2012 Overview
When we started the Mustard Seed Foundation thirty years ago in 1983, we knew it would be an eventful family adventure. In the early years, our Lord gave us a few thousand dollars each year to distribute to those ministries and students in need. Gradually, the amounts increased to millions of dollars of grants and scholarships each year for the Lord’s work around the world.
Over the past few years, the amount of funds Mustard Seed has to distribute has decreased substantially, but we continue to gather as a family to grant funds for the Harvey Fellows Program, Theology of Work grants, and support for church ministries and missions worldwide.
In 2012, 315 grants were awarded to church projects, most of them outside of the United States, totaling $1.3 million. This work of encouraging and building up local churches around the world remains a major emphasis of the Foundation. We also gave 45 grants totaling $261,963 to fund courses worldwide on the Theology of Work (TOW). Over 5000 students completed the TOW courses, making it a very fruitful program of the Mustard Seed Foundation. In addition, we provided $121,375 for scholarship funds for students enrolled at Bakke Graduate University in Seattle. Most of the BGU courses are now taught online and continue to educate hundreds of students in locations around the world. MSF also provided $634,334 to fund 72 Christian graduate students through our Harvey Fellows Program, in addition to hosting a bi-annual Summer Institute on Faith and Vocation for 36 Fellows in Washington DC.
The most difficult action taken this year was saying goodbye to our international staff members. Facing greater limitations in our funding going forward, we had to reduce our staffing levels substantially and consolidate our administration in a single office. Amy Chan, Milan Sefcik, Suresh Thomas, Victor Omondi, Vivian Fayek and Art Sibal each were important members of the Mustard Seed family. We are profoundly grateful for their faithful service to Christ and for their many contributions to the Foundation's effectiveness worldwide.
On the Mustard Seed Foundation Board of Directors, 2012 marked the end of a five-year term for Carolyn March. She did a remarkable job remaining engaged throughout her term, most of which was spent while ministering with her husband in London. We welcome Tuck Laffitte to a second term on the board. As in the past, we look forward to benefiting from Tuck’s perspective and wisdom in the coming years. We continue the long tradition of a having a Mustard Seed Foundation Junior Board made up of younger family members. Led by Co-Chairs Luke Harvey and William Thompson, the junior board meets several times a year to award grants to projects they believe are worthy. We want to welcome Emma Bakke, who is serving as Chair of the Junior Board for 2012-13.
When we started the Mustard Seed Foundation, we didn’t have a detailed plan as to how the Foundation would progress or how long we would continue. For thirty years our chief aim has been prayerfully to steward the funds God provides in ways that honor Him and support the work of His church worldwide. We still don’t have a definitive plan as to when MSF will give its last grant. Until that day comes, our plan is to continue to steward the resources we have been entrusted to foster kingdom work around the world. This work continues to be a joy and privilege for our families and for our staff.
In Christ,
Eileen and Dennis Bakke