February 01, 1986 by

Answer #1: You mean "What is it doing right now?"

You can see what is already being done in the previous pages of this issue. And boy is it exciting. However,

Answer #2: You mean Does it have worthy goals?"

A young child is judged by what it may become, not by its present contributions to society.

The USCWM is the first of four centers now functioning in North America (three others are already proposed).

The USCWM is in constant touch with exactly 50 other key people/centers around the world.

These centers hold immense privilege and opportunity, for it is the worldwide body of believers that holds the key to the necessary final outreach.

Answer #3: You mean "How can we measure the impact of the USCWM?"

One measurement could be the number of collegians (and local church leaders, too) whom we have shepherded through a ponderous, mind blowing, college credit bearing PERSPECTIVES course 1,100 in 59 locations last year.

Another measurement: how much money is being generated annually by the use of the Global Prayer Digest? We wish we knew, but it is between $1 and $2 million. In 1986, due to two new denominations coming in it may be up to $10 million or more. (Of course this money does not come to us we don't consider that a failure of strategy since we planned it that way).Answer #4: You mean "What do Christian leaders think about you?"

"I know of no comparable organization doing as much for the cause of world missions, and particularly for that of unreached areas, Africa Inland Mission is fully behind the program of the U,S, Center."  Peter Siam, U.S. Director. Africa Inland Mission

"The U.S. Center might well be one of the most important, if not the most important, movements in our generation, perhaps our century." —Olan Hendrix, US. director, SEND International.

"No other agency is focused exclusively upon encouraging new missionary outreach. The U.S. Center has tremendous influence and impetus in this area. More than any other institution... This is one of the most surprising, effective, and efficient projects in the world of missions today.. Nowhere in the world is there an equivalent space devoted to the cooperation of mission agencies together. Nowhere do you see people from 64 different mission boards working together for the benefit of all evangelical missions."  Edwin L. (Jack) Frizen, Jr., Executive Director, Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association

"Let's join hands together and make this a success." - Billy Graham

How Can it Be Saved?

(Really, enough people praying and doing what they can is all that is necessary. There are not many but there are enough people in the U.S. today who would be eager to know about and assist this project)

Answer #1: You mean "Are you in an endless series of payments?"

Theoretically, only six years more at what we are now paying ($300,000) per quarter, will pay off the $5 million still owed on the campus proper. Less than 30% of that would go for interest (or "rent"), and the increased value of the property makes even the "interest" like principal. But, "Why do you say 'theoretically"'? Because we are not allowed to pay for six years under the present contact. Refinancing would be necessary. If we can pay it off on time well save most of the interest resulting from a six year period.

Answer #2: You mean "What is your basic strategy?"

Two points:

#1 We would like to shift the debt to another entity so we won't face a brittle balloon payment next year

(October 1st). The Christian college that needs this money has been long suffering already. We may even be able to get an interest rate lower than 12.5%.

#2 However, we hope to pay it all off as soon as possible in any case, to avoid as much interest as possible.

Answer #3: You mean "But, exactly how will you raise all this money? Do you still cling to the '$15 per person' plan?"

Well, we don't need gifts to extend the payments to six years. But it will require external co¬signers to do so.

To raise money quickly, in the short run, we hope and pray that 400 congregations will bile the bullet and challenge 10 families to adopt a missionary lifestyle for 3 months. Our plight is galvanizing a lot of people into action.

To raise money over a Ion,period the goal of $15 from each of I million people (and then to return or reassign funds from the large gift, short term givers) is still quite reasonable plan for this type of an institution (which must not compete with existing mission agencies) and is, incidentally, phenomenally strategic and productive of new vision in new circles. The strategic value of this vision spreading plan may be worth more (in the Lord's eyes) than anything else we are doing.

Action in the Short run

There are now 42 families who have responded to our appeal to try out the radical lifestyle of the missionary families of the world.

(It would take only a new 220 families doing this each quarter to meet the entire $300,000 quarterly payment.)

Three issues back we mentioned the possibility of families taking roughly 213 of present income as an approximation of a missionary salary level. Apparently that seemed to most of these people to be the easier way to go than to get in touch with a mission agency and try to ascertain just what a missionary on furlough, with various allowances, etc. would actually receive.

Note that Swaziland, Philippines, and Mexico appear in the list   those families are already living on a missionary salary level!

Looking more closely, many of these families may already be living at or below a missionary salary level! (Some of the smaller amounts represent just the additional amount necessary for that family to be giving 1/3 to missions.)

Pint of all, let us all understand that it is very important that we not yield to judgments against anyone, any family that is not here! One couple wrote, "we were incensed to see how few responded, until we realized that we were among the 50,0 who had not responded".

Furthermore, many, many families are simply too deeply in debt. DEBT IS THE CHIEF REASON FAMILIES CANNOT GIVE ONE THIRD OF THEIR INCOME, EVEN FOR THREE MONTHS.

Naturally this is no small step. If you, dear reader, would like to consider this morn seriously, I will be glad to send you photocopies of our previous coverage of this subject, plus other materials.

Remember we are merely suggesting that such funds come to us as 'advances" to help us leap over the moon. As our long term $13 process catches up we will expect to return or reassign all such larger gifts, according to your suggestions your money will live to serve a second time!

Action In the Long Run

How many who have heard the "Good Word" will bend their efforts to share it with others?

"Hardly anything could be more honorable than for the USCWM to emerge in the long run with its property completely paid for without any money being diverted from existing mission efforts." Ralph Winter, General Director, USCWM.

It would be possible for us to boast that our "Short Run" One Third plan will teach people how to give more money to missions and therefore we might just as well keep what we receive from that source permanently, and abandon the slower, 'Long Run" $15 plan, where no one gives more than $15. Lets step back a moment.

The original design of the USCWM was for it to become independent of the usual kind of donor constituency but to be totally dependent upon the approval, goodwill, personnel and mild financial support of the collaborating mission agencies. By "mild financial support" I mean that each agency here pays a nominal amount into operational overhead.Were not exactly like the Bumble Bee which isn't supposed to be able to fly, but does. How do we run in the black, operationally? Most of the almost 300 people who work here every day are paid by other agencies who send them here to work for the benefit of everyone. Most of the property mission agencies occupy here is paid for at a nominal amount, which pays for overhead utilities, maintenance, etc. What is the value of all this? About $2.5 million per year. Most of this money we never actually see, which is what mission personnel live on, and goes directly to them (not through the Center's hands), but this will give you insight into the measure our great, ongoing dependence upon the agencies, they, in him, depending upon 64 donor public.

Thus ft is that due to the phenomenon of existing agencies contributing personnel and operational funds, and apart from the monumental struggle we have had with the property payments all along, we have always run in the black in terms of operations. Not all of our personnel yet come to us from other agencies, but more than two thirds now do and we hope that will go up to 100%.This is why paying off the campus is so significant an achievement. It thus frees us from any taint of competition for funds with the existing agencies. It allows us to continue to work along behind the scenes, the regular agencies being in the limelight, where they need to be in order to attract personnel and support and where we don't need to be due to the personnel and support we get from those same agencies.

This is why we have adopted such stringent policies (e.g. the $15 plan) to avoid competition even while paying for the campus.

This is why even our '1/3 x plan is designed as it is to help produce new money and long term major supporters not for us but for the other agencies.