news around the world Free Will Baptist International Missions serves churches, pastors, and people by helping them fulfill their role in establishing churches beyond North America so unreached peoples can know the joy of a relationship with the living God. To find out more about the ministry of Free Will Baptist International Missions, visit www.fwbgo.com.

E-TEAM 2013 Reaches Nine Countries

Antioch, TN—E-Team 2013 consisted of nine teams with representatives from 17 states:
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

After five days of training on the campus of Welch College in Nashville, Tennessee,
81 students and 18 team leaders traveled to eight locations: Chicago, Illinois; Brazil—Limeira; Brazil—Jaboticabal; Cuba; France; Uruguay; Hokkaido, Japan; and Kazakhstan to engage in 12 intense days of cross-cultural ministry.

The students and their leaders distributed 11,500 tracts, sang more than 200 songs, presented more than 50 dramas/mimes, shared their testimonies, painted faces, worked on construction projects, and carried out five weeks of VBS.

Although much has changed through the years—faces, cost, locations—the mission remains the same: engage teens in cross-cultural ministry and allow them to investigate God’s call to missions. The teams engage new cultures through literature distribution, mime, music, conversational English, VBS ministries, carnivals, teaching, preaching, and physical labor.

Homestays with local hosts (who sometimes do not speak English), allow students to immerse themselves in the culture, eating, living and sharing life with the people they visit.

E-TEAM culminated at the national convention as teams participated in the Wednesday evening missions service, carrying flags in a parade of nations. For more information about E-TEAM, visit www.FWBGo.com.

VBS Takes Flight

Penonomé, Panama—Whether held in a backyard, park, church, or activity center, Vacation Bible Schools offer missionaries opportunities to share the gospel with children who might not attend a Sunday service and to connect with their families.

May 27-31, 2013, an average of 40 “passengers” learned about God’s power over nature, life’s circumstances, sin, death, and our lives. Lori Torrison wrote, “At the final destination closing service…many parents took their ‘first flight’ to our church, enjoyed an in-flight snack and beverage, and heard the flight attendant’s instructions on how to exit this life safely.”

Training to Serve

Nantes, France—Training leaders is a necessary step in building a healthy church, whether overseas or in the States. How that is done may vary. Over a five-month period this year,

Robert Bryan led a committee that prepared, promoted, and presented a series of monthly weekend seminars to help French Christians better serve their local churches. Training sessions covered topics such as relationships, life management, spiritual gifts, how to study the Bible, apologetics, and evangelism.

World Missions Offering Tops $600,000

Antioch, TN—International Missions rejoices in the goodness of the Lord and the faithfulness of His people. Once again, the denomination has responded to the need for reaching the lost around the world. As of June 30, $604,284.43 has been received in the office. The largest WMO, before 2012’s record response, was $528,107.86 in 2008.

“Giving to International Missions and the WMO has never been a better investment,” declares Danny Williams, chairman of the International Missions Board.

The 2012 total of $1,010,935.64 was, by far, the largest offering ever received. The board’s difficult decision to hold missionaries stateside due to our financial shortfall produced a crisis.

“We will always be grateful for the way our people stood with us in 2012,” says General Director Clint Morgan. “But, we are equally encouraged that the denomination is giving this year…simply to see the gospel taken to the ends of the earth.”

WMO national chairman Mark Price focused on involvement. “A record-setting 870-plus churches have either sent in their offering or indicated they plan to participate in the 2013 WMO,” says Price, “This is the way God intended us to work—all of us doing our part, no one person or church carrying the full load.”

Gifts to International Missions, through the WMO or through monthly giving, help us labor together with the Body of Christ to fulfill the Great Commission! We praise the Lord for every person who is involved in this partnership. The full release can be found on fwbgo.com/news.

Annual Board Meeting Positive, Strategic

Antioch, TN—The Board of Free Will Baptist International Missions met April 29-May 1, 2013.

• Daniel and Katie (McDonald) Speer were appointed as two-year interns in Japan. Josh and Lydia (Dankson) Provow were approved for a two-year term as interns to an undetermined location. Samantha H. was seconded to a partner organization for two years.
  

• Bobby and Geneva Poole tendered their retirement after a commendatory 53 years of faithful service in Brazil. They requested to be moved to retired status as of December 31, 2013. Tim and Di Keener, after 10 years of valuable service in France, submitted their resignation, effective June 1, 2013. Tim will pursue seminary studies as the couple continues to seek God’s will for the future.
  

• An unqualified approval of the audit was received from Blankenship CPA Group. The board approved a $7.25 million framework budget for 2014 to be presented at the July 2013 meeting of the National Association of Free Will Baptists. The operational budget for 2014 will be approved at the December 2013 board meeting.
  

All board members (Danny Williams, AL; Jeff Manning, NC: Mark Price, OH; Nelson Henderson, AR; Rob Morgan, TN; Greg McAllister, CA; Tom McCullough, MI; Brad Ransom, OK; Janice Banks, OK) were in attendance.

The full release, as well as details about the appointments, resignation, and retirement can be found in news on fwbgo.com.

Four Baptized in Spain

Spain—Four people were baptized in a joint baptismal service in Spain on Sunday, June 9. The Villalba and Alpedrete congregations joined together to celebrate those following the Lord in baptism. Three from the Alpedrete Church (including MK Alejandro Johnson) and one from the Villalba Church braved cool, storm-threatening weather to publically declare their faith in Jesus Christ.