“Equip their congregations for the Great Commission?” That’s the question that birthed Global Missions Fellowship Church. Picture Gertrude Nichols and Dr. Charles Leslie Jr. deep in conversation in the late 1990s. Nichols was a Mission Mobilizer. She worked for Wycliffe Bible Translators in Dallas. They discussed how to gather pastors. They wanted to make them aware of their responsibilities. Their goal was to equip their congregations for the Great Commission. Jesus Christ left it to the church in Matthew 28:18-20.
Thus, Global Missions Fellowship Church was born. They first met at Southern Bible Institute & College in Dallas. The meetings occurred monthly. They lasted for two hours. It was always on the 4th Saturday of each month.
The focus was clear. They wanted to praise God. They wanted to worship Him. They wanted to pray for missions. They also prayed for missionaries and their work. Mobilization was key. They promoted global missions through education. A Bible lesson was always presented. They provided short-term mission trip opportunities. Missionaries shared field reports upon their return.
Dr. Leslie shared a mission trip experience during class. A student asked, “Reverend Leslie take us.” In 2003, twelve students, a professor, and Dr. Leslie journeyed to Uganda, Africa. It was a two-week trip. Gene Wright and his wife Angela hosted them. They were African Americans working with Young Life. This was the first foreign mission trip for students of Southern Bible Institute & College.
Global Missions Fellowship Church even continued to meet virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. They used Zoom and conference calls. The church believes in short-term mission trips. They are essential to reaching the ends of the earth. These trips allow members to share the gospel. They also practice discipleship. They serve those in different cultures. Many long-term missionaries started with short-term trips. Each year, members are encouraged to consider these trips.
Global Missions Fellowship partners with several organizations. Iglesia Gran Comisión San José in Costa Rica focuses on sustainable change. H@ngout, also in Costa Rica, reaches university students. Iglesia Gran Comision in Monterrey, Mexico, reaches college students. They also partner with a local church in the Balkans. It aims to catalyze a Bosnian disciple-making movement. They equip Bosnian believers with simple biblical methods.
Global Missions Fellowship has a Global Mentoring program. This program helps people confirm God’s leading into foreign missions. It equips them to serve. They learn from missions history. They also study recent studies on missionary successes and failures.