Worldwide Faith Missions
Encyclopedia
Worldwide Faith Missions is a non-governmental international Christian
relief
and development church missionary organization based in the United States of America with mission branches in India
, Burma (Myanmar
), and Thailand
. It is a part of the worldwide missions
church movement.
. During a round-the-world missionary tour as director of the Wesleyan Missionary Council, while serving as speaker at a large convention on the Indian coastal area of Andhra Pradesh
, he received a request from a delegation of village leaders and church
officials led by pastor P. L. Paramjyothi, to start a home for orphans and homeless children. The first children's home was started with 25 children shortly thereafter. The organization is incorporated in the State of Ohio
as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, and maintains its headquarters in Canton, Ohio.
Maas, who currently serves as organization president, was a platform guest of the Indian Prime Minister and United States President Jimmy Carter
when the president give a speech to an audience estimated at one million at the capitol in New Delhi during his presidential visit on January 2, 1978.
On December 9, 1980, Worldwide Faith Missions and its president were commended by the White House
for their humanitarian work in India, and the contributions of counsel to the White House. This came as a result of an official White House request for assistance in repairing the strained relations between Washington and New Delhi. These strained relations came as a result of the visit of Henry Kissinger
to Pakistan
in order to arrange the President Nixon trip to China. Bob Maddox, White House Special Assistant for Religious Liaison for President Carter, wrote a letter of commendation, "This is to introduce...Worldwide Faith Missions of Canton, Ohio.... I believe that time and resources invested in this ministry will be carefully and redemptively used." (signed, Bob Maddox, Special Counsel for Religious Liaison).
Worldwide Faith Missions has been instrumental in rearing and educating children who have become pastors, social workers, and public officials.
The organization has a child sponsorship
program, through which individuals, families, churches, or other groups sponsor a designated child, widow, or an evangelist in a developing country
. Sponsors send funds each month to provide support for the sponsored individual.
This program is considered by the missionary organization as a response to the admonition in the Epistle of James
to care for the orphans and widows.
Church movement under the superintendency of Dr. Johannes Maas, who serves as a church bishop
.
It is an active member of ChristianVolunteering.org, and represents over 20,000 local ministries that serve over 30 million under-resourced individuals annually.
It operates an international prayer ministry in which requests from Americans are forwarded to the pastors and members in India.
Maas, current president, is on a six-month missionary tour of several Asian countries.
, Vishakhapatnam, Bhilai
, and Sikkim
, India
; Yangon
, Myanmar
(Burma); and Chonburi
, Thailand
.
is the full-color monthly publication of Worldwide Faith Missions. It is in its 36th year of publication.
Three Million Gods is a movie shot entirely in India about the ministry of Worldwide Faith Missions
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
relief
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
and development church missionary organization based in the United States of America with mission branches in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Burma (Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
), and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It is a part of the worldwide missions
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
church movement.
History
Worldwide Faith Missions was founded in 1972 under the leadership of Dr. Johannes Maas, who had served as a conference official for the Wesleyan ChurchWesleyan Church
"Wesleyan" has been used in the title of a number of historic and current denominations, although the subject of this article is the only denomination to use that specific title...
. During a round-the-world missionary tour as director of the Wesleyan Missionary Council, while serving as speaker at a large convention on the Indian coastal area of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, he received a request from a delegation of village leaders and church
Indian Pentecostal Church of God
The Indian Pentecostal Church of God is the largest indigenous Pentecostal movement in India, with its headquarters at Hebron, Kumbanad, Kerala, India. The movement was established in 1924 and registered on 9 December 1935 at Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, under the Government of India.K. C...
officials led by pastor P. L. Paramjyothi, to start a home for orphans and homeless children. The first children's home was started with 25 children shortly thereafter. The organization is incorporated in the State of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, and maintains its headquarters in Canton, Ohio.
Maas, who currently serves as organization president, was a platform guest of the Indian Prime Minister and United States President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
when the president give a speech to an audience estimated at one million at the capitol in New Delhi during his presidential visit on January 2, 1978.
On December 9, 1980, Worldwide Faith Missions and its president were commended by the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
for their humanitarian work in India, and the contributions of counsel to the White House. This came as a result of an official White House request for assistance in repairing the strained relations between Washington and New Delhi. These strained relations came as a result of the visit of Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in order to arrange the President Nixon trip to China. Bob Maddox, White House Special Assistant for Religious Liaison for President Carter, wrote a letter of commendation, "This is to introduce...Worldwide Faith Missions of Canton, Ohio.... I believe that time and resources invested in this ministry will be carefully and redemptively used." (signed, Bob Maddox, Special Counsel for Religious Liaison).
Worldwide Faith Missions has been instrumental in rearing and educating children who have become pastors, social workers, and public officials.
Its mission
Recognizing the admonition of the scriptures to do good to all men, Worldwide Faith Missions is dedicated to feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the orphans and widows, and furthering the spiritual, mental and physical wellbeing of needy humanity. It provides housing, clothing, food, education, and Christian supervision for the children in each of its homes.The organization has a child sponsorship
Child sponsorship
Child sponsorship allows an individual, typically in a developed country, to sponsor, or fund a child in a developing country until the child becomes self-sufficient. This could mean financially supporting the education, health or security of the sponsored child, or in some cases all of these...
program, through which individuals, families, churches, or other groups sponsor a designated child, widow, or an evangelist in a developing country
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
. Sponsors send funds each month to provide support for the sponsored individual.
This program is considered by the missionary organization as a response to the admonition in the Epistle of James
Epistle of James
The Epistle of James, usually referred to simply as James, is a book in the New Testament. The author identifies himself as "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ", with "the earliest extant manuscripts of James usually dated to mid-to-late third century."There are four views...
to care for the orphans and widows.
Its ministry
Worldwide Faith Missions has been responsible the establishment of over 25 orphanages, many of which are now supported and operated by various American missionary organizations. It has over 200 affiliate churches. At its yearly India convention, it ordains pastors into the ministry of the Worldwide MissionsMission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
Church movement under the superintendency of Dr. Johannes Maas, who serves as a church bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
.
It is an active member of ChristianVolunteering.org, and represents over 20,000 local ministries that serve over 30 million under-resourced individuals annually.
It operates an international prayer ministry in which requests from Americans are forwarded to the pastors and members in India.
Maas, current president, is on a six-month missionary tour of several Asian countries.
Its locations
The organization maintains offices and conducts its charitable ministries in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Vishakhapatnam, Bhilai
Bhilai
Bhilai or Bhilai Nagar is a city in the Durg district of Chhattisgarh, in eastern central India. As of 2001, it had a population of 753,837. The city is located west of the capital Raipur, on the main Howrah–Mumbai rail line, and National Highway 6...
, and Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
; Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
(Burma); and Chonburi
Chonburi (city)
Chonburi is the capital of Chonburi Province in Thailand. It is located about 100km east of Bangkok, on the coast to the Gulf of Thailand. The name means city of water.Chonburi has had town status since 1935.-External links:...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Publication and video
Mission of Mercy MagazineMission of Mercy Magazine
Mission of Mercy Magazine is the official monthly publication of Worldwide Faith Missions. It is in its 36th year of publication. It contains update articles about the Christian mission work of the organization, and matters related to Christianity, Asian missions, and outreach in China, India,...
is the full-color monthly publication of Worldwide Faith Missions. It is in its 36th year of publication.
Three Million Gods is a movie shot entirely in India about the ministry of Worldwide Faith Missions