| NMI Mission Statement: To mobilize the church in mission through prayer, education, giving, and interactive experiences.
In response to Christ's Great Commission missions organizations were established by groups and demoninations. Nazarene Missions International (NMI) traces its origin primarily to the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America (APCA). In April 1899, while the annual meeting of churches was in session, "a few sisters met and organized a society to be known as the Woman's Missionary Society (sic--WMS) with eight charter members. The first year there were two auxiliaries organized and $6.05 raised. By 1907, 18 auxiliaries had been organized with a membership of about 400."
In 1915 at the fourth General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene, the WMS was officially recognized on the general level as a auxiliary organization. The General Assembly Commitee on Foreign Missions recommended that there be an organization in each local church to increase knowledge and interest in missions through prayer, special mission speakers, contacting missionaries, and raising funds for missions.
In 1923, the Woman's General Missionary Committee (now the General NMI Council) was elected by the General Assembly. At the same Assembly, the first constitution was officiallyl adopted and placed in the Church Manual.
The first General WMS Convention has hel in Columbus, Ohio, in June 1928. It was also in 1928 that the name was changed from Woman's Missionary Society to the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society (WFMS). Other name changes were implemented in 1952 (Nazarene Foreign Missionary Service) to reflect the introduction of men, youth, and children into the organization; and in 1964 (Nazarene World Missionary Society) and 1980 (Nazarene World Mission Society) to relect the international aspect of the organization. In 2001, the name changed to Nazarene Missions International (NMI).
  
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Why is such an organization necessary?
NMI exists on the general, district, and local levels to support missions in the Church of the Nazarene. NMI is the direct line for missions in the local church.
In every sense of the word, the NMI is the denomiation's organizational representative, dedicated to world evangelization. This does not mean that other departments do not support missions; but it is the distinctive task of NMI to bring each mission area into the local chruch in such a vatal way that every Nazarene will be glad to be a prt of global outreach, spreading the good news of full salvation (holiness) to the ends of the earth. The NMI provides the infrastructure, the spiritual dynamic vehicle, whereby the local church is mobilized in mission. Objectives
Though worded differently, the objectives given in the 2001-2005 NMI Handbook and Constitution are fundamentally the same as those expressed in 1915:
1. To encourage people to pray for all efforts of world evangelization.
2. To inform people of the world's needs and what the church is doing to meet those needs.
3. To challenge children and youth to learn about and participate in the mission of the church.
4. To raise funds for mission outreach.
NMI 90th Anniversary Project
We need to raise $3.5 million church-wide!
Individuals are challenged to give $500 for a basic library to equip a pastor in need.
$3.5 million is based on $7.00 per attendee in Sunday School worship. |
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