fessional servant/educators seconded to RCE in Japan.

The board approved Brenton Driscoll and Debbie Trifonova as two-year interns to Bulgaria. The couple plans to marry this summer on July 12.

The board interviewed Jonathan and Michelle Chereau. Jonathan, of French descent, was raised in a Chris-tian home and in the Saint Nazaire FWB church with missionary Jerry Gibbs as his pastor. Jonathan served with Operation Mobilization for two years. Michelle grew up in the Villalba FWB church outside Madrid, Spain. Jonathan and Michelle married in 2012. The couple lived and worked in Spain for several years, before moving to France. Mentored by missionar-ies Robert Bryan and Dennis Teague, Jonathan and Michelle serve on the church council of the St. Sébastien church. Discussions between the general director, France field leader-ship, and the board are ongoing to determine the best way to classify this committed couple.

An unmodified approval of the audit was received from Blankenship CPA Group. The board approved a $7.5 million framework budget for 2020 to be presented at the July 2019 conven-tion of the National Association of Free Will Baptists in Cincinnati, Ohio. The operational budget for 2020 will be approved at the December 2019 board meeting.

Board members and the full release can be found online at iminc.org/news.

FAMILY HAPPENINGSThree of Doug and Miriam Bishop’s children began new school adventures on April 5. Oliver began third grade, Scarlet started kindergarten, and Hazel entered pre-kindergarten.

April was a busy month for the Speer family. Audrey returned to the Japanese school she attended for preschool and began kindergarten on April 9. The family completed all their residency protocols, bought and regis-tered a vehicle, and moved into a home as well.Josh and Lydia Provow, and their children, moved into their home and new ministry center in Pleven, Bulgaria, in April.

Jaimie and Tammy Lancaster departed Uruguay on April 10 to attend weddings for both of their sons. Jonathan married Elizabeth Lybrook on April 14, in Julian,

California. The newly-married couple ended their honeymoon in South Korea to be present at John William Lancaster’s wedding to Sookyung Shin (Claire) in Seoul, South Korea, in early May. On April 29, Rusty and Brenda Carney received financial clearance to return to Japan. They plan to depart in June.

Donald Dake, father of former missionary to Côte d’Ivoire Sha-ron Filkins Grocock, entered the presence of His Savior on April 26, 2019.

M A Y 2 0 1 9

Antioch, TN—The Board of IM, Inc. met in its annual session, April 29-30, 2019, in Antioch, Tennessee.

The board reinstated Debbie Griffin as a career missionary to Japan. Deb-bie, initially appointed in 1985, faith-fully served 26 years as a missionary in Japan. In 2011, she resigned to care for her mother. Mrs. Griffin joined Heaven’s chorus in November 2017.

Born in Cuba, Keren Delgado grew up in Cuba, Panama, and Russellville, Arkansas. The board approved Keren as a two-year intern to Bulgaria.

Floridian Jacob received approval as a two-year intern in southern France with Shane and Joy under The Hanna Project.

Casey Jones, an Oklahoma native, served a short stint with IM a decade ago in Central Asia. Health issues brought an abrupt end to his ministry. The board reinstated Casey as a ca-reer missionary seconded to American Dream Center.

Ohio native Rachel Burns received board approval as a professional servant/educator seconded to Re-sourcing Christian Education (RCE) at Dakar Academy in Senegal.

The board approved transitioning Matt and Courtney Lindsey to pro-

IM BOARD ANNUAL SESSION YIELDS MUCH FRUIT

NewsBeat May 2019 PAGE 2

Visit www.iminc.org for up-to-date news.

PRAYER FOCUSPray for E-TEAM (98 students and 20 leaders to 10 sites) and CMP/OA (22 students to four locations) students as they prepare for summer mission trips. Ask God to work in each student’s life and heart. Pray He will broaden their understanding of the lostness of those who haven’t heard the gospel and strengthen their desire to participate in the Great Commission. Pray He will prepare the hearts of those to whom the students will minister. Ask Him to encourage and strengthen Christians through their efforts. Pray non-believers will be drawn to Christ and seek Him as they see His love, mercy, and grace lived out in the lives of these young people.

Your partnership in the gospel yields dividends around the world in lives changed and churches planted. If you’d like to discuss ways to see that impact continue long-term, call

1-877-767-7736 for information on Planned Gifts or Estate Planning.

NEWS

Cuba: Cuban Free Will Baptists spon-sored a Christian Medical Retreat April 18-20. Specifically for medical person-nel within FWB churches, around 150 people registered. Director of Field Partnerships Kenneth Eagleton, M.D. addressed the subject “What the Bible Says About Alternative Medicine.”

Côte d’Ivoire: On Sunday, April 7, Pastor Gboko Yao Kobena baptized 12 people in Gouméré, Ivory Coast. The new believers were from three congregations.

Spain: On Sunday, April 7, the children and teens of the Alpedrete church organized and participated in a “Youth Day.” Twenty-five young

MISSIONARY BALANCES Antioch, TN—CFO Robert Conley recently revealed several accounts lack sufficient funding. As of March 31, 2019, Brother Carlisle Hanna’s account, which funds church planting in India, was $69,991.23 in the red.

Four missionary families have underfunded accounts:

Kenneth & Rejane Eagleton $988.61

Jerry & Barbara Gibbs $1,979.83

Dennis & Carol Teague $4,710.94

Tyler & Kellie Penn $5,363.12

people worked together to prepare the entire service: music, Scripture reading, offering, devotions, special music, announcements, etc. A pup-pet show was a wonderful treat for the younger members of the congre-gation.

Bulgaria: Twenty-nine people cel-ebrated Easter on Sunday, April 28, in Pleven, Bulgaria. Jonathan and Amy rented a hall for the service.

Panama: A number of professions of faith resulted from a medical outreach held by the Free Will Baptist church in Chame, Panama. Medical personnel treated 480 people. Church members witnessed to everyone and distributed 208 Bibles.

Japan: Through Mommy and Me classes, senior citizen Bible studies, and Kids’ Club meetings, Ken and Judy Bailey minister to around 30 families who do not have a relationship with Jesus each week.