ICM Raises Over $10 Million to Drive Reawakening of Great Commission

In what he called a “ground-breaking event,” Dan Betzer, senior pastor of First Assembly of God church in Fort Myers, Fla., said the International Cooperative Ministries raised between $10 million and $15 million for missions during its initial Great Commission Summit at his church last weekend.

The event hosted more than 1,000 businessmen from throughout the United States and Europe, was televised by the Total Christian Television network and by satellite, and was streamed over the Internet to hundreds of thousands around the globe.

The convention was held to raise money to build churches all over the world. In its 26 years, ICM has helped build more than 3,600 churches in 56 countries.

“I have a heart and a passion for missions,” a former executive officer with the General Council of the Assemblies of God who has himself pioneered seven churches. “Our church is certainly committed to missions, and I have a burden to see something really explode in that area.

“We’re hoping to see a reawakening of the great commission for evangelical churches throughout the world, and this event was certainly a blessing and a step in that direction. Overall, it was a great success.”

The convention featured an incredible lineup of guest speakers, including Hobby Lobby Founder and CEO David Green, Christian evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, International Cooperating Ministries Founder and Chair Emeritus Dois Rosser, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, Tanzanian Assemblies of God Superintendent Archbishop Barnabas Mtokambali, and Christian businessman Dr. John Patrick.

“Each one of the speakers had a very different perspective, but they were all extremely anointed,” Betzer said. “Dois Rosser’s story is incredible. He’s 91 years young and still going—a giant and a patriarch. Mr. Ashcroft, David Green and Reinhard Bonnke—they were all incredible.”

According to ICM.org, the organization’s strategy “consists of working together with indigenous partners to build ‘mother’ churches in each country. Each of these ‘mother churches’, in turn, commits to planting at least five ‘daughter’ congregations nearby” within a three-year period.

These churches are required to have 100 members regularly attending and must be able to support the pastor full-time.

Betzer said he believes the weekend’s event is only the start of something big annually, and that his staff got to work on next year’s convention immediately.

“We’ve got a long of long-distance calls and emails from leaders and business people who want to continue to get involved,” Betzer said. “It’s thrilling to me because of the interest we’ve gathered on this. We can’t wait until next year to keep the momentum going on this.”