Italian Ministries Partner

FEMI (Fellowship of Evangelical Missionaries in Italy) was born out of a grassroots movement among national Italian missionaries and long-term missionaries in Italy, with the objective of connecting and caring for missionaries. Many Italian pastors/missionaries have zeal, knowledge, and competency but lack pastoral and financial support in their churches and fields of ministry. FEMI associated with the vision of supporting these Italian ministers.

EBM and FEMI entered a formal partnership in July 2004. This strategic partnership reflects EBM’s awareness of and response to the changing landscape of God’s mission around the world:

• Missions is now from everywhere to everywhere
• The concept of “sending” countries and “receiving” countries no longer reflects reality
• The distinction between national and foreign missionaries is an unhelpful remainder of colonialism
• American missionaries can work with national missionaries as equals and should learn from them
• Missionaries should connect with The Body wherever it is present and not be lone-rangers

The EBM/FEMI partnership is an exciting endeavor to respond to a new reality.

The partnership was created with the objectives of:

• multiplying rather than duplicating ministries
• giving nationals more say in how missions is done in “their” country
• providing local, on-sight missionary care
• resourcing and empowering national missionaries and churches
• stimulating ‘connectedness’ between national and foreign missionaries
• helping foreign missionaries transition into the Italian missionary experience
• partnering strategically for the spread of the gospel in Italy and around the world

In 2006 FEMI was dissolved for Italian government bureaucratic reasons and I.M. (Italian Ministries) was birthed with FEMI’s same leadership, members, objectives, and values. I.M. has taken up FEMI’s mantle and looks forward to how God will use them as a pioneer organization in the new millennium.