Lauran Bethell
Lauran is a global consultant for human trafficking. Her main goal is to encourage new grassroots projects addressing the exploitation and abuse of women and children, many of whom are victims of trafficking. Based in the Netherlands, she travels extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas to teach, train and consult. In 2004, Lauran directed the first International Christian Alliance on Prostitution (ICAP) Global Conference, bringing together the leaders of faith-based organizations from all over the world who are dedicated to meeting victims of prostitution and human trafficking with healing in Jesus’ name.
Barbara & Dwight Bolick
The Convention of Baptist Churches Chilean Mission invited Barbara and Dwight to serve with them in ministries of economic and leadership development. Their primary focus is with Mapuche churches in southern Chile.
The Mapuche are the indigenous people of Chile and Argentina. Most of them live on small farms in isolated rural communities called "reductions." They struggle with severe poverty, lack of sustainable livelihoods, and the debilitating, culture-eroding effects of centuries of domination.
The goals of the Bolicks' ministries with the Mapuche churches and communities are, first, recovery of identity as a people made in the image of God; and second, discovery of vocation as productive stewards of God's creation.
David & Joyce Reed
In August of 2019, we celebrated 20 years as IM missionaries. This anniversary came and went quietly, but it represented so much of our life's work! Two weeks later we officially stepped into a new mission calling with International Ministries as Global Coordinators of Spiritual Care. It is a new missionary role for IM. For us, it is an authentic expression of God’s work in us over the past 10 years. It whispers deeply of God’s dwelling in us and purpose for us. It’s Jesus life incarnation. It’s like waking up, eyes opening, breathing deeply and feeling alive! It is a sacred “yes” to God’s invitation.
For the past year, we worked with a small group from the IM board exploring the facets of spiritual care for missionaries. This committee developed a model for Soul Care, Self-Care, and Community Care for IM missionaries. We are beginning to implement the model and weave it into life for our colleagues and the IM global servants you know.