wfn.org | ABCUSA: Wiegner Named Development Officer for International

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Rich.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

Ministries

American Baptist News Service (Valley Forge, Pa. 3/23/05)--James Wiegner
has been named development officer for American Baptist International
Ministries, effective July 1, 2005.  The appointment was announced today
by Rev. Charles Jones, acting executive director of International
Ministries.

Wiegner has been serving as a missionary with International Ministries
since 1991, first in Mexico and then in Costa Rica.  In both countries
he has assisted local conventions, churches and associations to create
and expand economic development activities, including credit unions,
cooperatives and microenterprise projects.  Wiegner also has played a
key role in mission education and fundraising among U.S. churches,
finding creative and life-changing ways to enable American Baptists to
have hands-on mission experience with the international partners whom he
has served.  In addition Wiegner has demonstrated considerable gifts in
video production, helping a number of other IM missionaries to tell
their stories effectively through media.

"I am delighted that International Ministries will now be able to make
much broader use of Jim Wiegner's considerable talents," said Jones.
"Jim and his wife, Sara, have been used of God to make a tremendous
contribution to the life of Costa Rican Baptists and indigenous peoples
in Mexico.  I know it will be tough for them to shift to a more indirect
way of supporting those ministries.  At the same time I have always been
impressed with the effective way that Jim helps American Baptists get
excited about and involved in Christ's global mission.	He will make a
great contribution to IM's work with individuals and churches as they
respond to God's call to mission."

K/2005ABNS/05ABN31

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA
x2077 / (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org