Your Partner with National Missionaries Around the World

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             International Partnership Ministries, Inc., founded in 1982, is a missionary agency which specializes in finding and partnering with outstanding national leaders around the world. The best person to plant a church in Africa is an African. The best person to plant a church in Asia is an Asian. IPM seeks to maximize the potential of missionaries from countries which Americans have always considered to be “mission fields” by assisting them with resources not readily available to them in their own countries. They can do the job, but they need our encouragement and assistance.

             At the very heart of missionary work is the planting of local churches. IPM partners with fundamental national missionaries who are planting churches which are independent and are Baptist in doctrine and practice. During a typical calendar year, IPM missionaries have planted an average of 35 or 40 new churches around the world. In 2004 IPM missionaries planted 120 new churches!

             In addition to church planting, the training of future Christian leaders is of vital importance in the work of IPM. Christians all over the world must be trained for evangelism, church planting, and the pastoral ministry. Several of the national missionaries supported by IPM have small Bible institute ministries, training a handful of men for the work of the Lord. Several others have four-year Bible colleges. The largest educational institution supported by IPM is South India Baptist Bible College & Seminary, which offers a three-year diploma, a four-year Bachelor’s degree, several Master’s-level seminary degrees, as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree. As of the beginning of 2005, IPM was partnering with 22 different Bible institutes and colleges around the world. IPM is currently seeking qualified American missionaries to serve as teachers and professors in these Bible institutes and colleges to train the world’s future missionary force.

             While American missionaries are still needed in many parts of the world, in a very real sense the future of missionary work rests in the hands of people from other lands. We must continue to send our own children to serve the Lord overseas; supporting national missionaries is not a substitute for being obedient to the Great Commission in going to the uttermost parts of the earth. However, more than half of the world is closed to American missionaries. We must take advantage of the human resources that God is making available for missionary work.

             We must not fail! The people who are needed to evangelize large parts of the world are already available. They want to serve. They will serve at great personal sacrifice and with little earthly reward. If we fail to take advantage of the tremendous human resources currently available to us in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, it will be the greatest failure in missions history!

 

PARTNERSHIP IN MISSIONS

 

             Two individuals will often enter into a partnership in business, the one having expertise in one area while the other has expertise in a different area. Or, one may have the necessary expertise while the other possesses the needed capital. By putting the resources of the two individuals together, the two in partnership are able to see results which neither could expect if working alone.

             Many church and mission leaders are coming to the realization that greater results can be achieved in missions when churches and agencies in the West work in partnership with churches and missions in the other countries.

             Churches and missions in the USA can offer to a partnership such essentials as education, technical knowhow, and financial resources. Churches and missions in the Two-Thirds World can offer to the partnership the knowledge of languages, understanding of cultures, and the ability to do the job at a fraction of the cost incurred by American missionaries. By working together, the partnership between churches and missions in the USA and churches and missions overseas is able to accomplish greater results than are possible when American missionaries work alone or when nationals work alone.

 

THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP MINISTRIES

 

             International Partnership Ministries, Inc., (IPM) was founded in 1982 as American Technical Outreach Ministries, Inc. (ATOM). ATOM began its ministries in Haiti, West Indies, by providing technical assistance to indigenous national ministries and their leaders. Vehicles and various kinds of equipment were provided. Groups of laymen were sent from local churches in the USA to assist with the construction of church and Bible institute buildings, the installation and repair of equipment, etc. From the outset of  the ministry the activities of ATOM were focused upon the goal of assisting national leaders to more effectively reach their own people for Christ and then train them for service.

             ATOM assisted national ministries with evangelism, church planting, youth work, Bible institutes, primary schools, and clinics.

             In the mid-1980s ATOM branched out to Africa and Asia. The technical aspects of the ministry and the sending of work groups to the field soon diminished in importance as the Board of Directors saw the need for a mission board which would act as the sending agency for national missionaries from the Two-Thirds World. As ATOM began to form strong partnerships with national ministries in various parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the need for a corporate name change became increasingly apparent.

             In February, 1992 the ATOM Board of Directors voted to change the corporate name to International Partnership Ministries, Inc. IPM carries on the vision to help fundamental local churches in the USA partner with church-planting ministries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

 

PARTNERSHIP ESSENTIALS

 

             If missions and churches in the USA are going to effectively work in partnership with national ministries in other parts of the world, the two partners must view themselves as equals. For two centuries modern missions has been scarred by “paternalism,” with the Western missionary treating the national as a child, seeking to retain control of the ministries on the field. “Paternalism” must be replaced with a biblical “fraternalism” in which mission leaders and national leaders treat one another as brothers in Christ and partners in ministry.

             Churches and missions in the West must carefully and prayerfully seek God’s will regarding their relationship with a godly national leader and his ministry in another part of the world. Visits must be made to the field to fully understand the needs and to be able to confidently enter into partnership. National leaders must know that they have our confidence and that we seek to assist them to carry out their ministry rather than have them join our organization for our benefit.

 

THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP MINISTRIES

 

             Independent fundamental churches in the USA are increasingly seeing the need to assist national ministries in other countries. In places where national churches are already established, the sending of more American missionary church planters can often be counterproductive. National leaders already understand the culture and often speak three or four of the local languages. They can serve on a fraction of the cost of sending an American missionary family. But, they often lack the necessary resources to move forward with aggressive church-planting and missionary ministries. Partnership can help fill this void.

             IPM very carefully chooses national ministries and national mission boards with which to partner. In most cases the partnership is between IPM and an established national missionary agency with its own Board of Directors. Ministry and financial accountability are extremely important to IPM. Partner ministries must be willing to report openly on the use of finances in the ministry.

             IPM believes that American missionaries are still greatly needed to plant churches in totally unreached areas. Americans are particularly needed to train national church-planting missionaries. IPM seeks qualified American missionaries to serve under our national leaders, training new missionaries and church planters.

             IPM takes the guess work out of giving to national ministries. By joining hands and working closely with national leaders and by making periodic visits to the fields, IPM can assure local churches in the USA that funds which are given are truly needed and are being used wisely. IPM invites local churches in the USA to join in this partnership with indigenous national ministries. Missionary partnerships will result in more effective ministry as the rapture of the church approaches. Let us join hands with worthy national leaders and ministries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe to train and equip national leadership to plant churches and send  missionaries.

             IPM is increasingly seeking to send American missionaries to selected fields to work under the leadership of national missionaries. Seminary-degreed men are especially needed to teach at the Bible college level. IPM’s Education Department is expanding and also needs pastors and Bible professors to travel for the purpose of teaching modular courses. So, yes, IPM is also a missionary-sending agency for American missionaries.