HOW DID IT ALL GET STARTED?

While meeting in Johannesburg in 2004, the Pentecostal World Fellowship Advisory Committee, recognizing the needs in our world for the spreading of the Gospel, mandated a commission to address the missionary vision and work, as well as the relief and development activities of it's members.

In 2005, under the leadership of Dr. Arto Hämäläinen, this commission was established and it has been serving the Lord and the Pentecostal family ever since!

Here is some more information straight from the outline established by our founding documents:

Purpose

- Nurture an environment of cooperation and flexibility.

- Provide a sound, Biblical and missiological basis for holistic world missions activities.

Vision

- Motivating engaged members to greater synergy and cooperation.

- Motivating churches and PWF members not yet engaged in world missions to become so.

Methods

- Provide forums for the exchange of information and missiological reflection (web based, conferences, gathering of specialists, etc).

- Encourage members to share their tracks, means, resources, and experience.

- Encourage the creation of specific partnerships as a result of communication, cooperation, and specific objectives.

- Encourage a world missions focus through plenary and other sessions in the triennial PWF conferences.

Structure

- The WMC will be appointed by and accountable to the PWF advisory committee. The WMC will nominate prospective members to make up the commission, based on a balanced geographical and organizational representation, to the advisory committee for consideration.

- The PWF advisory committee will appoint the chairman and the WMC will name any other officers as needed.

- The WMC will meet once a year and /or as needed.

- The WMC has also organization members. Any Pentecostal mission organization or mission department of a national church accepting the doctrinal statement of the PWF and this document of the WMC can become an organization member of the WMC.

- Any modifications in the future to the guidelines should be confirmed by the PWF advisory committee.

Finances

- Finances received through voluntary contributions will be channeled through PWF accounts and their distribution will be communicated as well to both the WMC and PWF advisory committee.

- The organization members have to pay annual dues decided by the commission and confirmed by the advisory committee of the PWF.

- Normative practice will be for each member to fund their own participation in the meetings and the commission will seek to support members in situations where that is not always feasible.