The 360 Matching Fund Drive for Missionary Support concluded at midnight on May 31, 2010.

The fund was established to encourage on line committed monthly contributions of $30/month for the support of American Baptist International Ministries missionaries with a lead gift from the First Baptist Church of Royal Oak Mission Fund.   More than 300 individual donors signed up and established over 500 monthly commitments during the life of the drive. 

Dr. Reid Trulson, Executive Director, visited and thanked FBC Royal Oak, Michigan for providing the lead gift for the fund.  He pointed out that their gift was multiplied 3.5 times through the gifts of others to the fund and through the matchable gifts made on line.  He emphasized that these monthly commitments will help to strengthen the ongoing support base for the International Ministries missionary team.

Some constituents were concerned that the drive was limited to internet users and was vulnerable to potential identify theft through on line contributions.  Others said that they were glad that, “IM is finally entering the 21st century” and some expressed their thanks for those who established the matching fund. 

Donations to International Ministries made through the internet are made via a secure server and credit card information is not retained.  These two practices eliminate most of the sources of electronic and identity theft.

The first 360 donors received a free copy of the Tony Campolo book, “Letters to a Young Evangelical” as a thank you for their commitments.  Dr. Campolo has invited International Ministries supporters to commit to give a “dollar a day” as a way to get involved in missions around the world.

Because of the strong response to the establishment of the fund International Ministries has been able to increase the match to 100% of the gifts rather than the originally planned 50%.  Remaining funds will be applied to new efforts to encourage additional monthly commitments to those missionaries who have not yet been able to reach their monthly core support goals.  That matching gift drive will run from noon on August 9 through noon on September 27, 2010.

International Ministries established the Missionary Partnership initiative in 2003 with the goal that by 2010 missionary core support would be covered by directed or targeted committed contributions from congregations and individuals.  Unrestricted funds contributed to International Ministries through the World Mission Offering are used to cover the additional direct and indirect costs related to missionary support.  Grants to partner agencies and projects are also made from World Mission Offering funds.  Unrestricted endowment income is used to cover the administrative and fundraising costs of the organization.