The Council for World Mission (CWM) Board of Directors held its final meeting via video-conference from 23-24 May before the CWM General Assembly that will see the election of a new Board for the next quadrennial.
CWM Moderator, Rt Rev. Lydia Neshangwe opened the meeting with a reflection and prayer after which the agenda for the meeting was adopted and the minutes of the previous meeting in the Solomon Islands approved.
CWM General Secretary, Rev. Dr Jooseop Keum, shared with the Board the latest Assembly Programme that was well received by the Directors. The Assembly, scheduled to take place from 12-19 June, will draw more than 200 participants for prayers, Bible studies, workshops, cultural exchange events, and mission exposure trips.
Approval of audited financial statements
The Board also received and approved the Audited Financial Statements for FY2023 from the CWM Treasurer and Mission Secretary – Finance. The statements will be slated for adoption at the next Annual Members Meeting on 12 June in Durban before the CWM General Assembly.
Programme Reference Group report
CWM Deputy General Secretary, Dr Sudipta Singh, presented to the Board the report from the Programme Reference Group detailing key milestones achieved by the various CWM programmes as well as giving a brief update on all the regional Pre-Assemblies that took place in preparation for the CWM Assembly.
The Board was presented with a concise recap of the progress made in the mission programme and partnership areas.
Several updates well received by the Board include the recruitment of two new Partners-In-Mission (PIM) along with six new PIM requests. Currently there are 20 mission partners serving in the PIM programme working in different areas across four regions.
The Board was also updated on the conclusion of the search for suitable candidates to participate in the CWM Youth Internship Programme. The programme offers individuals ages 21-30 a unique mission opportunity to work with CWM’s multidisciplinary teams and departments for a period of 6-12 months. The programme has appointed two new interns to be stationed in the CWM Africa and UK offices as well as a youth consultant to be based in the Singapore office.
The Programme Reference Group also reported that planning for Training-in-Mission (TIM) 2024 is in progress. The first segment of TIM2024 is expected to begin online, followed by in-person learning sessions at UTC in the Philippines and IUC in Jamaica.
The next A New Face programme module is scheduled for the second half of 2024 in the UK, with expected participation from local member churches.
Closing and next Board meeting date
The Board meeting was closed with a prayer by CWM Moderator, Rt Rev. Neshangwe.
The next Board meeting will be convened in-person at the end of the CWM Assembly on 19 June in Durban with the election of new Directors and appointment holders.