Our ministry aims to help missionaries continue serving with physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial health. Tim began administrating the Ethnos360’s Members’ Benefits Department, in 2007, after returning with his late wife, Teresa, from church-planting on the field of Papua New Guinea. Members’ Benefits includes medical, life, and emergency evacuation insurances. Rhonda, who served with her late husband, Dave Wilkinson, in church planting and then in MK education, also in Papua New Guinea, joined Tim in life and ministry in September 2021. She serves in the Member Care department, helping missionaries with encouragement, peer counseling, and coaching.
The mission owns and operates its own member-funded Medical Insurance Plan for Ethnos360 members. The purpose of our Medical Plan is to insure that catastrophic medical bills do not become the unexpected personal financial burden for a missionary or for those who financially support them. Though missionaries must raise funding to pay their monthly insurance premiums, the cost is far more reasonable than if they went with a private plan, or if they needed to seek financial help from supporters for 10’s of 1,000’s of dollars for an urgent medical situation or costly procedure. Our required Medical plan enrollment also helps alleviate the risk of missionaries leaving the field of service due to medical indebtedness. The Medical Plan now processes over $5.5 Million worth of medical claims for Ethnos360 missionaries and their dependents annually.
Tim and his team insure that the Medical Plan continues to remain financially “healthy,” despite the spiraling rise in health care costs each year. Tim’s responsibilities also include participating in consultation meetings, updating the annual Policy booklet, answering missionaries’ many questions, insuring that claims are processed accurately and quickly, updating the enrollment roster each month, and paying various vendors, etc.
The Member Care ministry exists to be a blessing to Ethnos360 Members, and value them, wherever they
are serving, by pointing them to the Lord as their true source of spiritual and emotional strength and
encouragement, that they may find rest and refreshment in Him as they fulfill their ministry assignment. Rhonda’s job involves regular prayer for and communication with the missionary individuals or couples assigned to her. It includes debriefings, as needed, and coaching towards spiritual and emotional wellness for successful life and ministry function.
Travel can be necessary, domestically or internationally, to visit Ethnos360 Members under her care. She must keep accurate and confidential records of interactions with Members. As a Member Care Facilitator, she 0ffers hospitality to Ethnos360 members, helps conduct Member development workshops, and works to gain new knowledge, skills, techniques and experience to be better equipped to care for Ethnos360 Members.
Reaching tribal people with the Gospel requires a large team of Christians, each working together in the ministry that God has given them. You are part of this team, as together; we are involved in taking the Gospel to tribal people, for the very first time. We are thankful to God for each of you who faithfully prays for us and sends us financial gifts.