in the autonomy and authority of the local church. We believe that the local church is the center for world evangelism and has the God-given responsibility and authority to send out missionaries to the regions beyond. The Mission Office of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International is a missions service center to assist local Baptist churches and their missionaries in their effort to fulfill the Great Commission. As such we strongly recommend members of local Baptist churches to be faithful in their giving to and through their church. As an individual, if your church has a missions program that supports BBFI approved missionaries, we recommend that your donations to the ministry of BBFI approved missionaries be given to/through your local Baptist church. We do, however, offer this option for those who want to make an online gift now.
The 2012 Summer Olympic games will be held in and around London, England. We along with some of our missionaries are exploring the possibility of taking church groups to minister during this occasion. Because we anticipate a very limited number of spaces available for lodging, if you are interested in taking a group or sending people with another group, please contact Associate Director Jim Smith at (417) 862-5011 or JSmith@bbfimissions.com as soon as possible.
The following numbers reflect lives impacted directly through the ministries of BBFI missionaries in 2010. These do not reflect those people reached and churches started by the nationals associated with our missionaries and the BBFI.
Professions of faith (131,246), baptisms (24, 853), leaders in training (11,785), new missions/Bible studies (2,775), new churches (850)