The MMS biennial fund-raising banquet two years ago that raised about $425,000 in pledges and donations. - Methodist Missions Society picture.
Your gift goes exactly where
you direct it
You can help MMS fulfil its plans

BY NORMAN WONG

OUR plans and budget take a long time to be approved. It begins in the field.


Our missionaries and national pastors review the past year and prepare their plans and budget for the next year. One or two representatives from each country come all the way to Singapore to present these plans to our Methodist Missions Society (MMS) Finance Committee.


After their refinement, the consolidated budget is submitted to the MMS Executive Committee for endorsement. This in turn is submitted to the Finance and Administration Council of the General Conference for final approval.


This year, our MMS Executive Committee is proposing a significant jump over the previous financial year. For 2006/2007, our budget was $2,361,990. For 2007/2008, we have endorsed plans to the tune of $3,524,424. At the time of writing we are still awaiting final approval from the General Conference.


Our work falls into two broad categories - helping the poor (community development work), which is 54 per cent of our budget, and church planting (preaching the Gospel), which is 25 per cent of our budget. You may direct your gift to either area in a specific country or just give a general donation and allow us to decide where the need is greatest.


The MMS does mission work in Cambodia, China, Nepal, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam.


We also need to raise some money for our home staff and administrative expenses -- $730,440, which is 21 per cent of our 2007/2008 budget. For the 2006/2007 budget, the home staff and administrative expenses is $704,240. We are thankful that the General Conference approved $497,250 for 2006/2007. But we still need to raise the rest.


Once in two years, we hold a fund-raising banquet. This year, it will be held on Aug 26 at Orchard Hotel. All our missionaries will be present and a report of our work and plans for the future will be presented. If you would like to attend, or you know of friends who may be interested in supporting our work, please call us at 6478-4818.


The MMS was established to harness the resources of all our Methodist churches and supporters to do missions together in the region. We are overwhelmed by the support that so many churches and individuals have given in the past. We look forward to your support in the coming year.

The Rev Dr Norman Wong is the Executive Director of the Methodist Missions Society.