Great Commission Giving

By Rob Conley

Should I give to IM’s general fund or designate to a missionary, partnership, or project?

Yes! All the above.

Of course, you expected me to say that, but let me explain why. Our purpose statement reads, “We exist to labor with the Body of Christ to fulfill the Great Commission.” I believe supporting the general fund and specific missionaries and partnerships and projects is the only way we can achieve our stated objectives.

This endeavor we call missions is a cycle or process that begins when someone truly understands the heart of God. God has always been a missionary God seeking those with whom He could have a restored relationship. He has always been after redemption with mankind. I believe this is where the general fund comes into this process. The general fund supports efforts at teaching, sharing, involving, mobilizing, and recruiting believers to follow God on His journey of redemption. Without a fully-funded general fund, part of that effort would be lost. Could missionaries still go overseas and share the gospel? Certainly; but not as quickly, not as cleanly, and not as effectively.

The general fund carries the burden of many details that simply would be a distraction from the work to which the missionary has been called. A fully-funded general fund addresses legal matters, immigration issues, financial and payroll matters, fundraising, recruiting, education, and mobilization of new personnel. Those who hear and understand are informed, inspired, and engaged so they can be sent.

Once they become missionaries, they need your consistent, designated support to be truly effective and carry the message of redemption to the people God has laid on their hearts.

Projects come alongside these missionaries and allow them to take leaps forward. Yes, we need to support projects as well.

Partnerships are formed with mature fields. Missionaries can be reassigned to other areas of need. Partnerships may also come alongside missionaries and make them more effective. Partnerships may take us into places we couldn’t otherwise go. So, yes, we need to support partnerships as well.

When all stages of the process are fully funded, the effort is so much more effective. This world is hopelessly lost and desperately needs the message of hope found only in Christ. Funding the entire process helps make this possible.

The general fund has four primary sources of funding: undesignated gifts, a portion of the World Missions Offering, fees on trips, and the administrative allocation on missionary accounts. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, someday, the general fund was fully funded on its own and did not need a portion of the WMO or an allocation on missionary accounts? What would that mean? How much more effective could our entire effort be? I’d love to find out.

About the Writer: Rob Conley is director of financial operations for IM, Inc. For more information on Great Commission giving, visit www.IMInc.org.