Stewardships & Partnerships

By Jaimie Lancaster

My dad was born in 1924. A time of economic upheaval and scarcity marked his formative years. His was not a “throw away” society. Every resource was used until it absolutely could be used no more. I remember him telling me many times, “If you don’t take care of it, a $50 pocket watch will last as long as a $5 watch.” He took joy in keeping old things in good repair. That, to him, was good stewardship.

The Bible exhorts us to be good stewards, to manage the time, talents, and treasures God givesus.
I believe our global partnerships provide a great opportunity to practice good stewardship as we advance the Kingdom through our more mature works.

Free Will Baptists have a long history of missionary activity. From the first modern-era missionary sent out in 1935, fulfilling the Great Commission has been a high priority. Over time, infant works mature into strong works exhibiting three selfs: self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating. Missionaries are no longer needed, and the national church fulfills the roles missionaries previously held.

That’s where partnerships come into play. A partnership is an agreement between the national church in countries where Free Will Baptists once had a missionary presence, or with a like-minded missionary organization. Frequently, the second scenario occurs in areas inaccessible to North American workers.

We ask these national churches and organizations, “How can we assist you in fulfilling your vision?” Assistance comes in many forms. Though often financial, assistance may also take the form of training, teaching materials, meetings, and encouragement.

At present, IM has partnership agreements with 11 partners in nine countries. Some of these partner ministries are detailed below.

Training

One of IM’s key tasks is to train leaders who train others. Presently, we work with Bible institutes or seminaries in Bangladesh, Brazil, Central Asia, Cuba, Panama, India, Ivory Coast, Pakistan, and Russia. The fact these countries have these resources underscores their value. Degrees range from Bible worker to bachelor’s degrees. A couple offer graduate-level diplomas.

Church Planting

Our partners also have a strong emphasis on church planting. Recently, one of our partners in India planted 37 churches in three months. Other countries are seeing an increase in churches and groups of believers. Some of these areas are hostile to the gospel, but the church is still growing.

Leadership Development

Our partners also believe biblically-grounded leadership is required for a growing church. Several have centers or classes for leadership development. This gives them opportunity to develop leaders with the tools to lead biblically and effectively.

Sending Missionaries

The command to go to the “ends of the earth” is not just a mandate to North Americans. Our partners participate in going into all the world to spread the gospel. The Cuban church has sent missionaries to the Ivory Coast and Uruguay. Some of our partners send missionaries to areas and countries closed to the gospel. Due to their geographical proximity, they can reach across those borders.

Bible Translation/Distribution

Some partner countries speak many languages. Having the Bible in the heart language is a great tool for evangelism, discipleship, and growth. They initiate an effort to translate and publish the Bible in the local language. Bangladesh recently published Scripture in a language people waited 67 years to receive. Our partners in Central Asia make it a point to distribute Bibles to communities and villages. Their goal is to distribute a million Bibles before 2025.

Other Ministries

Though these are the main areas of our partnership ministry, this list is not exhaustive. Mercy ministries are also used as outreach. In Cuba, our partners work with the forgotten elderly in nursing homes. In Panama, food distribution projects help needy children. The medical work in Ivory Coast provides quality medical treatment to the Ivorian community. Young girls in India take sewing classes to learn a marketable skill. Pakistani believers maintain care for many Afghan refugees. In Central Asia, Hope Centers give people a place to read and study the Bible.

These ministries represent years of toil, personnel, and funds. Free Will Baptists made considerable investments in the early stages of these ministries, and many of our like-minded organizations also sacrifice at personal cost and expense.

One of the best ways we can be good stewards is to ensure partner ministries continue and grow. In doing so, we honor the efforts of previous generations. Let’s take care of these ministries and support them as we labor with the Body of Christ to fulfill the Great Commission.

To find out how you can be involved, contact us: partnerships@iminc.org.

About the Author: Jaimie Lancaster and his wife Tammy served as church planters in Uruguay for 23 years. Jaimie now works to forge and support partnerships as the assistant director of field partnerships for IM, Inc.