Former United Methodist missionary Dr. Gerald Anderson delivers an address entitled, “Why [the United Methodist Church] Needs a Second Mission Agency” to two groups of clergy in Dallas. A group of 34 meet in St. Louis to lay the groundwork for the Mission Society.
1984
On January 6, 1984, The Mission Society for United Methodist incorporates.
1985
The Mission Society commissions its first missionaries, just 16 months after its opening.
The Mission Society fields in Ghana, Colombia, and New Zealand open.
New missionaries approved - 20
1986
The Mission Society networks with other missionary agencies to reach unreached peoples. Today, more than 30 cooperative agreements exist between the Mission Society and other agencies.
The Mission Society field in Costa Rica opens.
New missionaries approved - 9
1987
The Mission Society field in Mexico opens.
New missionaries approved - 19
1988
The Mission Society field in Paraguay opens in partnership with Brazilian Methodists.
The Mission Society field in the Philippines opens.
New missionaries approved - 9
1989
The Evangelical Methodist Seminary of Costa Rica is born in partnership with the Mission Society.
New missionaries approved - 9
1990
The Mission Society approves 25 new missionaries, including its first to work among foreign students on a major university campus.
The Mission Society field in Papua New Guinea opens.
New missionaries approved - 25
1991
Ankaase Methodist Faith Healing Hospital opens in Ankaase, Ghana.
New missionaries approved - 15
1992
The Mission Society field in Tanzania opens.
Get Ready, a youth mission program, is launched to organize short-term mission trips.
New missionaries approved - 9
1993
The Mission Society fields in Guinea, Haiti, and China.
The Mission Society sends five missionaries to Kazakhstan. That same year six cell groups were planted.
New missionaries approved - 19
1994
The Mission Society sends its first Co-Missioners to Russia. CoMission was an unprecedented joint effort of more than 80 Christian organizations formed to teach ethics in Russia’s public schools (by invitation from Russian officials) to provide support in the rebuilding of the Russian nation.
The Mission Society field in France opens.
New missionaries approved - 35
1995
The Mobile Medical Clinic is delivered to Kazakhstan to provide medical care to remote villages surrounding Karaganda.
The Mission Society partners with the Fairfax District in Virginia to plant a Hispanic church in Washington, D.C.
The Mission Society field in India opens.
New missionaries approved - 17
1996
In rural Tennessee, the first WOW Week is conducted, a cross-cultural mission event for youth.
The Mission Society joins CoMission II to establish a platform for church-planting in Russia.
The Bible Institute is formed in Paraguay.
The first ministry team is sent to Peru to conduct a pastor’s conference in Huancayo.
New missionaries approved - 10
1997
The Living Vine Church in Kazakhstan commissions its first missionary.
The Mission Society fields in Japan and Peru open.
New missionaries approved - 18
1998
The Mission Society conducts training for 70 district superintendents and all seven bishops of the Methodist Church of India.
New missionaries approved - 21
1999
The International Leadership Institute (ILI) is launched for the purpose of training national leaders.
A second Mission Society field opens in Ukraine.
The “Missionary Kid” program begins.
New missionaries approved - 26
2000
ILI gathers more than 100 missionary leaders from 20 nations for leadership training.
The Mission Society partners with Global Focus, Inc., to help local churches be strategic in their global outreach.
New missionaries approved - 14
2001
The Mission Society field opens in Hungary.
The Mission Society begins sending campus missionaries to work with Wesley Foundations across the nation.
The first Mission Society-sponsored Global Focus Leadership Seminar is conducted in Marietta, GA.
New missionaries approved - 21
2002
Community Health Evangelism (CHE) program is implemented on the field in Ghana.
New missionaries approved - 16
2003
World Parish Ministries (now the Church Ministry department of The Mission Society) goes international when it provides Global Vision Seminars in Ghana.
New missionaries approved - 23
2004
The Mission Society fields open in Nicaragua and Kenya.
New missionaries approved - 28
2005
The Mission Society fields open in Venezuela, Honduras, and Ecuador.
New missionaries approved - 30
2006
The Mission Society fields open in Brazil, Israel , Cuba, Bolivia and Zambia.
