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User:ClaudeReigns/GCM

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Great Commission Ministries
Founded1989
FounderDavid Bovenmyer
Jeff Kern
TypeMissions agency
52-1707002
Location
  • Orlando, FL
OriginsGreat Commission church movement
Area served
44 campuses, 23 countries
Key people
David Bovenmyer, Founder
Tom Mauriello, Exec. Director
Noel Heikkinen, Chairman
Websitegcmweb.org

Great Commission Ministries (or GCM) is a United States non-profit missionary agency which supports church plants on college campuses with leadership and fundraising training.[1] Its headquarters are in Orlando, Florida.[2] It was founded in 1989 by members and churches within the Great Commission church movement[3] with the help of Campus Crusade for Christ.[1] The churches which helped to form GCM, once referred to as Great Commission Minstries Churches, are now known as the Collegiate Church Network (or Collegiate).[1] GCM also sponsors foreign missions,[4] preparing volunteers for short term mission trips to Asia, Latin America, and Europe,[2] as well as supporting non-church missions such as Box 27 Ministries, which evangelizes within marching band drum corps.[5]

History

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The Great Commission church movement, founded in 1970 by Jim McCotter,[6] had been widely criticized for its activities on college campus by journalists, academics and the counter-cult movement,[7][8] but had also won a United States Supreme Court case (Vincent v. Widmar) which affirmed the right of campus religious groups to use campus facilities for religious meetings.[9][10][11] During these years, a campus mission agency named Great Commission Students was a subsidiary of Great Commission International.[6][7] When McCotter left in 1989, GCI reorganized into two main groups: Great Commission Churches, and Great Commission Ministries, created as the new mission agency focusing on college and university campuses as a subsidiary to GCC.[6]

Foundation

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David Bovenmyer, who had not only been an editor several GCI publications, such as The Cause,[6] but also planted campus churches like Riverview Church at Michigan State University,[12] was chosen as the initial Executive Director of GCM upon its formation in September, 1989.[13] Jeff Kern, who left a promising business career after being ordained by Great Commission in 1987, developed the business plan.[14] In 1991, Jeff Kern became the Executive Vice President,[14] and later succeeded Bovenmyer,[15] who remains on the board to this day.[16] In 1992, GCM became a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.[1] Also in the 90s, it became a member of the Inderdenominational Foreign Missions Association and the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies.[2] In 1996, the Internal Revenue Service selected GCM as a test cast to eliminate the common practice known as deputation, which allows non-profit mission organizations to raise funds for its activities, while allowing contributors to claim income tax deduction.[17] The IRS reaffirmed GCM's non-profit status.[17] In 2001, GCM relocated its headquarters from Worthington, Ohio to Orlando, Florida.[18]

GCM after Jeff Kern

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At the end of 2004, GCM reorganized its leadership when Jeff Kern resigned.[3] GCM appointed three managing directors: Greg Guevara, the Managing Vice President since 2001, became the managing director of GCM ministry headquarters; Greg Van Nada, former Vice President of Leadership Development, became the managing director of the GCM campus church region; and Joe Dunn, the Director of Missions Mobilization since 2001, became the managing director of GCM Europe.[3] Beginning in 2006, GCM began offering services to church associations outside of Great Commission.[1] GCM began supporting the Acts 29 Network with the 2007 Raleigh Boot Camp.[19][20]

GCM and media

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GCM identity materials and brochure have been produced by Devotion Media under the art direction of Loyd Boldman.[21] Several Relevant Magazine articles have been written by GCM staff and members.[22][23][24][25] In February 2006, Exodus International published a Greg Van Nada article from the GCM Connect Newsletter in Exodus Impact.[26]

Finances

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The largest financial supporters of Great Commission Ministries are individual donors. In 2002, 92% of GCM's income came from contributions of this nature.[27] GCM missionaries are required to raise 100% of their support goal, which includes base salary, benefits, and ministry expenses. Twelve percent of all funds raised goes toward administrative overhead. GCM has been a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability since 1992.[28]

Accountability

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GCM is overseen fiscally by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. GCM also maintains a Council of Reference, members who do not run or manage GCM but affirm their support for the ministry and serve as a source of counsel for GCM leaders.

Impact

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Steve Shadrach lists GCM as one of nine "world-changing movements that touch millions of students for Christ."[29] Focus on the Family listed GCM as one of the "ten top college ministries across the U.S.", saying that their strategy of "seeking to incorporate students into the starting of a church based campus ministry...has been effective to attract and involve thousands of students." The article also stated, "Their outstanding Board of Directors and dedicated staff are committed to world missions and leadership development and thus supplying the church around the world with a fresh supply of equipped laborers."

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Collegiate Church Network partner ministry". Great Commission Ministries. Retrieved Jan 6, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Great Commission Ministries : History". Archived from the original on 2006-08-29. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  3. ^ a b c Tse, Rhoda (Mar 1, 2005). "Great Commission Ministries Appoints Three New Directors". Christian Post. Retrieved Jan 6, 2013.
  4. ^ Glanzer, Perry Lynn (2002). The Quest for Russia's Soul: Evangelicals and Moral Education in Post-Communist Russia. Baylor University Press. p. 212.
  5. ^ "Getting involved". Box 27. Retrieved Jan 12, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d Pile, Lawrence (2002). MARCHING TO ZION: A Personal History and Analysis of the "Blitz Movement" aka Great Commission Association of Churches (2nd ed.). Albany, Ohio: Christians United to Remedy Error (CURE).
  7. ^ a b Kaade Roberts (April 1992). "Divine Deception". The Touchstone. GCI along with its subsidiary, Great Commission Students, has been classified as a cult by the Cult-Awareness Network (CAN) and the American Family Foundation. Since the mid-seventies there have been complaints of GCI's authoritarian forms of mind control leaving members at the point of suicide or in psychiatric wards. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  8. ^ Martin J. Butz (1991). "An inquiry into the paradox of aberrant Christian churches: orthodoxy without orthopraxy". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ Widmar v. Vincent (454 U.S. 263 (1981)
  10. ^ "Christian Student Groups Fight to Retain Use of Campus Facilities". Christianity Today. June 6, 1980.
  11. ^ "Campus Access Upheld for Christian Student Groups". Christianity Today. September 19, 1980.
  12. ^ "Our History". Riverview Church. Retrieved Jan 12, 2013.
  13. ^ "GCC Board". Great Commission Churches. Retrieved Jan 12, 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Meet Our Team". Great Commission Ministries. Archived from the original on Nov 19, 2004. Retrieved Jan 12, 2013.
  15. ^ "Board of Directors". greatcommission.org. Archived from the original on Feb 21, 1999. Retrieved Jan 12, 2013.
  16. ^ "Board of Directors". Great Commission Ministries. Retrieved Jan 12, 2013.
  17. ^ a b "Church & State: Conservative Christians in the Cross Hairs". Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  18. ^ Pinsky, Mark I. (Apr 5, 2003). "Have Bible, Will Rock". Orlando Sentinel.
  19. ^ "2007 Annual Ministry Report". Great Commission Ministries. Retrieved Jan 12, 2013.
  20. ^ "Fund Raising - Great Commission Ministries". Acts 29. Retrieved Jan 12, 2013.
  21. ^ Kantor, Daniel (2007). Graphic Design and Religion: A Call for Renewal. GIA Publishing. pp. 98–99.
  22. ^ Courtney, Ed (2003-03-27). "My So-called Rights". Relevant Magazine. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  23. ^ Ridgeway, Chris (2004-02-24). "Original Pancake House". Relevant Magazine. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  24. ^ Staats, Jeanette (2004-03-18). "This One's For The Girls!". Relevant Magazine. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  25. ^ Chinn, Wendy (2004-05-04). "The Ask-me Girl". Relevant Magazine. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  26. ^ Van Nada, Greg (February 2006). "Rejoicing in Pain". Exodus Impact. Exodus International. Archived from the original on 2010-12-26. Retrieved 2010-12-26.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  27. ^ "Financial Report". Archived from the original on 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  28. ^ "Member Profile: Great Commission Ministries". Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  29. ^ Shadrach, Steve (2003). The Fuel and the Flame: 10 Keys to Ignite Your College Campus for Jesus Christ. Authentic. p. 21.
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