Unlike the International Mission Board (IMB) and The North American Mission Board (NAMB), my financial support does not come from a huge pool of money. Both the IMB and NAMB are part of the Southern Baptist Convention (SB) supported by the Cooperative Program. This is a financial funnel where all or most SB Churches send a selective portion of their budget. From there the funds are divided and shared with many SB mission agencies that include local, national, and international ministries.
I am with Pioneers, a mission organization that is considered "faith based". This means that I must go to individual churches, small groups, families, and friends to seek my monthly support.
So, why did I chose a "faith based" organization? The main reason, is that I grew up in SB churches that supported the Cooperative Program, IMB and NAMB missionaries and some faith based programs. I never knew any of the missionaries that were with these organizations. It was always the organizations that were "faith based" that I knew, had a relationship with and who often spent time in our home. This was one thing that I knew I wanted, a Ministry Partner, I did not want people or churches giving me money and me not knowing where this money was coming from nor having any type of relationship with the people.
Please know that I have worked with IMB missionaries in the past and they do great work for the Kingdom of God. I do not believe that one organization is better than another or that '"faith based" is better, I only know that this is the path for me.
I hope I am clear in my explanation and please know I am always available for questions. Please feel free to contact me at Tylerabowman@gmail.com
If you would like to join me as a Partner in Ministry, please contact me to discover how you can help!