A letter from BBFI Mission Director, Jon Konnerup.
Dear Pastor:
We find ourselves in some unprecedented times for sure. COVID-19 has become a global pandemic and, as a result, nations and local governments are taking extreme measures to help curb the spread of this disease. These drastic actions have already brought some devastating consequences to much of the world’s population, among these being financial. Therefore, I have led the Mission Office to find a way to be ready to assist our missionaries in these uncertain days. While we understand the authority of the sending church and their responsibility for their missionaries, we desire to come alongside those churches to help where we can. Many of the sending churches are not able to financially assist their missionaries as needed.
We have come up with a plan that will assist potentially all missionaries but at least those that might experience the biggest shortfall in personal support. I have shared this with BBFI President, Tim Adrian, and with First VP of Missions, Jon Haley, who both agreed this was a good plan and appreciated the attempt to help. In anticipation of the short-term financial impact many BBFI missionaries may experience, the BBFI Mission Office is implementing what we are calling the BBFI Missionary CARES Act2020.
I have made a video explaining this plan that I encourage you to watch and share with your people. You can download it from the following link: CLICK HERE.
Assistance will be given to the following missionaries in the following ways:
For Deputation Missionaries:
Missionaries on deputation will perhaps be impacted the most due to the pandemic. With church services being moved online across the US, deputation missionaries are not able to physically be present in their scheduled meetings and are missing out on many opportunities to receive ministry support and receive Love Offerings. We will help all Deputation Missionaries in the following ways:
Included in the end of month deposits for the months of April, May and June 2020 all deputation missionaries will receive an extra deposit intended to help address their current financial drawback according to the following schedule:
- 1st year (approved May 2019 or after) – $3,000/month x 3 months
- 2nd year – $2,000/month x 3 months
- 3rd + year – $1,000/month x 3 months
For Career/TEAM Missionaries:
The Mission Office desires to help make sure none of our missionaries suffer financially in regard to their personal support. Therefore, we will help potentially all Career and TEAM missionaries (regardless of current Field Status) with the following:
A calculation will be made to determine each missionary’s average personal end of month deposit for the previous 12 months (April 2019 – March 2020). For the months of May, June and July 2020, IF there is a shortfall in a missionary’s personal end of month deposit, the Mission Office will deposit the difference in order to bring them up to their 12-month average. This will be reviewed each month.
Perhaps not every missionary will need this assistance because their support experiences a small shortfall that did not affect their personal support level. Praise the Lord for that! However, for those who do experience a larger shortfall, we want to make sure they have enough personal support to take care of their personal needs during this pandemic.
For Retired Missionaries
The calculation will be the same as for that of Career missionaries. The Mission Office we calculate their monthly support over the past 12 months. For those retirees who experience a shortfall in the months of May, June or July the Mission Office will deposit the difference into their accounts.
For WIN Missionaries
All WIN Missionaries will receive a one-time gift of $1,500 along with their EOM deposit in April.
The source of funds to assist our missionaries will come from the Missionary Care Offering. We are very thankful for the churches of the BBFI, businesses and individuals who have given monthly or annually or through the annual Missionary Care Golf tournament making this assistance for missionaries possible. If you would like to participate in this BBFI Missionary Cares Act, you may designate funds toward the Missionary Care Offering. If you would like to assist missionaries with projects and outreach programs to assist national leaders and churches with food and other necessary items during this pandemic, designate those funds toward the Coronavirus Assistance and 100% will be given for this. Again, all the deposits for the missionaries will be gifts from the aforementioned source and there will be NO expectation of repayment on the part of the recipients.
Please continue to pray for our missionaries. Pray for physical safety, emotional well-being, protection from the virus, financial needs, separation from families, and ministry opportunities during these unprecedented times.
With you in the harvest,
Jon Konnerup