Brief history of Nazarene Missions International (NMI)
TL;DR
Nazarene Missions International (NMI) mobilizes the Church of the Nazarene for world evangelism through prayer, giving, education, and participation. Its roots extend to a missionary society organized in 1899, with Susan Norris Fitkin as an early leader and later its first general president. Through several name changes, NMI expanded from a women's organization to one involving the entire church. Today, it connects Nazarene congregations worldwide with opportunities to support and participate in global missions.
"A church without missions is a church without a mission. A church that is not reaching out is passing out."
Susan Fitkin
The Story of Nazarene Missions International
NMI mobilizes the Church of the Nazarene for global outreach through prayer, giving, education, and participation. Its international convention meets in conjunction with the denomination's General Assembly.
NMI is organized at local church, district, and global levels. Local and district NMI officers serve as volunteers.
NMI traces its roots to 1899 but observes its organizational anniversaries from 1915.
1899 — Woman's Missionary Society organized in Providence, Rhode Island. Susan Fitkin, whose biography and story of a call to missions are inspiring, was one of the eight charter members. That first year, the society raised $6.05 for world missions.
1915 — General Missionary Committee authorized by the Nazarene General Assembly. Susan Fitkin was one of the three original members. The others were Ada Bresee from Los Angeles and Mrs. J. T. Benson from Nashville.
1919 — Susan Fitkin elected general president
Relief and Retirement Fund offering instituted; the program was later known as the Medical Plan and subsequently Missionary Health Care
Memorial Roll begun to honor deceased loved ones and friends
1921 — Box Work, later called Links, initiated to encourage local churches to ship personal items and ministry supplies to missionaries [more on Links]
First Nazarene missionary picture set produced
1923 — Woman's Missionary Society Constitution placed in the Nazarene Manual, initially without the qualifying word "foreign"
General Budget, later called the World Evangelism Fund, set up to unify denominational fundraising efforts
1924 — Prayer and Fasting League launched with an article in the April issue of Other Sheep. Members were asked to give 25 cents per week.
Requirements for Standard and Superior Societies established
1925 — Board of General Superintendents asks that the Prayer and Fasting League be devoted specifically to world missions
1927 — First adult missionary study book, Latin Americans, Our Southern Neighbors, published. NMI Central now continues NMI's mission-education emphasis.
1928 — First General Convention held; name changed to Woman's Foreign Missionary Society
Indian Head penny and nickel offerings begun
1934 — Missionary Training Course launched, a forerunner of later NMI mission books
1940 — Emma Word named first full-time general secretary
25th Anniversary Offering for Reynolds Memorial Bible School
1946 — First issue of General Council Tidings, later called Focus
1948 — Louise Robinson Chapman succeeds Susan Fitkin as general president
Louise Robinson Chapman
1950 — Mary Scott becomes executive secretary of the organization
Mary Scott
1952 — Name changed to Nazarene Foreign Missionary Society. Men are invited to join.
Star Society emphasis begun, replacing Standard Society
1953 — Spanish radio broadcast offering begun, later known as the World Mission Broadcast offering
Prayer Chart introduced, with requests written on a printed chart posted in local churches and answers noted as news was received
1954 — Denomination-wide offering to open work in Papua New Guinea
1958 — Saturday night SKYWATCH promoted during the denomination's 50th anniversary year. People were asked to pray for one hour on Saturday night: 30 minutes for work on mission fields and 30 minutes for an unsaved loved one.
Children's missionary lessons appear in Junior Topics
1959 — Denomination-wide children's offering to open work in Samoa
1964 — Name changed to Nazarene World Missionary Society
1965 — 50th Anniversary Offering to build a Papua New Guinea hospital
Mission books offered in recorded audio format for the first time
1966 — Denomination's first construction mission trip, from Southern Nazarene University to Múzquiz, Mexico
1972 — Paul Gamertsfelder becomes the first man elected to what is now the Global NMI Council
1974 — Men in Missions program introduced; later known as Work & Witness and now Nazarene Mission Teams [more on Nazarene Mission Teams]
"The church needs more Wanda Knoxes because our work is not finished. Without future Wandas who are obedient to God, we will not finish the Great Commission of taking the gospel to the ends of the world."
Wanda Knox, NMI director
"Reading the biography of Wanda Knox made a huge impact on me. She had a passion for global missions but didn't hear a clear call until after she was married. She had such a tender heart and a love for people groups who don't know the Lord."
1975 — Other Sheep magazine renamed World Mission
1976 — Distinguished Service Award introduced
Star Society program changed to Mission Award
Number of international representatives on the General Council expanded
1980 — Name changed to Nazarene World Mission Society
Phyllis Hartley Brown Perkins succeeds Wanda Knox as director
Phyllis Perkins
1981 — Telephone Prayer Mobilization Line inaugurated; its prayer-news ministry later expanded to email and was incorporated into NMI Central in 2022
1982 — Denomination-wide offering to begin work in Venezuela
1989 — One Million Hours of Prayer plan for General Assembly and conventions
1990 — Denomination-wide offering for evangelism in Hong Kong and Chinese communities worldwide in celebration of NMI's 75th anniversary
Global Glimpses, a Sunday bulletin insert, introduced
1991 — First Youth Mission Commitment Day sponsored jointly by NMI and Nazarene Youth International (NYI)
Award of Excellence for World Evangelism Fund overpayment launched
Bibles for Russia project
1992 — Special World Mission Radio offering in honor of Louise Robinson Chapman's 100th birthday
1994 — MedCare Pak program formed with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries; the first shipment goes to Mozambique
1995 — World Mission Video Magazine begins production
Prayer Mobilization Line expands to email delivery
Casa Robles missionary retirement home 50th Anniversary Project
1996 — Nazarene World Week of Prayer begins as an annual March observance
1997 — Children's "Wings for the Gospel" project to purchase an airplane
General Budget changed to World Evangelism Fund
Bev Borbe elected general president
Denominational participation in the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
2001 — Organization's name changed to Nazarene Missions International; former missionary Eunice Brubaker elected general president
2005 — Following the election of Nina Gunter as a Nazarene general superintendent, missionary Dan Ketchum is named NMI general director
2009 — Jennifer Brown of Jamaica becomes the first person from outside the United States to be elected NMI general president
2013 — Philip Weatherill of the British Isles North District elected global NMI president
2015 — Lola Brickey becomes global NMI director
2022 — Mission books and the Prayer Mobilization Line incorporated into the weekly NMI Central email publication
2025 — Cheryl Crouch becomes global NMI director on June 1
"I have a link on our church website to your pages. You have lots of information. You are a blessing and an encouragement."
NMI connects local congregations with the church's worldwide mission. Its purpose is to mobilize the church in mission through praying, discipling, giving, and educating. Church members can participate by praying for missionaries, supporting the World Evangelism Fund and other mission offerings, learning about global needs, and serving through mission opportunities.
