East Asia, China and India
In 2006
DOLLARS -- 1.35M*
Missionaries 9
Development Workers 2
Partners 78
Countries 6
Volunteers 66**
MPN/MPT 3
The work of International Ministries in this area is carried out by our missionaries, development workers, and five volunteer special assistants to the area director. IM relates to 78 partners in China/ Hong Kong, India, Korea, Nepal, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
In China, Judy Sutterlin has overseen IM's support of 75 orphans whose parents have died of AIDS. Judy also coordinated the contribution of IM to the construction of 10 clinics in Ningxia, a Muslim area. Special Assistant David Wong led the completion of two church buildings. This brings the total number of IM-sponsored church buildings to eleven in Swatow area of China.
Special Assistant Gam Shae and Thailand missionary Kim Brown coordinated AIDS educational workshops among the minority groups in China's Yunnan Province. Sandra Lee became my special assistant to strengthen the cooperation with the Amity Foundation. I was involved in the Bible Ministry Exhibition in the U.S. that celebrated the printing and distribution of 40 million copies of the Bible in China.
In India and in Nepal, partner churches continue their aggressive evangelistic and church growth ministries. The combined membership of our partners in India has increased to about 1.5 million. Taku Longkumer, a special assistant, and missionary Cathy Holmes led an IM team to North East India to conduct leaders' training. I led another team to South India. Missionary David Perkins works with the India Relief Team pursuing the construction of 300 permanent homes for Tsunami victims. His wife, Betsy Perkins, received a new assignment to visit the hospitals in India that benefit from White Cross. Missionary Debbie Mulneix was exploring new opportunities to enhance volunteer service in India. Carole and Bucky Sydnor served as the resource people of the Nepal Baptist Church Council. The council now reports having about 90 churches and several hundred preaching places.
IM continues to support the Bongsoo Noodle Factory in Pyongyang, North Korea in partnership with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and Baptist World Aid.
In the Philippines, missionary Flint Miller mentored 10 doctoral students of the Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary - Philippines (ABGTS). Missionary Debbie Miller supervised 12 clinical pastoral education (CPE) students, and taught 74 students in the CPE class. ABGTS-Philippines celebrated its 100th doctoral graduate. The Convention of Philippines Baptist Churches and its member organizations have made tremendous progress in the development of their infrastructure and services.
--Rev. Ben Chan, area director
Southeast Asia and Japan
In 2006
DOLLARS -- 2.54M*
Missionaries 27
Endorsed 2
Development Workers 2
Partners 35
Countries 10
Volunteers 59**
MPN/MPT 7
Thanks be to God for His abundant faithfulness and care in 2006 for our work in southeast Asia and Japan!
Probably the most meaningful event in this region has been the change in policy of the communist government of Vietnam. The government is now allowing church groups that were in existence before 1975 to become legally registered entities. This means that they do not have to function under the radar of the government’s watchful eye any longer. The churches can openly plant churches, found Christian schools, and develop medical clinics. International Ministries works with the Baptist Churches in Vietnam who fall under this new policy. We are working to fund the main piece of this transition which is raising money to obtain a building to be used for an office to which the government can relate. This legitimizes Baptists in the eyes of the government and brings new freedom to the cause of Christ to bring Good News to the people of Vietnam. It is my hope to follow our first ever ABC volunteer to Vietnam with others and look for ways to send missionary personnel there as well.
2006 brought many opportunities to glorify God in the region:
• Provide numerous scholarships for leadership training, theological degrees, and other graduate studies for our partners
• Rural development projects like free-trade coffee grown by northern Thai farmers and sold to Starbucks Thailand through the efforts of global consultant Mike Mann
• HIV/AIDS awareness and treatment projects that brought hope to hundreds through the work of Kim Brown and a team of Thai Christians working in rural areas
• Job training, economic advancement and Christian counseling to trafficked women and children that gave dozens a second chance through NightLight Design Company, a business-as-mission, and New Life Center, both in Thailand
• Duane and Marica Binkley worked with Burmese refugees in Thailand camps
• Emergency shelters and educational options for street children.
Church planting and support, and teaching round out the list of exceptional ministries God has allowed our missionaries and partners to do in southeast Asia/Japan.
-- Rev. Stan Murray, area director
*Number is in millions, and has been rounded to the nearest ten-thousandth. Please consult financial statement for complete accounting.
**Volunteers is the number of individual volunteers or short-term mission team members who registered with IM. This data also reflects individuals who did repeat or multiple short-term assignments in 2006.