2007 - Mustard Seed Foundation

Dear friends of the Mustard Seed Foundation,
When we started the Foundation in 1984, we did not have
a fully developed philosophy of giving that would guide this
organization into the future. We did surround ourselves with
people of faith from both the Bakke and Harvey families to
help us discern what good stewardship meant. Over the years,
a simple approach evolved.
The resources entrusted to us don’t belong to us: God has called
us to be stewards or caretakers. We chose to consume as few
of those resources for own lifestyle as reasonable, consistent
with our life callings, and to give the rest away in a thoughtful,
disciplined manner.
Our primary granting strategy has been to discern what local
churches are doing around the world and participate with
them. In the early years of the Foundation’s giving decisions,
we recognized that in order for a ministry project to succeed,
it needed to have local accountability and sustainability.
Churches are the embodiment of Christ in the world. Thus,
over the years, we have matched thousands of initiatives
that local churches around the world have launched and/
or financially supported. Our grants are intended to help a
project in its early years. Supported initiatives ultimately must
be sustained through the work, prayers and financial support
of the churches in their communities.
We fund church sponsored efforts to reach their neighbors with
the good news of Christ, to give economic power to the poor,
and to educate Christians to deepen their faith. We expect that
each grant will accomplish something important in the church
community and has some chance of being both sustainable
and life changing for the people affected. Nearly $5 million, or
50% of Mustard Seed’s 2007 annual budget, was invested in
943 local church initiatives. Over 88% of these grants went to
match local churches outside the United States.
In addition to the core granting discussed above, the
Foundation funds four other initiatives. In 2007 our Harvey
Fellows Program provided $1.1 million in scholarships to 75
gifted Christian graduate students enrolled in elite universities
who are preparing to teach at secular universities or to pursue
leadership positions in other important vocational fields. One
of the highlights of the year was the Harvey Fellows 15th Year
Celebration and Summer Institute in California, where nearly
100 current and past fellows came together for a rich time of
study and celebration.
Over 1,000 students attending Christ-centered colleges and
seminaries outside the United States received $1.5 million in
scholarships through our Theological Education program.
Another 57 students enrolled at Bakke Graduate University
(BGU) were awarded scholarships for their work toward
Doctorate or Masters degrees. Of these scholarships, 77%
were awarded to students who live and minister outside the
United States.
The year also marked the beginning of a new granting program,
Theology of Work. These grants are given to theological
institutions in the US and other parts of the world so that they
can develop curriculum and courses to teach pastors, other
Christian teachers, and lay people to connect Sunday with
Monday. In its inaugural year, 11 Theology of Work grants
totaling $88,000 were awarded.
We want to recognize and thank the 16 members of the staff,
who are ambassadors for Christ and for the Foundation. We
welcomed Vivian Fayek from Cairo to our Middle East staff,
and bid goodbye to John Tooke, who retired in 2007 after six
years as our wise and much beloved staff member in South
Africa. We also want to recognize Eric Hornberger and
Lonni Jackson who, in addition to their regional leadership
responsibilities, assumed the roles of Executive Directors of
the Foundation.
The Junior Board, comprised of members of the Harvey and
Bakke families ages 13 to 18, awarded 17 grants totaling nearly
$200,000. Stuart Harvey succeeded Nathan Mansell as Board
Chair. On the Senior Board, Margaret Harvey Thompson
became a permanent Board member and Carolyn Thompson
and Elizabeth Bakke were elected to new five-year terms. We
are extremely grateful for the dedicated, wise participation of
all of our board members.
Looking ahead to 2008, we anticipate an operating budget
of $10 million, the largest in the history of the Foundation.
We plan to add a regional staff member in Southeast Asia,
and we will launch the Daniel Award, a scholarship program
in India modeled after the Harvey Fellows Program. Most
importantly, we will celebrate 25 years of God’s faithfulness
to the Mustard Seed Foundation and our mission to support
the work of Christ and his people around the world
In Christ,
Dennis and Eileen Bakke
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