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Global Impact Report 2019

Impact Intro Regional Reports Financials View as Magazine

Making Jesus known in 65 nations!

Let’s Celebrate Our Shared Impact

Working together in 2019, we saw…

245 Churches Planted

5646 People Baptized

86 Partnerships with National Leaders

97 Missionaries Serving Long Term

15 Global Servants Sent

245 Short-Term Mission Participants From North America

SOAR - 440

10-day local program

ACTION - 100

4-6 week global program

TREK - 21

6-9 month global program

15 North Americans Trained for Mission Engagement

Together that the world may know

On behalf of our mission workers, staff and the Multiply Board, I want to thank you for your support in prayer, giving and sending this past year. 2019 was a year of significant change for us. We released our North American church-planting network C2C, restoring MB church planting back to our regional conferences. In the process, we strengthened our focus on fostering global mission partnerships through MB churches. It was also a year in which we more fully embraced the name Multiply as God’s invitation for all of us to be more fruitful both here and around the world.

For the past 120 years, MB churches have been investing in mission and working together to share the Good News of Christ in word and deed. Today there are many more MB churches outside of North America than there are here, and some of those are a part of church-planting movements that we are learning from through partnership. In this new chapter, where we are supporting and walking alongside the global church, we have many opportunities to be mutually strengthened.

In this report, we want to encourage you with the ways that together we are experiencing fruitfulness and multiplication. This look back provides an opportunity not only to give glory to God, but also to be accountable to you. As you read, please join us in praying for the various people and projects listed in this report, and visit our website (multiply.net) for many more stories, videos and opportunities to get involved.

We appreciate your partnership in mission,

Randy Friesen
President

Regional Reports

click to expand each report

Southeast & East Asia

152 Churches Planted

3661 People Baptized

29 North American Workers

12 Partnerships with National Leaders

“Over 3,000 new believers were added to the church in the month of December through outreach events held in numerous locations. Also in December over 250 people were baptized and at least 8 new house churches were started! We are so blessed to be a part of what God is doing here.”

Bob Davis
REGIONAL LEADER

New disciples brave typhoon rains for a baptism

Read a story about
Pastor Isaiah in Myanmar

Ministry Highlights

In Myanmar, hundreds of new believers were baptized and 12 churches were planted this past year. Business ventures have started to make this sustainable, including coffee production, with roasting and distribution in Canada.

Several hundred new leaders were trained in non-formal and formal settings in the Mekong region, resulting in dozens of new churches planted and thousands of new believers baptized. The work is expanding into unreached villages, districts, and nearby countries.

Our missionaries are aligning themselves more alongside national leaders, resulting in greater clarity of assignment, increased fruitfulness and healthier connections with our partnering North American churches.

Europe & Central Asia

6 Churches Planted

76 People Baptized

30 North American Workers

12 Partnerships with National Leaders

“Two new church plants in Germany inspire us to pray and contend for two more this year. The same goes for Lithuania and our Central Asian countries. Our roadmap, as a church and as a mission, is drawn by faith, which is a gift from God!”

Johann Matthies
REGIONAL LEADER

“I thank God every day for my work and for my new community,”

Read a story about
Lena in Ukraine

Ministry Highlights

In Europe we’re seeing our conferences begin planting pioneer churches in Austria, Germany and Lithuania.

Our work in Central Asia grew by two church plants this year, and we received our first new believer in a remote mountainous region we cannot name.

Lithuania and Central Asia sent their first TREK participants, and Europe sent mission teams out to 5 nations.

In a number of contexts the role of our mission shifts from initiating to bridging. The impact of a few people is multiplied by the gifts and the collaboration of many.

Latin America

15 Churches Planted

78 People Baptized

14 North American Workers

21 Partnerships with National Leaders

“Here in Brazil the Latinos have passion and the Germans have structure; when fire and logic come together, good things happen! My goal is to help develop mature, self-sustaining and dynamic conferences throughout Latin America.”

Emerson Cardoso
REGIONAL LEADER

“The Wounaan are hungry, like people ready to eat, forks in hand...”

Read a story about
the Browns in Panama

Ministry Highlights

Our existing conferences have been inspired by the book we gave them at our leaders gathering: Essential Anabaptist Principles. In Peru, our missionaries followed up with a seminar, and there are now dozens of stories of revival there, including a new church plant.

Many new groups are joining our MB family, including 3 churches among indigenous people of southern Brazil, 17 church plants in northern Uruguay and 3 churches we planted in Central Bolivia.

Brazil has been working in poverty-stricken Guinea Bissau, operating 44 Christian schools for 8,000 children. After 7 years, the first churches are appearing, 5 in the capital and 2 outside, all of them self-supporting.

Middle East & North Africa

23 Churches Planted

20 People Baptized

4 North American Workers

23 Partnerships with National Leaders

“Following Jesus comes at great personal cost for new believers in this region. But discipling these believers brings renewal; it is resulting in multiple salvations every day!”

REGIONAL LEADER

“I thank God every day for my work and for my new community,”

Read a story about
Ibrahim in North Africa

Ministry Highlights

Our social media reach has grown from 60,000 followers to over 200,000, including a four-fold increase in our Facebook TV followers and our radio ministry to Muslims growing from 5,000 to over 25,000.

A significant strategic shift re-focused us on helping Egyptian believers make disciples of their neighbors. Planning for the first 20/80 Mission School in January is complete.

We’ve added a former Muslim from Saudi Arabia to our leadership team, who is discipling people coming out of Islam in several nations.

South Asia

39 Churches Planted

188 People Baptized

6 North American Workers

9 Partnerships with National Leaders

“It is God who gives the vision, and a heart of compassion to see what is before us. Our part is to surrender to him, and to walk so intimately that we hear his voice whisper, ‘This is the next step.’ We come as empty vessels, with a listening heart.”

REGIONAL LEADER

Shabir has gone on to lead hundreds of Muslims to Jesus

Read a story about
Gordon & Ali in India

Ministry Highlights

The network in the north grew to 47 church planters working across 12 states and in 2 neighboring countries. Almost 300 church leaders attended 5 regional training events.

An emerging network of key leaders reaching out to Muslims met for the first time this year. There is a new focus on working together in partnership.

A new initiative began in June in a prominent South Asian city, which involves two outreach centers building relationships in areas where there is no Christian presence. Three new fellowships have been started in the last six months.

Sub-Saharan Africa

23 Churches Planted

1768 People Baptized

6 North American Workers

6 Partnerships with National Leaders

“The church in Africa is deepening as God raises up leaders with a passion for Jesus and a vision for their people. We see a new generation with a desire for peace, for unity and for the wholeness of the Kingdom.”

Doug Hiebert
REGIONAL LEADER

Doug saw something unique in Onesphore’s leadership

Read a story about
Onesphore & Doug in Burundi

Ministry Highlights

The Karubabi Harvest School in Burundi is bringing together different ethnic groups that wouldn’t normally associate with one another. The prayers and acts of kindness are leading people to Christ.

K & D recently finished 3 months of orientation in Burundi. Now they are settling into West Africa, where we are partnering with a significant church-planting movement.

Our annual summit of African leaders was a highlight of the year. It was a powerful time of prayer, inner healing, equipping for the mission, unity and contending together for the things of God.

North America

In the USA and Canada, our focus has been on helping churches develop healthy, cross-cultural partnerships and on helping equip their young leaders for a lifetime of mission. We praise God for the fruit we have seen emerging from these challenging yet beautiful partnerships and for how he continues to transform lives around the world and in North America.

23 North Americans missionally trained

With your help, more people in more churches are learning how to live on mission wherever God calls them to be. These 776 people participated in a variety of missional training, equipping and resourcing opportunities across North America. We have been encouraged to see so many embrace their role in global mission by understanding their gifts, expanding their capacity, and responding to God’s call to pray, give, and go.

440 SOAR Participants

10-day local program

100 ACTION Participants

4-6 week global program

21 TREK Participants

6-9 month global program

The lives of these 561 young adults will never be the same! In partnership with local churches, these short-term mission programs have focused on discipleship, preparing participants to engage in mission locally and globally. We are excited for what God has done, and what he will do through these amazing men and women!

Short-Term Mission: Long-Term Impact

Read an interview with Becky & Rebecca
about serving together in Thailand

97 North American missionaries on long-term assignments in 2019

15 Global Servants - serving up to 1 year

All of these workers have been focused on multiplying disciples and missional leaders wherever God has called them. They have also been key in helping our national leaders build healthy partnerships with North American churches. Thank you for faithfully supporting them.

198 of 448 MB Churches in North America involved in global mission through Multiply

Church-to-church partnerships grow and deepen through an intentional investment in relationship. Many of you have learned that this takes time, energy and commitment from both parties. Healthy partnerships have led to greatly increased effectiveness in mission. We are honoured to serve each church that chooses to invest in these partnerships.

Southeast & East Asia

152 Churches Planted

3661 People Baptized

29 North American Workers

12 Partnerships with National Leaders

Bob Davis
REGIONAL LEADER

New disciples brave typhoon rains for a baptism

Read a story about
Pastor Isaiah in Myanmar

Ministry Highlights

In Myanmar, hundreds of new believers were baptized and 12 churches were planted this past year. Business ventures have started to make this sustainable, including coffee production, with roasting and distribution in Canada.

Several hundred new leaders were trained in non-formal and formal settings in the Mekong region, resulting in dozens of new churches planted and thousands of new believers baptized. The work is expanding into unreached villages, districts, and nearby countries.

Our missionaries are aligning themselves more alongside national leaders, resulting in greater clarity of assignment, increased fruitfulness and healthier connections with our partnering North American churches.

Europe & Central Asia

6 Churches Planted

76 People Baptized

30 North American Workers

12 Partnerships with National Leaders

Johann Matthies
REGIONAL LEADER

“I thank God every day for my work and for my new community,”

Read a story about
Lena in Ukraine

Ministry Highlights

In Europe we’re seeing our conferences begin planting pioneer churches in Austria, Germany and Lithuania.

Our work in Central Asia grew by two church plants this year, and we received our first new believer in a remote mountainous region we cannot name.

Lithuania and Central Asia sent their first TREK participants, and Europe sent mission teams out to 5 nations.

In a number of contexts the role of our mission shifts from initiating to bridging. The impact of a few people is multiplied by the gifts and the collaboration of many.

Latin America

15 Churches Planted

78 People Baptized

14 North American Workers

21 Partnerships with National Leaders

Emerson Cardoso
REGIONAL LEADER

“The Wounaan are hungry, like people ready to eat, forks in hand...”

Read a story about
the Browns in Panama

Ministry Highlights

Our existing conferences have been inspired by the book we gave them at our leaders gathering: Essential Anabaptist Principles. In Peru, our missionaries followed up with a seminar, and there are now dozens of stories of revival there, including a new church plant.

Many new groups are joining our MB family, including 3 churches among indigenous people of southern Brazil, 17 church plants in northern Uruguay and 3 churches we planted in Central Bolivia.

Brazil has been working in poverty-stricken Guinea Bissau, operating 44 Christian schools for 8,000 children. After 7 years, the first churches are appearing, 5 in the capital and 2 outside, all of them self-supporting.

Middle East & North Africa

23 Churches Planted

20 People Baptized

4 North American Workers

23 Partnerships with National Leaders

“Following Jesus comes at great personal cost for new believers in this region. But discipling these believers brings renewal; it is resulting in multiple salvations every day!”

REGIONAL LEADER

“I thank God every day for my work and for my new community,”

Read a story about
Ibrahim in North Africa

Ministry Highlights

Our social media reach has grown from 60,000 followers to over 200,000, including a four-fold increase in our Facebook TV followers and our radio ministry to Muslims growing from 5,000 to over 25,000.

A significant strategic shift re-focused us on helping Egyptian believers make disciples of their neighbors. Planning for the first 20/80 Mission School in January is complete.

We’ve added a former Muslim from Saudi Arabia to our leadership team, who is discipling people coming out of Islam in several nations.

South Asia

39 Churches Planted

188 People Baptized

6 North American Workers

9 Partnerships with National Leaders

REGIONAL LEADER

Shabir has gone on to lead hundreds of Muslims to Jesus

Read a story about
Gordon & Ali in India

Ministry Highlights

The network in the north grew to 47 church planters working across 12 states and in 2 neighboring countries. Almost 300 church leaders attended 5 regional training events.

An emerging network of key leaders reaching out to Muslims met for the first time this year. There is a new focus on working together in partnership.

A new initiative began in June in a prominent South Asian city, which involves two outreach centers building relationships in areas where there is no Christian presence. Three new fellowships have been started in the last six months.

Sub-Saharan Africa

23 Churches Planted

1768 People Baptized

6 North American Workers

6 Partnerships with National Leaders

Doug Hiebert
REGIONAL LEADER

Doug saw something unique in Onesphore’s leadership

Read a story about
Onesphore & Doug in Burundi

Ministry Highlights

The Karubabi Harvest School in Burundi is bringing together different ethnic groups that wouldn’t normally associate with one another. The prayers and acts of kindness are leading people to Christ.

K & D recently finished 3 months of orientation in Burundi. Now they are settling into West Africa, where we are partnering with a significant church-planting movement.

Our annual summit of African leaders was a highlight of the year. It was a powerful time of prayer, inner healing, equipping for the mission, unity and contending together for the things of God.

North America

23 North Americans missionally trained

440 SOAR Participants

10-day local program

100 ACTION Participants

4-6 week global program

21 TREK Participants

6-9 month global program

Short-Term Mission: Long-Term Impact

Read an interview with Becky & Rebecca
about serving together in Thailand

97 North American missionaries on long-term assignments in 2019

15 Global Servants - serving up to 1 year

198 of 448 MB Churches in North America involved in global mission through Multiply

From Pioneers to Partnerships

The Global Church is on a mission – God’s mission, that the world may know Jesus.

Multiply has been involved in sending pioneering missionaries among the least reached for over 100 years. Many of these global workers have formed rich and lasting friendships with both their sending churches and emerging churches among the people that they serve. When these friendships have led to the formation of healthy partnerships, their fruitfulness in mission has greatly multiplied.

As true as that is, churches around the world don’t always work well together. Perhaps you have experienced how our differences can keep us separated – different languages, different cultures, different traditions and even the physical distance between us.
Yet God is calling us to overcome our differences and to become one in Christ so that the world around us will take note and actually come to know Jesus through us. You have a key part to play in that mission!

As we have seen the multiplied impact of these partnerships, we have been increasing our focus on facilitating church partnerships all over the world. As this report can attest, we are better together and we accomplish more together.

Jesus prayed for us, “...that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them.”

John 17:23

Yet partnerships are like friendships, they take time. They require openness, humility and trust. True partnerships have mutuality and respect at the core of their relationship. It has taken a lot of hard work for some of our churches to forge healthy mission partnerships and yet we believe the truth of the African Proverb which says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Church partnerships are worth our effort – for the sake of our identity as the Bride of Christ, and for the sake of our role as the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Churches worldwide have a lot to offer each other:

As we learn from one another and embrace interdependence, we will grow in maturity and fruitfulness.

At Multiply, we love the Global Church and we are devoted to bringing different parts of the Body together for mutual learning and increased mission effectiveness. We are captivated by a vision of churches from all around the world working together on a common mission: together that the world may know Jesus.

Why the Name, Multiply?

“Be fruitful and multiply” was God’s first command to humankind in the Bible, and multiplication continues as a prominent theme throughout the Scriptures. With the coming of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, this mandate takes on a deeper significance. The Church is now empowered to bear fruit and multiply globally in unprecedented ways for the glory of God. As followers of Jesus, we are all engaged in that mission—we are all called to multiply.

Over our 100-plus-year history as the global mission agency of MB churches in North America, we have carried various names. These have included names like the Committee for Gentile Missions and the American MB Mission Union. Perhaps the name with the longest history and recognition value over the past generation was the Board of Missions and Services (BOMAS), which was adopted in 1966. More recent names have included MBMS International and MB Mission. Now we have entered another new season: Multiply. Regardless of our name, we have always represented the MB churches of North America.

Multiply is a verb. As our current name, it calls us forward into active involvement in mission. It is consistent with the empowering understanding of the priesthood of all believers, where all followers of Jesus are called to live on mission. It connects us to the story of the Early Church when the mission of the first followers of Jesus was at the core of their identity.

The name Multiply is also more acceptable from a security standpoint in restricted contexts where the word “mission” can be problematic. As well, the move away from MB in name is consistent with the choices, for missional reasons, that many MB churches across North America are making in regard to their names. By referring to ourselves as a ministry of MB churches, we will retain Multiply as our shared mission strategy. Let’s be fruitful and multiply together.

Board of Directors

Multiply is honoured to work in close collaboration with both the US and Canadian Conferences of Mennonite Brethren Churches as their global mission agency. Our Board is made up of representatives from each conference.

View our Board of Directors

Financial Overview

Fiscal Year: June 2018 - May 2019

Global Ministry

Revenue: $10,541,270 USD
Expenses: $10,839,529 USD

Cross-Cultural Mission | 57%

Southeast & East Asia 22%
Europe & Central Asia 13%
Latin America 8%
Middle East & North Africa 3%
South Asia 3%
Sub-Saharan Africa 4%
Worldwide Initiatives 4%

Short-Term Mission Programs | 14%

(based in North America)

Partnership Services | 16%

(Mobilization & Communication)

Missionary Care | 5%

(Training & Team Health)

Administration | 8%

(Finance, IT, Legal & Governance)

North American Church Planting Ministry*

(not included in Global Ministry numbers above)

Revenue: $1,852,742 USD
Expense: $3,109,625 USD

*North American Church Planting is shown separately as this area of ministry was released by Multiply in 2019 to continue independently as C2C collective.

Our Generous Supporters:

Thank you
for praying,
giving and serving.

Thank you for registering with us.

Global Impact Report 2019

Making Jesus known in 65 nations!

Let’s Celebrate Our Shared Impact

Together that the world may know

Regional Reports

New disciples brave typhoon rains for a baptism

Ministry Highlights

“I thank God every day for my work and for my new community,”

Ministry Highlights

“The Wounaan are hungry, like people ready to eat, forks in hand...”

Ministry Highlights

“I thank God every day for my work and for my new community,”

Ministry Highlights

Shabir has gone on to lead hundreds of Muslims to Jesus

Ministry Highlights

Doug saw something unique in Onesphore’s leadership

Ministry Highlights

Short-Term Mission: Long-Term Impact

New disciples brave typhoon rains for a baptism

Ministry Highlights

“I thank God every day for my work and for my new community,”

Ministry Highlights

“The Wounaan are hungry, like people ready to eat, forks in hand...”

Ministry Highlights

“I thank God every day for my work and for my new community,”

Ministry Highlights

Shabir has gone on to lead hundreds of Muslims to Jesus

Ministry Highlights

Doug saw something unique in Onesphore’s leadership

Ministry Highlights

Short-Term Mission: Long-Term Impact

From Pioneers to Partnerships

The Global Church is on a mission – God’s mission, that the world may know Jesus.

Churches worldwide have a lot to offer each other:

Why the Name, Multiply?

Board of Directors

Financial Overview

Global Ministry

Cross-Cultural Mission | 57%

Short-Term Mission Programs | 14%

Partnership Services | 16%

Missionary Care | 5%

Administration | 8%

North American Church Planting Ministry*

Our Generous Supporters: