Brief history of Nazarene Missions International (NMI)
- Nazarene Missions International is the mobilizer of
passion, prayer and financial support for the ends-of-the-earth outreach of the Church of the
Nazarene.
- Susan Fitkin was the early leader of what is now Nazarene
Missions International
- Names of the organization have included Women's Foreign Missionary Society, Nazarene
Foreign Missionary Society, and Nazarene World Missionary Society
"A church without missions is a church without a mission. A church that is not
reaching out is passing out." -- Victor Patterson, Northwest Nazarene University
student
 |
| Susan
Fitkin |
Story of what is now called Nazarene Missions International
NMI is the grass-roots mobilizer of passion and prayer and financial support for the ends-
of-the-earth outreach of the Church of the Nazarene. At the global level, the NMI holds an
international convention in conjunction with the quadrennial (once every four years) Nazarene
General Assembly. While the NMI has its own Global Council composed of representatives
from all world regions, it operates within the World Mission Office structure of the General
Board.
- 1899 - Women's Foreign Missionary Society organized in Providence, Rhode Island.
Susan Fitkin (whose biography and story of a call to missions are
inspiring) was one of the eight charter members. They raised $6.05 for missions that first year.
- 1915 - General Missionary Committee authorized by Nazarene General Assembly. Susan
Fitkin was one of the three original members. The others were Ada Bresee from Los Angeles
and Mrs. J.T. Benson from Nashville.
- 1919 - Susan Fitkin elected general president
Relief and Retirement Fund (now Medical Plan) offering instituted
Memorial Roll begun to
honored deceased loved ones and friends
- 1921 - Box Work (now called Links) initiated to get
local churches to ship personal items and ministry supplies to missionaries [ more on Links ]
First Nazarene missionary picture set produced
- 1923 - Women's Missionary Society Constitution placed in Nazarene
Manual, initially without the qualifying word "foreign".
General Budget (now called World Evangelism Fund) set up to
unify denominational fundraising efforts
- 1924 - Prayer and Fasting League launched with an article
in the April Other Sheep. Members were asked to give 25 cents per week.
Requirements for Standard and Superior societies established
- 1925 - Board of General Superintendents ask that the Prayer and Fasting League be devoted
specifically to missions
- 1927 - First adult missionary study book, Latin Americans, Our Southern
Neighbors, published. That avenue of missions information is now a weekly email
newsletter called "NMI Central."
- 1928 - First General Convention. Name changed to Women's Foreign Missionary
Society
Indian Head penny and nickel offerings begun
- 1934 - Missionary Training Course launched (forerunner of current annual NMI mission
books)
- 1936 - Foreign added to name to distinguish the area of focus
- 1940 - Emma Word named first full-time general secretary
25th Anniversary Offering for Reynolds Memorial Bible School
- 1946 - First issue of General Council Tidings (later called
Focus)
- 1948 - Louise Robinson Chapman succeeds
Susan Fitkin as general president
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| Louise Robinson
Chapman |
- 1949 - Alabaster Offering and "10%" emphasis launched [ Alabaster info ] [ more on 10%
giving ]
- 1950 - Mary Scott becomes executive secretary of the organization
 |
| Mary Scott |
- 1952 - Name changed to Nazarene Foreign Missionary Society. Men invited to join.
Star Society emphasis begun (replacing Standard Society)
- 1953 - Spanish radio broadcast offering begun (now World Evangelism
broadcast offering)
Prayer Chart introduced with requests being written on a printed
chart posted in local churches and then answers noted when news was received
- 1954 - Denomination-wide offering to open work in Papua New
Guinea
- 1958 - Saturday night SKYWATCH promoted during the denomination's 50th anniversary
year. People were encouraged to pray one hour on Saturday night: 30 minutes for work on
mission fields and 30 minutes for an unsaved loved one.
Children's missionary lessons appear in Junior Topics
- 1959 - Denomination-wide children's offering to open work in Samoa
- 1964 - Name changed to Nazarene World Missionary Society
50th Anniversary Offering to build Papua New Guinea
hospital
- 1965 - Mission books in recorded audio format for the first time
- 1966 - Denomination's first-ever construction mission trip (from Southern Nazarene
University to Muzquiz, Mexico)
- 1975 - Wanda Knox succeeds Mary Scott [ Knox
biography ]
"The church needs more Wanda Knoxes because our work is not finished. Without future
Wandas that are obedient to God, we will not finish the Great Commission of taking the Gospel
to the ends of the world." -- Robert Holloway, Northwest Nazarene University
student
 |
| Wanda Knox, NMI director |
"Reading the biography of Wanda Knox made a huge impact on me. She had a
passion for global missions but didn't hear a clear call until after she was married. She had such a
tender heart and a love for people groups who don't know the Lord." -- Joy Phinney, Nazarene
Bible College student
- 1972 - Paul Gamertsfelder is the first male elected to what is now the General NMI
council
- 1974 - Men in Missions (now called Work & Witness) program introduced [ more on Work & Witness ]
- 1975 - The Other Sheep magazine is re-named World Mission.
- 1976 - Distinguished Service Award introduced
Star Society program changed to
Mission Award
Number of international representatives on General Council expanded
- 1980 - Name changed to Nazarene World Mission Society
Phyllis Hartley Brown Perkins succeeds Wanda Knox as director
 |
| Phyllis
Perkins |
- 1981 - Telephone Prayer Mobilization Line inaugurated (now a weekly email page called
"NMI Central")
- 1982 - Denomination-wide offering to begin work in Venezuela
- 1986 - Nina Gunter named to succeed Phyllis Hartley Brown Perkins as general director [
photo and passion statement ]
First
issue of HeartLine
Compassionate
Ministries added to the calendar of emphases
- 1989 - One Million Hours of prayer plan for General Assembly and Conventions
- 1990 - Denomination-wide offering for evangelism in Hong
Kong/Chinese communities worldwide in celebration of NMI's 75th anniversary
Global Glimpses, a Sunday bulletin insert, introduced
- 1991 - First Youth Mission Commitment Day sponsored jointly by NMI and NYI
Award of Excellence for World Evangelism Fund overpayment launched
Bibles for
Russia project
- 1992 - Special World Mission Radio offering in honor of Louise Robinson Chapman's 100th
birthday
- 1994 - MedCare Pak program formed with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, first
shipment goes to Mozambique
- 1995 - World Mission Video Magazine begins production
Prayer
Mobilization Line expands to e-mail delivery
Casa Robles 50th
Anniversary Project
- 1996 - Nazarene World Week of prayer begun annually in March
- 1997 - Children's "Wings for the Gospel" project to purchase an airplane
General
Budget changed to World Evangelism Fund
Bev Borbe
elected as general president
Denominational participation in the International Day of
Prayer for the Persecuted Church
- 2001 - Organization name change to Nazarene Missions International; Former missionary
Eunice Brubaker elected as General President
- 2005 - Following the election of Nina Gunter as a Nazarene General Superintendent,
missionary Dan Ketchum is named NMI General Director
- 2009 - Jennifer Brown from Jamaica becomes the first non-USA citizen to be elected NMI
General President
- 2013 - Philip Weatherill from the British Isles North District is elected as global NMI
president
- 2015 - Lola Brickey becomes global NMI director
- 2022 - Mission books together with the Prayer Mobilization Line morph into the weekly
NMI Central email publication
"I have
your site linked into our church website. You have lots of information. You are a blessing and an
encouragement."
--Marge R., California, USA |
-- Howard Culbertson,