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IM serves churches, pastors, and people by helping them fulfill their role in establishing churches beyond North America so unreached peoples can know the joy of a relationship with the living God. To find out more about the ministry of IM, visit www.IMINC.org

IM Board Continues the Mission, Moves Toward the Horizon

Antioch, TN — On April 14-15, 2025, the IM board met and celebrated how IM is moving toward a new horizon while continuing the mission.

Clint Morgan, IM general director, presented a strategic plan outlining IM’s 10-year Horizon Goals:

1. Commission 100 new missionaries
   

2. Achieve IM’s three major financial goals
   

3. Double the number of Free Will Baptists outside of North America
   

In alignment with these goals, the board approved two new IMpact projects: Togo Child Education Scholarship and Hope Alive Ikebukuro Church Planting Fund.

The board provided the pathway for Josh Provow and Bea Fernandes to pursue ministry in Bulgaria as non-ordained missionaries, following their marriage on July 5, 2025.

Six people met with the board and received approval for the following roles:

• Silas Houser (Chesterfield, VA) will join the team in Bulgaria.
  

• Bradley and Madison Mercer (Columbia, MO), who work with international students at the University of Missouri, were appointed to career status.
  

• Robert Newton (Ashland City, TN) will serve a two-year internship with the Hope Alive team in Tokorozawa, Japan.
  

• Reece Rooke (Russellville, AR) will join the Hope Alive team in Tokorozawa, Japan.
  

• Lauren Williams (Lancaster, NY) will join missionaries working in France.
  

Curt Holland, director of field ministry personnel, affirmed, “This group of new IM missionaries will take us past 100+ missionaries as we look forward to our 100th anniversary in ten years. They will be reaching unreached people groups, working with international students, helping plant churches, and serving in restricted access areas where the gospel is desperately needed around the world.”

Two interns, Tyler Justice (France) and Taylor Pate (Japan), submitted their resignations, thanking IM for the experience of serving for the past two years. The board expressed appreciation for their ministries.

The board elected officers for the coming year: Rodney Yerby (Chairman), Cameron Lane (Vice-Chairman), and Darren Walker (Secretary).

The 2024 audited financial statements, prepared by Blankenship CPA Group, were received and reviewed by the IM board. The board received and approved the 2026 framework operational budget of $11.2 million.

Clint Morgan invited, “Join IM in prayer for these new missionaries, projects, and goals as we look toward the horizon. It’s about the gospel!”

THP Board Adds Couple to Southern France Team

Antioch, TN — The Hanna Project (THP) Board met and announced the commissioning of Shane and Megan to serve in Southern France on April 17, 2025.

Danny Gasperson, director of THP, stated, “We are excited to have Shane and Megan join our team in Southern France. I am confident their training and experience will be great assets to our work there.”

Four Missionaries Receive Their Eternal Rewards

Antioch, TN — Three former missionaries to Brazil died within a few days of each other in March.
Carmel Don Robirds (pictured, top left), known as Don, died Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 89. He never fully recovered from a stroke almost a decade earlier.

California natives, Don and his wife Carol (Waring, deceased 2010) became Christians shortly after their marriage. They attended Free Will Baptist Bible College (now Welch College), moving from Modesto to Nashville, Tennessee. After college graduation, they returned to California where Don taught and pastored. In 1964, they responded to the call of missions in Brazil. Don translated the Free Will Baptist Treatise and other literature, books, and curricula into Portuguese during the family’s seven-year stint in Brazil.

The family returned to Nashville in 1971, at the request of the Foreign Missions Board. They asked Don to use his journalism training to serve, temporarily, as the director of communications for Free Will Baptist Foreign Missions. For the next 32 years, he told the stories of international missions and missionaries through HeartBeat magazine, literature production, film, and video. He retired in 2003, but continued to support and promote missions, even returning to Brazil for a year to teach at the Bible institute in Campinas.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol; daughter, Judy Robirds Burnett; and grandsons, Chad and Jason Burnett. He is survived by his wife, Diane; daughter, Terri (Steve) Osborne; sons, Steve (Rhonda) and Mike; and seven grandchildren. Former missionary to Brazil and current Director of Global Partnerships for IM Kenneth Eagleton officiated the service on Wednesday, March 12.

Bobby Hugh Aycock, 89, passed away late Tuesday evening, March 11, 2025, at Kitty Askins Hospice in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Edith Sue White Aycock, his faithful wife, joined Bobby in their Savior’s presence days later, on Saturday, March 15. Sue, 87, was also a resident of Kitty Askins Hospice.

Bobby and Sue (pictured, bottom)were appointed as missionaries to Brazil in 1960. During their 40-year tenure, Bobby served as a teacher and pastor and hosted a radio program ministry. They began their ministry in Araras, establishing a church though strongly opposed by the Roman Catholic clergy. They worked in the Bible institute in Jaboticabal. Most of their ministry was spent in Barbacena where they saw seven churches planted and established a Bible institute.

Bobby and Sue served in Brazil until 2007, with a hiatus from 1982 to 1988 when Bobby taught missions classes in the States. Prior to their retirement, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary (about six weeks early) and renewed their vows before more than 300 people.
Following their retirement, they returned to Bobby’s hometown, Goldsboro, North Carolina. They continued serving at Faith FWB Church for many years.

The couple is survived by their children: Debra Roach of Goldsboro; Rebecca (David) Davies of Nashville, TN; and David (Annette) Aycock of Brazil. They are also survived by seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. They were preceded in death by a grandson, Jeremy Roach.
Bobby is survived by a sister; Rose (Gene) Hales of Goldsboro. He was preceded in death by his parents; Hugh and Debbie Cuddington Aycock and a brother, Royal Aycock. Sue is also survived by a sister, Sarah Smith of Texas, and a brother David (Terrie) White of Alaska. She was preceded in death by her parents, Stanton and Helen Sloan White, and a brother, Aaron White.

A joint funeral was held Tuesday, March 18, 2025, with Dann Patrick and Christian Powell officiating.

Herbert Lee Waid, 92, (pictured at right) passed peacefully on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Colquitt Regional Senior Care and Rehabilitation Center in Moultrie, GA.

Born November 12, 1932, in Bloomington, IL, Herbert grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He married Geraldine Gay July 23, 1954, in Nashville, TN.

After graduating from Free Will Baptist Bible College (now Welch College) in Nashville, TN, Herbert was ordained to preach and pastored for several years in North Carolina. Herbert and Geraldine were then appointed to missionary service in Tokyo, Japan, where they served for 17 years.
Upon leaving Japan, Herbert pastored multiple churches in Georgia. In 1985, he accepted the position of executive secretary of the Georgia State Association of Free Will Baptists, serving until his retirement.

After retirement, he pastored Fellowship FWB Church in Albany, Georgia, for 25 years. He served the church until January of this year.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother Stanley; sisters Donna Darlene Alder and Glenda; daughter-in-law Anne Coad Waid; and son-in-law Daniel McVety. He is survived by his wife Geraldine; children Nancy (Royce) Thiessen, Peter, Darlene McVety, Penelope (Kevin) Wilkinson, and Amy (Jacob) Dykxhoorn; 15 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and numerous extended family members.

Reverend Randy Jackson officiated the graveside service April 9, 2025.