Missions Funding History

From its founding in 1970, the First Independent Methodist Church / Heritage Bible Church has always been mission-minded, frequently hosting missionaries as guest speakers. From 1970 — 1980, donations toward missions ranged from about two hundred dollars per year to two or three thousand. At the Annual Church Conference in January, 1981, Reba Bass, Chair of the Missions Committee, made a motion for the church to give at least 10% of its tithes and offerings to missions. The motion passed unanimously. Designated gifts were excluded from this policy. Those funds went to what they were designated for. For the next four years at least 10% of all tithes and offerings went to missionaries and mission organizations, at home and abroad.

On August 7, 1987, we purchased the property on State Avenue for $75,000. Three church members volunteered to loan the church a total of $15,000 in order to buy the property. The next week Board Chairman, Mark Barefield, called a board meeting in order to adjust our budget to service those loans. Although we cut the budget somewhat drastically, Mark stated that if we would honor God, He would honor us. He suggested that by faith we should increase our missions budget from 14% to 15% of our tithes and offerings. The board approved. The next month two of the three donors forgave their loans for a total of $6,000. Starting with 16% in 1988, the church increased its missions giving each year by 1%. In 1999 the missions giving was 29%. Nevertheless, that year was the first year we did not reach our adopted budget. Since that time the missions budget has been 24% of tithes and offerings with an additional 1% dedicated to benevolence.