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Our Corner of the Vineyard―the Mission at a Glanceby Jim Carlson, Executive Director
In a day when the world is discussed in terms of billions of people and trillions of dollars, the "success" of gospel ministry can be very difficult to pin down. Even laborers in the vineyard of God often tend to measure growth in dollars, buildings, and numbers of people. Pastors and workers in rural ministry are not immune to this temptation, which so easily leads to frustration and a sense of failure, simply because sparse populations tend also to get by on lower incomes.
So how do we measure biblically the success of the Rocky Mountain Bible Mission? We have a bigger budget, more buildings, and are reaching more people as years go by. All this is nice to realize, but many cults, religions, civic organizations and political action committees could say the same thing. We are obligated to our Lord and His people who support us to follow a course that reflects a dedication to His kingdom first; the "measurables" we enjoy as blessings along the way!
Since 1986 the Mission has sought to reach out on the Flathead Reservation in western Montana. Today seven missionaries live on the "res," sharing the gospel through pastoral and evangelistic efforts. Children and adults are hearing God’s Word and seeing many a "sermon in shoes." The Pathwalkers children’s ministry has been represented on reservations in half a dozen western states, with more interest from new contacts surfacing each year.
Meanwhile, Elohim Camp and Retreat Center is enjoying unprecedented activity. More campers than ever this summer will require more camper weeks next summer, and it seems hardly a weekend goes by without a group of believers using Elohim Camp for a retreat. Camp’s acreage has more than doubled in the past year, and building is ongoing. We’re confident the Lord is doing the development because He plans to use what’s His to a higher degree.
The bottom line in the kingdom is that God is faithful, His people are sacrificial, and the building gets done in His time, with no debt, and many willing hands sharing the blessing. We learn along the way that this work is His to do. Our commitment to serve as a resource to rural churches reflects the grace of the Lord, as well. The Mission has come to appreciate the sterling servants the Head of the Church has placed among our local congregations, and it’s gratifying to note that our pastors and workers have a track record of remaining on their fields of service for periods several times the national average. We’ve noted that this is where lasting fruit is borne: through long-term service. This conviction has fueled the Mission’s desire to play a direct role in training and placing qualified workers in our rural areas. Bible Training Center has been instrumental in this, as we put a rural spin on standard Bible and ministry training for pastors and church workers. This fall we began our third three-year cycle of training dedicated servants. In tandem with BTCP we have developed a comprehensive internship program for prospective pastors. There's no good substitute for getting hands-on ministry experience with seasoned mentors; our interns and their churches will enjoy the benefits!
Mission and other like-minded churches are frequently in need of pulpit supply on a given Sunday, and occasionally need a new pastor, or need to learn how to find one. The Mission office "dispatches" qualified preachers just about every week to fellowships near and far, seeks to match churches and pastors who are searching for each other, and sometimes coaches churches in the search process. Not only has the Head of the Church accomplished much through the Rocky Mountain Bible Mission over the years, He has taught us much about what He's called us to do, and clearly about His faithfulness. Heaven only knows how many thousands of people have heard the gospel, come to faith and grown in grace through this humble work. It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of His wonderful program, and we face the future with eagerness. May His kingdom come, may His will be done on earth as it is in heaven!
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Getting out into the "mainstream" of the world by visiting a major population center always leaves me impressed. In every city I've been, I marvel at the size and number of buildings in the vastness of the urban world, and the overwhelming numbers of the people who live there. It’s always so good to get home!
Thankfully, the Lord does not measure success in worldly terms, but in terms of the humility, faithfulness, and stewardship of His people (Matthew 25.21, 23). The Bible even steers us away from trusting in the world's strength, both that we would learn dependence on Him, and that our Lord will rightfully receive all glory (Galatians 6.14).
The purpose of the Mission is to reach the rural Rocky Mountain West for Christ by serving as an evangelistic and supportive resource. Pursuing this two-pronged approach has brought us down many exciting avenues in gospel ministry, where we have tried to be faithful stewards of the various burdens, opportunities, and resources the Lord has put before us over the last forty-plus years. A survey of what God has done through this small home mission is both a testimony to His grace in the past, and an exciting foretaste of what He has in store down the road.
In all our years the Mission has maintained its financial house with integrity. We have never been scandalized nor has there been a hint of financial mismanagement, and the Lord has blessed us. Our recent transition to general accounting standards has opened doors of access to Christian foundations for the funding of special projects. Crossing that threshold has also allowed us to participate in STEER, Inc., making us a conduit for the missions gifts of generous farmers and ranchers. The income we’ve realized from STEER has grown each year of our involvement, a trend we expect to see continue as more farmers and stockmen catch the vision.
To many people the Mission is best represented by one of our camps. While the lodge and other buildings at 
When we consider building things, whether single structures or camp facilities, in the world we’re accustomed to the planning, design, construction, and finish work being done in a timely manner. Maybe that’s because a bank usually fronts all the money according to a set schedule. But building in the Mission’s corner of God’s kingdom doesn’t seem to go that way. First of all, we’ve never started with a windfall of cash in hand, and we’ve never had a surplus along the way. We have repeatedly tried to win grant funds from Christian foundations, but have yet to receive any. It seems we’ve never had to choose between trusting God and trusting money, since we’ve never had a surplus of the latter! 
Pastoral accountability and fellowship is often hard to find in rural ministry. That's why we’ve established monthly pastors’ meetings in three areas and host the Rocky Mountain Shepherds’ Conference (RMSC) each April. The RMSC has attracted an increasing number of rural church leaders beyond the scope of the Mission. Further, when a pastor or worker is new to the Mission or new field within the Mission, we formally evaluate the worker with his church leadership to help ensure the ministry gets started on the right foot, and nobody is surprised with an avoidable crisis that seems to arise out of the blue. And yes, we’ve helped with conflict management from time to time.