American Baptist International Ministries (IM) congratulates IMA World Health, a longtime IM partner, for 50 years of strengthening and serving local health systems worldwide. “So much of what we do to improve health worldwide, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, would not be possible without IMA,” notes Rev. Dr. Reid Trulson, IM executive director. Over the past 50 years, IMA has distributed more than $1 billion in medicine and medical supplies worldwide.
IMA World Health was founded in 1960 by six denominations and Christian mission boards as “Interchurch Medical Assistance” to work together in shipping medicines and medical supplies to clinics and missionary health ministries. The founding groups included the United Presbyterian Church, Lutheran World Relief, the United Methodist Church, the Reformed Church of America, the National Council of Churches (Division of Foreign Missions), and United Church Board of World Ministries. IM joined IMA in 1961, just one year after its founding.
In 2010 IMA’s mission expanded. Today, the organization also works to stem the tide of preventable but deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, river blindness and others.
IMA’s contribution to strengthening health systems is widely recognized. Over the past 50 years, IMA has earned the reputation among large pharmaceutical companies and government agencies as an effective and efficient faith-based healthcare provider. Through these partnerships the organization has distributed more than $1 billion in medicine and medical supplies, in addition to its other programs.
IM missionaries Dr. Bill Clemmer and Wayne Niles work specifically with IMA to help people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to have access to healthcare. From the capital city of Kinshasa, Bill Clemmer has led a four-year $60 million health system strengthening initiative funded by USAID. The project has served an estimated 8.2 million persons in isolated and post-conflict areas in the DRC.
Wayne Niles serves as liaison officers for IMA in matters related to HIV/AIDS and maternal health projects throughout the African continent. In the last three years, IM missionaries have helped to establish and support 129 prenatal clinics that provide anti-retroviral drugs to HIV-positive women in labor, to help prevent mothers from passing the virus on to their children.
Partnerships like the one with IMA World Health are essential to the work of IM. By engaging in ministry with local, national and international partners like IMA, IM is able to reach more people, strengthen more communities and multiply the value of every mission dollar. In all, IM works with more than 50 partners from around the world.
“Our partners enrich the work that we do,” Reid commented. “They give us new perspectives on the issues we face and extend our network of people and resources that allow us to reach more people in the name of Christ.”
Please visit www.internationalministries.org and www.imaworldhealth.org for more information about IM and IMA’s work and partnerships.
American Baptist International Ministries is the first Baptist international mission agency formed in North America, and the second oldest Baptist mission agency in the world. More than 1,800 short- and long-term missionaries are served annually, bringing churches and individuals in the United States and Puerto Rico together with partners in more than 70 countries with holistic, cutting-edge ministries that tell the Good News of Jesus Christ while meeting human need.
IMA World Health was founded in 1960 by six denominations and Christian mission boards as “Interchurch Medical Assistance” to work together in shipping medicines and medical supplies to clinics and missionary health ministries. The founding groups included the United Presbyterian Church, Lutheran World Relief, the United Methodist Church, the Reformed Church of America, the National Council of Churches (Division of Foreign Missions), and United Church Board of World Ministries. IM joined IMA in 1961, just one year after its founding.
In 2010 IMA’s mission expanded. Today, the organization also works to stem the tide of preventable but deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, river blindness and others.
IMA’s contribution to strengthening health systems is widely recognized. Over the past 50 years, IMA has earned the reputation among large pharmaceutical companies and government agencies as an effective and efficient faith-based healthcare provider. Through these partnerships the organization has distributed more than $1 billion in medicine and medical supplies, in addition to its other programs.
IM missionaries Dr. Bill Clemmer and Wayne Niles work specifically with IMA to help people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to have access to healthcare. From the capital city of Kinshasa, Bill Clemmer has led a four-year $60 million health system strengthening initiative funded by USAID. The project has served an estimated 8.2 million persons in isolated and post-conflict areas in the DRC.
Wayne Niles serves as liaison officers for IMA in matters related to HIV/AIDS and maternal health projects throughout the African continent. In the last three years, IM missionaries have helped to establish and support 129 prenatal clinics that provide anti-retroviral drugs to HIV-positive women in labor, to help prevent mothers from passing the virus on to their children.
Partnerships like the one with IMA World Health are essential to the work of IM. By engaging in ministry with local, national and international partners like IMA, IM is able to reach more people, strengthen more communities and multiply the value of every mission dollar. In all, IM works with more than 50 partners from around the world.
“Our partners enrich the work that we do,” Reid commented. “They give us new perspectives on the issues we face and extend our network of people and resources that allow us to reach more people in the name of Christ.”
Please visit www.internationalministries.org and www.imaworldhealth.org for more information about IM and IMA’s work and partnerships.
American Baptist International Ministries is the first Baptist international mission agency formed in North America, and the second oldest Baptist mission agency in the world. More than 1,800 short- and long-term missionaries are served annually, bringing churches and individuals in the United States and Puerto Rico together with partners in more than 70 countries with holistic, cutting-edge ministries that tell the Good News of Jesus Christ while meeting human need.