Christian Missionary Fellowship International

CMFI or Christian Missionary Fellowship International is a non-denominational, non-profit, Christian organization that sends out missionaries across the globe. Based out of Indianapolis, CMF has missionaries in more than 17 countries including the U.S. The purpose of CMF is to train and send vocational and bi-vocational missions workers to evangelize in non-converted areas.^[1][2][3]

History

CMF began in 1946 after Christian missionary Jess Johnson traveled to India. During his time there he began to brainstorm different ideas for missionary relations with the countries and communities missionaries are stationed in. When he arrived back in America, Johnson contacted Christian leaders around the nation to begin to come up with different strategies for missions work. In 1952 CMF was formally founded at Manhattan Bible College in Kansas. During the course of its first year, CMF sent missionary families into India. During the 1960s CMF rexpanded and teams of missionaries began to penetrate countries like Ethiopia and Brazil. In the 1970s and 1980s CMF had missionaries operating in Kenya, Mexico, Tanzania, Chile, and England. By the next decade teams were also working in Singapore, Benin, Thailand, Ukraine, and the Ivory Coast as well as with intercultural groups within the United States.^[4]

At this point and time there is a CMF presence in 16 countries among many people groups and around 165 missionaries currently on the field.^[5]

Programs

REACH

Reach is a summer internship program designed by CMF for college-age students who want to experience missions work over a period of 2–3 months.^[6]

CHE

CHE (Community Health and Evangelism) is a program that CMF uses in poor urban and village communities to combine public health improvements and evangelism work. The program is designed to teach members of poor communities about the gospel as well as basic sanitation and health promotion.^[7]

Globalscope

Along with REACH, CMF has a program for international college campuses called Globalscope. The main purpose of Globalscope is to provide a campus ministry for college students to come to for bible studies and discipleship. Globalscope ministries can be found in the following international cities:

• Santiago Chile,
• Puebla Mexico,
• Bangkok Thailand,
• Salamanca Spain,
• Birmingham England,
• Tübingen Germany.^[8][9]

Bi-Vocational Ministry

CMF's Bi-vocational Ministry is specifically for sending missionaries with other vocations into countries that do not allow Christian missionaries to attain visas. People who serve with the Bi-vocational Ministry have a traditional occupation or set of skills as well as the ability to act as a full-time missionary.^[10]

Microfinancing

Because of the poor economic conditions of many of the countries CMF works in, they also provide information on microfinance to the communities they serve. An example of this kind of ministry is with Hope International, which CMF partners with. Usually a group from a poor or impoverished community will receive training in basic trades, as well bookkeeping and marketing. Each new business will receive a small loan as well to get it off the ground. Microfinancing plays a large role in CHE (Community,Health,Evangelism).^[11][12]

AIDS/HIV crisis

Because of the growing number of those afflicted with AIDS CMF, using the Community Health and Evangelism program, tries to raise awareness about this epidemic. The CHE program educates communities on how AIDS/HIV spreads as well as advocating abstinence as a prevention method. CMF also provides care for families who are suffering from this disease.^[13]

References

1. ^ # http://www.ministrywatch.com/profile/christian-missionary-fellowship.aspx
2. ^ # http://cmfi.org/
3. ^ # Priest, Doug (07/15/2001). From Lines to Circles, The Christian Standard: Vol.136:28
4. ^ "Christian Missionary Fellowship". Ministrywatch.com. http://www.ministrywatch.com/profile/christian-missionary-fellowship.aspx. Retrieved 2011-01-24. 
5. ^ "Our History". Cmfi.org. http://cmfi.org/whoweare/our-history. Retrieved 2011-01-24. 
6. ^ "REACH International Summer Internships". Cmfi.org. http://cmfi.org/serve/reach. Retrieved 2011-01-24. 
7. ^ http://www.kristenonline.com/download/book/COMMUNITY%20HEALTH%20EVANGELISM.pdf
8. ^ # Hudson, Sheila (09/14/2004). "The English Channel". The Christian Standard: Vol.139:36
9. ^ "International Campus Ministry". Cmfi.org. http://cmfi.org/whatwedo/international-campus-ministry. Retrieved 2011-01-24. 
10. ^ #http://www.ministrywatch.com/profile/christian-missionary-fellowship.aspx
11. ^ "Microfinance". Cmfi.org. http://cmfi.org/whatwedo/microenterprise. Retrieved 2011-01-24. 
12. ^ # http://www.kiva.org/about/microfinance
13. ^ "AIDS Crisis". Cmfi.org. http://cmfi.org/whatwedo/aids-crisis. Retrieved 2011-01-24.