Ministry in the New Millennium

Executive Director Brian Wechsler The National Board of United States and Canada selected Rev. Brian Wechsler, as the new Executive Direct of Village Missions and he began his duties in November 2000. He and his wife Carole had been Village Missionaries since 1983, serving first in Iowa and then in Colorado.

Rev. Wechsler outlined a strategy of advance for Village Missions termed "F.I.R.E."

"F" Finding New Fields
"I" Investing in Individuals and Communities
"R" Recruiting New Missionaries with a Passion to Preach the Word and Love the People
"E" Equipping Missionaries and Churches to Reach Their Communities for Christ

Village Missions must advance in each area to continue its mission of revitalizing small churches and reaching communities for Christ. We must "find" new areas where a need exists to proclaim the Gospel and the local church is unable to secure pastoral leadership. We must "invest" in individuals and communities we are trying to reach with the Gospel through salary, logistical, and administrative support for Village Missionaries. We must actively "recruit" dedicated couples and single missionaries who God has called to our critical ministry. We must "equip" our Village Missionaries and the churches they serve with the tools to enable them to become effective, Biblically based churches.

In 2003, Village Missions received word that it had received a significant grant from the Murdock Foundation for our Stewardship Department. In 2004, Dr. Canady was appointed Executive Director Emeritus by the Board of Village Missions.

Village Missions initiated the Village Missions Center for Leadership Development in September 2004, headed by Dr. Glenn Daman, author of Shepherding the Small Church. Working with Bible colleges and seminaries, the Center will prepare potential and current Village Missionaries for ministry in rural North America. Agreements have already been reached with Calvary Bible College and Seminary (Kansas City, MO), Western Baptist Seminary (Portland, OR), and Northwest Baptist Seminary (Tacoma, WA) for collaboration in course work. Results anticipated will be a greater pool of missionaries prepared for our ministry and greater effectiveness in reaching and discipling people by those in our ministry and the churches we serve.

In late 2004, the office for Village Missions Canada moved from Toronto to Richmond, British Columbia.

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