Funding Efforts to Reach the Unreached

By Rob Conley

IM has long been involved in efforts to reach the unreached peoples of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. From our earliest days of ministry in India, we have focused on taking the love and truth of God’s Word to those who have never heard.

We minister to people so we may witness. Ministering to the physical, emotional, health, and humanitarian needs of individuals opens doors that may ultimately allow for a transparent opportunity to share the love and truth of Christ. IM remains solidly focused on reaching the unreached.

The Joshua Project defines an unreached people group as one with less than 2% evangelical Christians among its population. Currently, IM works and/or partners with workers in 19 countries inhabited by significant unreached people groups. Myanmar (Burma), Kenya, Uganda, Algeria,
Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Ecuador, El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China, Japan, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal contain unreached people groups with opportunities to hear the gospel through IM’s efforts.

Did you know the Japanese are considered an unreached people group? Japan is currently IM’s largest field in terms of assigned missionary personnel. Significant effort and dollars are invested in reaching the unreached of Japan.

Are you aware IM is ministering through partnerships in some of the most difficult and most dangerous places around the world? Places where believers are beaten for their faith, yet stand strong, and respond by asking, “Wouldn’t all followers of Christ do the same?”

Whether through assigned personnel or through partnerships, we strive daily to carry on the legacy of our pioneer missionaries. This is the very essence of our purpose statement—IM labors with the Body of Christ to fulfill the Great Commission.

The annual World Missions Offering (WMO) first benefits any unfunded portion of our partnership budgets. These partnership budgets also seek designated funding, but any amount of their budget left unfunded through designated gifts is covered through the WMO.

The WMO then benefits deficit missionary accounts, needy missionary accounts, and new missionary accounts. No missionary should be encumbered with the stress of a deficit account. Other sources help offset missionary deficits (such as the Deficits Accounts and Where Needed Most funds), but the WMO comes alongside those missionaries who might need an extra boost. We would love to see the WMO assist missionaries with underfunded accounts so they can strategically remain on task. WMO funds may also assist missionaries to return to their fields in a timely manner.

One of our big dreams for the WMO is to see it help kickstart new missionary appointees. Imagine appointees receiving an initial deposit in their accounts. Because they were immediately placed on salary and benefits, they could focus on completing their fundraising. Expediting their fundraising efforts may mean they arrive to their place of service months faster.
The WMO also underwrites the General Fund. I know no one wants to support the General Fund. It just isn’t as exciting. I get it. But here are a few other things I understand about the General Fund.

The General Fund...

• removes many logistical and administrative responsibilities from the missionaries.
  

• recruits, trains, mentors, and recommends new missionaries for Board approval.
  

• provides the legal and tax-exempt foundation for gifts.
  

• provides strategic oversight to keep the main things the main thing.
  

• provides mobilization for high schoolers and college students to engage in the Great Commission.
  

• provides the financial systems, accountability, and integrity to build the trust necessary to fund this significant effort.
  

Your support of the WMO makes all these things happen.

Yes, your consistent monthly support of missionaries, partnerships, and the General Fund make these efforts possible. Your support of the WMO ensures these partnerships, deficit and needy missionary accounts, new missionaries, and the General Fund are adequately supported each year. To the extent the WMO increases, IM reaches farther, pushes harder, and stays longer in those efforts.

If you want to see IM have a great reach to the unreached, pick a missionary, pick a partnership, pick the General Fund, and give monthly. But if you want to see all those things gain an encouraging “shot in the arm” and a significant leap forward, then please give a sacrificial, obedient gift to the WMO. Someone who has yet to hear the name of Christ just might get the chance because of your gift.

About the Writer: Rob Conley is director of financial operations/CFO at IM, Inc. He began his ministry with IM in January 1995. Rob and his wife Jennifer have two sons, Austin (Britt) and Alan, and their pet dog Scooby.