2019 2020 Müllers Annual Report

Annual Report
2019 - 2020
Siblings assisted by our partners Send a Cow as part of the Ugandan Orphan
Project, prayerfully and financially supported by Müllers (page 14/15)

PRAYER WORKS &
ACTIONS MATTER
PRAYER WORKS & ACTIONS MATTER
Contents
Our Purpose 4
Inspiring Faith 6
Despite having been a
Christian for over 35 years,
I continue to be surprised
and inspired by God’s use of the
“ordinary”. We see throughout the
Bible how “ordinary” people can
do “ordinary” things in prayer and
faith that God then turns into the
extraordinary. I am particularly
struck by the Sanhedrin’s opinion
of Peter and John, arrested for
healing a lame man in Acts 4:
“When they saw the courage
of Peter and John and realised
that they were unschooled,
ordinary men, they were
astonished, and they took note
that these men had been with
Jesus. But since they could see
the man who had been healed
standing there with them, there
was nothing they could say.”
(Acts 4:13-14)
These two unremarkable men
joined their actions to their faith
so as not only to bring hope
and wholeness to a vulnerable
individual but also to declare the
truth of the risen Jesus Christ to
those very people who, only weeks
before, had plotted Jesus’ death.
God took their ordinary lives and
did something extraordinary
through them.
This can also be seen in the life
of George Müller. While there
is no question that he would be
considered a modern hero of the
Christian faith, I doubt he would be
comfortable with this evaluation.
He viewed himself with humility,
knowing who he was before God
and knowing who his God was
before him. Müller saw himself as
an ordinary believer who combined
his actions and faith to see God
do extraordinary things. As he
put it, “No one ought to expect to
see much good resulting from his
labours in word, and doctrine, if
he is not much given to prayer and
meditation.”
Müller’s life and work in 19th
century Bristol comprises a legacy
entrusted to us at Müllers as we
seek to serve God in similar ways
today. It is a privilege and honour
to pray that we might see God do
extraordinary things through the
ordinary lives of our partners and
ourselves.
As we have completed our move
into one of the original Orphan
Homes we have seen God take an
ordinary office move and turn it
into an extraordinary opportunity—
through the museum’s telling of the
story of George Müller—to inspire
people’s faith through the story of
Müller.
As we have continued to administer
the donations given to the
Scriptural Knowledge Institution
(S.K.I.), we have been amazed at
how God takes faithful acts of
ordinary kindness and uses them
to do extraordinary things in the
lives of vulnerable children and
communities around the globe,
helping to nurture families.
As we have continued to deliver
theological training and Equip
Events in our usual, ordinary way
God has extraordinarily prepared,
inspired and equipped people to
grow the Kingdom of God in their
communities by strengthening
churches.
As we press on with our ordinary
daily routine of committing to God
in prayer our finances, our efforts
and the work of our partners, we
have seen our God’s extraordinary
provision as he works to transform
communities.
This last year has been significant
for us as we have been led by God
into the start of a new phase in
the Charity’s life. Our move to Loft
House was the beginning of this.
We have spent time clarifying our
vision and mission, and listening to
God for direction for the future. We
have also appointed a new Charity
Leader: Joel Preston has succeeded
Dan Doherty, who has moved on
to pastures new. We would like
to thank Dan for navigating us
through many of the successes and
challenges of the past year.
My hope is that this report will
inspire and encourage you to
see the work that God is doing
through Müllers and the people
who support us. I hope that we will
become firmer in our conviction
that prayer works and actions
matter. Lastly, I hope that we will
see an extraordinary God doing
extraordinary things in and through
our ordinary lives.
Stewart North
Chair of Trustees
Prayer Points:
• Please pray for the staff and
trustees as they work to
strengthen the church to meet
the needs of the vulnerable.
• Please pray for our partners
around the world to be
empowered by the Holy Spirit
to continue caring for the most
vulnerable in their societies.
Nurturing Families 10
Strengthening 16
Churches
Transforming 22
Communities
Other News 25
Finances 26
Looking Forward 27
with Faith
2 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org
3

OUR
PURPOSE
OUR PURPOSE
In the 1800s, George Müller cared for 10,000 orphans in Bristol. As
well as organising the fine details of that task, he also worked as a
pastor, preacher and missionary.
People all around the world are still inspired by his legacy of faith,
prayer and action.
The vision of George Müller is still alive and active today as we
continue to strengthen the church to meet the needs of the
vulnerable. We achieve this through four key areas of work: inspiring
faith, nurturing family, strengthening churches and transforming
communities.
Working Together
We believe that it is not possible to help a child or young person
in isolation. Müllers relies on two things for all that it does: (1) the
gracious provision of God for the work, which comes through (2) the
generous donations of countless individuals. As the power of God is
the spiritual fuel that powers our mission, so the work of S.K.I. is the
hidden human mechanism that facilitates it.
Our vision is one in which individuals, families, churches and even
whole communities are able to support children and young people
from all walks of life in realising their full potential. We are convinced
that prayer works and actions matter, so we will continue to
strengthen the Church to meet the needs of the vulnerable.
Inspiring
Faith
We want to inspire faith in individual people
by telling the story of our founder George
Müller. We do this through our interactive
museum and by providing quality resources.
We believe that George Müller’s story is
inspiring regardless of whether or not
people share his faith commitments. His
story shows the potential for benefitting
society that can result from dedication,
hard work and sacrificial choices. We also
wish to inspire Christians to trust God more
fully and completely for the whole of their
lives, as Müller did. Although best-known
for his faith that God would provide for the
children’s work in the homes, he showed
similar faith and trust in God’s provision in
his private life too, as his Narrative attests.
It is through being inspired to action that
hope and wholeness can be brought to
disadvantaged people.
Nurturing
Families
We believe that all individuals should be
part of a family. Family ought to be where
children and young people experience the
loving relationships, stability and security
that they need to thrive.
We recognise that people’s experiences
of family and home life differ greatly,
both in our own culture and in the many
different cultures we are working in, but we
nevertheless remain committed to the belief
that every child deserves a loving family.
Whether in Bristol, other parts of the U.K.,
or around the world, we believe that family
is of foundational importance for children to
receive hope and wholeness.
It says in the Psalms that God sets the lonely
in families (Psalms 68:6), and throughout
Scripture there is a breadth to the
concept of family that pushes against the
contemporary Western tendency to flatten
it to “parents and children”. We believe that
the Christian faith unites people from all
over the globe into a family and that “when
one member suffers, all members suffer
together” (1 Corinthians 12:27).
Strengthening
Churches
As individuals thrive best as part of a family,
so we believe that the integrity of the family
should be strengthened and encouraged
by the local Church. This can happen
through practical means like toddler groups,
community cafés, parenting courses, and
links with a local school.
We also believe that the church is uniquely
placed to offer spiritual resources to both
individuals and families that will strengthen
them in their important role. These include
worship, prayer, hearing the Word of
God in Scripture, and evangelism. To help
churches in this vital task, we partner with
local congregations both prayerfully and
practically, enabling them to serve their
communities.
Transforming
Communities
We partner with individuals, churches and
charities that are working to transform
communities all over the world through
initiatives that seek to challenge injustice,
alleviate poverty, plant churches, and
provide education, healthcare, housing,
water and sanitation.
For over 150 years we have responded to
the biblical mandate to “care for orphans
and widows in their distress” (James 1:27),
and it remains a significant part of our
worldwide ministry.
Our aim is that children and young people
can belong to a community that is free from
war, poverty and injustice, enabling them to
fulfil their God-given potential.
4 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org 5

INSPIRING
FAITH
In his lifetime, George Müller’s
hope was that others might see
that God is faithful and hears
prayers. In the same way, Müllers
seeks to inspire faith today. It
does this by telling George Müller’s
story of a life lived by prayer and
action, and through the ongoing
work of the Trust. George Müller’s
story encourages many Christians,
but what is equally inspiring for
those who are not Christians is that
he responded to the desperate
need on his doorstep, eventually
caring for 10,000 orphans.
This year we completed the move
of our office and museum from
Cotham Park to a section of the
second original Orphan Home on
Ashley Down. Returning to this
building has been an answer to
prayer and has allowed many of
our hopes to be fulfilled. We have
seen increased visitors to our
new museum and have had many
opportunities to share the story of
the building in which we are now
based.
One local visitor remarked,
“When things are tough, I drive
and park near these orphan
homes, and I say to myself, ‘If
God did this then, he can do it
now for me.’”
The buildings serve as a constant
reminder of God’s faithfulness,
which George Müller strived to
demonstrate in his lifetime, and it’s
fantastic that people can now come
inside to find out more of the story
behind them.
In September we held a
(re) Opening event as both a
celebration to mark our official
opening and a launch as a new
chapter begins for the charity. We
invited all those who had worked
on the project with us as well as
former boys and girls and previous
staff and trustees. During the
evening our local Mayor, Marvin
Rees, and local school student
Freya unveiled a plaque and we
told the story of how the move had
come about. We thanked everyone
who worked with us to make the
project a success and recalled how
God had answered our prayers
throughout the process.
Prayer Point:
• Please pray that many more
people will hear the story of
George Müller in the coming
year and be inspired in faith
and good works.
We opened the doors
to our new interactive
museum in September
2019. Since then we have
welcomed 1,644 visitors – a 158%
increase on the same time period
last year. They came from all
over the world, from as far afield
as Taiwan, the U.S.A., Australia,
Brazil and the Faroe Islands. The
new museum provides a fun and
contemporary way to present the
amazing story of George Müller
and visitors often comment on how
inspired they are as they leave.
Some arrive already inspired by
Müller’s life and we love hearing
their stories too. We have been
pleased to welcome more visitors
from the Bristol area who had
previously been unaware of the
impact of Müller’s faith and work in
the city.
Our new volunteer recruits have
been a vital asset in helping us
provide a warm welcome to our
visitors. Each of our volunteers
staffs the museum for three
hours per week, being on hand to
assist and answer any questions
that visitors may have. The social
aspect of volunteering has been
fun, and at Christmas we enjoyed
carols, mince pies and a quiz to
test our growing knowledge of the
story! We are on the lookout for
more volunteers to join the team
so please get in touch if you, or
someone you know, is interested.
The new museum is proving a
wonderful facility for showcasing
George Müller’s incredible example
of inspirational faith and action,
with interactive exhibits, original
artefacts and orphan uniforms
to try on. We are building good
partnerships with other Bristol
museums which, along with our
social media presence, are helping
to establish the museum on
the Bristol map. We would love
to share the story more widely
with people from all faiths and
worldviews as it is so inspiring, and
we have had excellent feedback
from visitors so far.
A highlight of the year was our
Family Fun event in February
half-term when we welcomed 20
families for Victorian crafts and
cakes. Children created paper
lilies, toy spinners and needlework
samplers. The feedback from this
was so positive that we hope to
run similar events in future school
holidays.
You can follow us on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram on
@mullersmuseum, or please
do visit our Kids Extra page for
activities at home:
www.mullers.org/extra
6 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org 7

INSPIRING FAITH
INSPIRING FAITH
Schools Work
This year also saw an increase
in the numbers of schools
visiting the museum. We
welcomed 391 students, which is
a 167% increase on the previous
year. They love hearing the story,
handling artefacts and trying on
orphan uniforms. The reputation
of the museum is growing among
local teachers. This year visits
came from 11 different schools
and colleges, up from last year’s
total of three. Our volunteers play
a vital role in hosting these visits,
whether through practical setting
up, creating resources or through
presenting the materials.
We co-hosted a Teacher Training
Day in October with Heritage
Schools, which attracted 17 local
teachers who enjoyed exploring
the museum and learning some
practical ways to include Müller as
part of their History teaching. We
also worked with Heritage Schools
to co-host a George Müller Day
for a local school. The day started
with an assembly where George
Müller himself (played by an actor,
of course) answered the children’s
questions about his life and care
of the orphans. We then welcomed
some of the children to the
museum in the afternoon where
they tried bread and treacle which,
although unappetising to many
children today, was a treat for the
orphans in George Müller’s time.
We have developed a partnership
with a local secondary school who
have named one of their student
“houses” after Müller, thereby
hoping to inspire the students to
become pioneers of justice, faith
and service. We presented the
story of Müller in an assembly at
the school and are planning to
host every student member of the
house to the museum at some
point in the academic year.
We have hosted several student
groups from City of Bristol College
Post-16, who currently occupy
Orphan Home Nos Four and Five.
A return visit by museum staff
yielded some interesting new
knowledge about the layout of the
homes and a trip to what was the
orphans’ swimming pool, now the
college cafeteria.
As well as welcoming students to
the museum, we have also—with
the help of our volunteer team—
visited six schools and spoken to
508 students about Müller’s life
and work. We hope to recruit more
volunteers as demand for outreach
visits grows.
Prayer
We wholeheartedly believe
in the power of prayer
and, just as it was for
George Müller, our work remains
rooted in prayer. Our staff team
pray together each weekday
morning, and we are thankful
for all those who stand with us
in prayer to support people and
situations around the world.
One of our partners commented
that this year, in answer to prayer,
“We have seen God provide
supernaturally for international
travel, paying our personal
bills and giving us emotional
strength to keep reaching out
to needy people.”
Similarly, an organisation in Africa
that we prayerfully support said,
“We received a glorious answer
to prayer this year when funds
were donated (through S.K.I.) to
enable us to almost complete
both the on-site staff quarters
and the new dormitories for
students, both of which were
urgently needed. The local
government also recognised
the school by making it an
exam centre (for which we
receive a small amount of
funds). God blessed our piggery
project and we were able to
teach farming skills to over 40
people in the local community,
many of whom have now been
able to start their own small
farm projects. The church has
continued to grow and we
reached numbers of nearly 400
at one service, praise God!”
Thank you for creating a network of
prayer that upholds our partners,
joining them in praying for
situations which affect their daily
lives and those of the communities
around them. If you'd like to join us
in prayer do get in touch to find out
more about receiving our monthly
Prayer Digest.
8 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org 9

NURTURING
FAMILIES
Highlights of The Year:
• Contact with approximately
3500 people over 27 events in
Bristol
• The screening of a Fuelcast
film, created to show the need
in Bristol, on Father’s Day 2019
NURTURING FAMILIES:
HOME FOR GOOD
Family looks different across
different cultures but at
Müllers we believe that
children and young people should
experience loving relationships,
stability and the security they need
to thrive. Just as George Müller
cared for the physical, mental and
spiritual wellbeing of the children
in his care in the 1800s so too
Müllers continues to nurture
families by partnering with other
organisations to provide support.
As part of the vision to nurture
families Müllers supports Home
for Good as it works in Bristol to
help find a home for every child
who needs one. Clare Walker,
South West regional manager for
Home for Good, gave the following
report:
Home for Good is so grateful
both for the welcome Müllers
and churches across Bristol
have given them and the
opportunities to share God’s
heart for vulnerable children
during the last year. Like
Müllers, we at Home for Good
wholeheartedly believe that
children should be raised in
families and that we, as God’s
people, should open our homes
and hearts to welcome those
who are unable to grow up in
their birth families.
During our first year working
in Bristol, we have preached
in churches, run fostering and
adoption information events,
established a peer support for
foster carers/adopters and their
families, run a Foundations
Course for those interested
in fostering and adoption and
supported several households
as they have explored this
process. This has been possible
due to the support of an
amazing team of voluntary
champions who encourage
their churches to ensure caring
for vulnerable children is on the
agenda.
In January Home for Good
organised and hosted a day
conference at City Hall in
Bristol to highlight the needs
of vulnerable children and
families across the city. With
friends from KidsMatter, Safe
Families and Transforming
Lives for Good, we sought
to engage church leaders
with difficulties families are
facing, and to enable local
government to see the role that
Christians are already playing
in supporting them, in order
to inspire further possibilities
for the future. One person
commented that it was “Great
to see such wonderful work
being done to help impact
children and families lives.
These conversations need to
happen more often.”
• The growth of Bristol
champions from four to eight
• The establishment of a support
group in North Bristol
• The Equip Event hosted by
Müllers in March 2019
• Running three Foundations
Courses to help people explore
fostering and adoption
• The Factories of Hope
Conference held in City Hall in
January 2020.
Prayer Points:
• Please pray for church
communities to be places of
welcome and support for foster
carers, adopters and children
with experience of the care
system.
• Please pray for children to be
welcomed into Homes for Good
through fostering or adoption
as a result of Christians
recognising God’s call to care.
• Please pray for the dedicated
social workers and children’s
services teams in Bristol.
To find out more about Home for Good’s work in Bristol:
Please visit www.homeforgood.org.uk/bristol
or contact Clare via clare.walker@homeforgood.org.uk
10 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org 11

NURTURING FAMILIES
What is S.K.I.?
With your help, Müllers
partners with individuals
and organisations in
many different countries around
the world continuing the work of
the Scriptural Knowledge Institute
(S.K.I.), which George Müller
founded in 1834. It is a key way
individuals partner with us not
only to nurture families, but
also to inspire faith, strengthen
churches and transform
communities around the globe.
This year, with your help Müllers
has prayerfully supported partners,
distributed funds to ministries
around the world, and been
enabled to continue making grants
through our Orphans and Widows
of the World initiatives.
£143,692
Müllers’ grants through
Orphans of the World Initiative
£47,860
Müllers’ grants through Widows
of the World Initiative
£1,317,652
Total distributed through S.K.I.
Further reports from our S.K.I.
partners give us a glimpse into the
way God has used this support
to further His Kingdom and
strengthen the Church to meet the
needs of the vulnerable.
One such partner supported
through S.K.I. is based in the
Middle East and works tirelessly
to support refugees in camps.
In order to protect the work and
prevent security repercussions,
Müllers cannot reveal the name
and location of this project. Many
people served by the project are
distressed, anxious and grieving.
The project provides essential
services to children in particular,
including safeguarding, counselling,
education and purposeful
recreational activities that help
children to process what is
happening in their lives.
In one of the refugee camps
children have been reaching
out to their communities. On
International Children’s Day, some
of the staff, some mothers, and 70
children went out into the camp
and distributed flowers and cards
that the children had made, which
provided written information about
children’s rights. This activity was
very well-received, and it led to
NURTURING FAMILIES:
S.K.I.
people reading the information and
thanking the children for the gifts.
Activities such as rock climbing
have helped the young people
work together, trust one another
and achieve something they didn’t
think possible. You can see their
confidence grow as a result of
reaching the top of the rock face.
There is ongoing tension in the
region which has led to violence. To
counter this, evangelical churches
in the area have come together
to pray, have started small “field
hospitals” and provided services to
those wounded, as well as meals.
People have been emboldened,
and on one occasion a group of
young people bravely went into the
street to worship in the midst of a
protest.
Prayer Points:
• Please pray for funding to be
forthcoming.
• Please pray for peace to be
brought into the political
situation and that those with
power will be given wisdom
and compassion to bring about
solutions.
12 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org 13

NURTURING FAMILIES
Send a Cow
It has been a privilege to
prayerfully and financially
support the Send a Cow
Ugandan Orphan Project since June
2016. Through this project we have
seen amazing examples of God’s
provision and His restoration of
families. As this five year project
concludes, we are so thankful to
hear how many of these families
are thriving, and how much they
have learnt. Many of them are now
also teaching what they have learnt
to other families too.
In a previous report Annual Report
(2016-2017) we highlighted Agnes
and her siblings, who had lost both
their parents to H.I.V. and were
part of this project. We are pleased
to be able to report further on
them now. Agnes spoke to Send a
Cow saying:
“A lot has changed since Send a
Cow came into our lives. Before
we would have no lunch. On
a lucky day, we would drink
porridge for lunch or sleep
hungry with no supper. All
that has changed. We can now
afford two meals a day: lunch
and supper. By the end of
the project we will be totally
changed because we even own
a cow. Send a Cow has done
great things. I received training
in tailoring and I received a
sewing machine. [My brother]
Gerald also trained as an
apprentice in building and
construction.”
Their family cow is now also in calf,
promising even further nutrition
and income benefits for the family.
We thank God that over the past
three and a half years, the Uganda
Orphans project has helped
around 400 families like Agnes’ to
improve their home, hygiene and
nutrition—and enabled them to
start generating their own income
as well. Income from selling
surplus produce, such as cow’s milk
and vegetables, in turn enables
these families to pay for education
materials and basic needs for the
home.
In response to several cases of
poor dental health, the project
also partnered with medical staff
to provide a free day of health
services to the community. People
came from far and wide to receive
treatment and advice, which has
been a great practical support to
the community.
The Savings Groups (pictured)
set up by the project have been
extremely successful. At the start
of the project members rarely
had enough money to feed their
families. Now they can grow their
own food, eat well and become
healthy and confident. They are
also starting to save, enabling
them to make plans beyond their
immediate needs.
The families have also been
trained in developing resilience
to the effects of climate change.
This includes activities such as
capturing rainwater, horticulture,
tree-planting, forest management
and building energy-saving stoves.
These not only reduce their carbon
footprint but also improve soil
fertility and boost ecosystems, in
turn transforming the lives of these
farming communities.
Müllers is delighted to see
the impact of our prayer and
financial support, and we thank
God for many answered prayers.
Throughout the project, we have
had the privilege of receiving
prayer requests, updates and
answers to prayer, which has
increased our own faith. The
Müllers staff and trustees are
committed to praying that all our
partners might see God’s kingdom
come.
We praise God for these and many
other wonderful examples of how
Send a Cow is nurturing families
and how good practices are being
passed on to others, transforming
whole communities. We thank
God that this is bringing hope and
wholeness and making a lasting
contribution to people’s everyday
lives. As this project now draws
NURTURING FAMILIES:
SEND A COW
to a close, we look forward to
partnering with Send a Cow on
future projects.
Prayer Points:
• Please pray for these families
to retain improved health
and teach it to others in their
communities.
• Please pray that the Savings
Groups might continue to
bring freedom and life to their
families and that members
would use their money wisely.
• Please pray that the Lord
would use the training to
develop resilience to the
effects of climate change.
14 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org 15

STRENGTHENING CHURCHES
STRENGTHENING
CHURCHES
When George Müller started
the orphanage work, he
was a pastor leading a
church in Bristol, and although
best known for his orphan work,
he continued to support local
churches through preaching and
prayer all his life. Today Müllers
still supports local—and global—
churches and their leaders,
strengthening local congregations
as they live in faithful obedience
to the gospel in their homes and
communities.
Leadership Support
Leadership mentoring is one
aspect of how Müllers strengthens
churches. Tim Dobson (pictured),
a local church leader and church
consultant for Müllers, meets with
local church leaders for mentoring.
Together, Tim and the leaders
discuss and pray about issues
including outreach, church health,
leadership resilience and spiritual
growth. Tim has met with church
leaders from Horfield, Whitchurch,
Yate, Easton, Portishead and
Twerton this year, and they all
share a vision for meeting the
needs of the vulnerable.
Tim also conducts church
leadership team reviews, which
strengthen churches by bringing a
renewed vision and healthier team
life. In one example, Tim walked
a local fellowship through the
prayerful process of reflecting on
the need for a paid leader, which
did result in an appointment.
Youth Workers Forum
Since 2000 Müllers has supported
Bristol’s Youth Workers Forum.
Youth workers from across the
region have gathered together
on four occasions this year to
encourage each other, share
good practice, receive input and
contribute to a city-wide vision for
reaching young people.
Equip Events
Müllers also partners with external
organisations to run Equip Events
that resource local churches and
individuals. This year we ran more
specific, shorter events that have
covered: Youth and Mental Health
(with TalkThrough Workshops),
Fostering and Adoption (with
Home for Good), and Caring for
the Elderly (with Bible Reading
Fellowship (BRF)).
A highlight was being able to host
two events focused on spiritual
care for older people (pictured),
which were led by Debbie Thrower
of the BRF sharing her experience
of Anna Chaplaincy for older
people. Both events gave a fantastic
opportunity to explore in more
detail the spiritual and emotional
issues facing individuals growing
old in the twenty-first century.
16 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org 17

STRENGTHENING CHURCHES
STRENGTHENING CHURCHES
Practical
Theology
Course
The Practical Theology Course
strengthens churches by helping
members of local congregations
to reflect on what they pray and
proclaim. It helps to mould the
faith, character and worldview of
participants, providing role models
for young people in the Church.
This is an integral part of our vision
to strengthen the church.
The American author Marilynne
Robinson says that ‘Science can
give us knowledge, but it cannot
give us wisdom. Nor can religion,
until it puts aside nonsense and
distraction and becomes itself
again.’ Her insightful assessment
is sharp for Christians—who
are “religious” people, whether
or not they think so—can easily
become distracted and talk
nonsense. The Bible agrees. As
we learnt when we looked at the
book of Job on the course this
year, the Lord admonished Job’s
comforters because they had not
spoken of Him what was right, as
Job had done (42:7, 8). They had
spoken to Job about God, but had
misrepresented Him: there was too
much nonsense and distraction.
In addition, they had much to
say to Job, but—unlike Job—they
never spoke to God: there was
little wisdom. Speaking rightly of
God—wise speech—includes both
speech to God about others and
speech to others about God: prayer
and proclamation. The Practical
Theology Course encourages the
students to speak rightly about
God in both their prayer and
proclamation.
This year’s intake of 20 students
represents 11 churches, and
they are ministering in Youth
Work, Congregational Eldership,
Family Work, Internships,
Ministry Leading, and Church
Administration. As we worked
through the Bible we reflected on
who this God is to whom we pray,
and how great His love is towards
us. As we discussed contemporary
issues facing the church and
thought about Mission, we
reflected on how we proclaim this
love to our friends and neighbours
in a way that is truly faithful to the
Gospel. And as we met together
each week to talk about our
encouragements and challenges,
to worship and to support one
another in prayer we realised how
inextricably connected are our
prayers and our beliefs.
“Müllers, as a Practical Theology
course, has been so helpful in
marrying up theological theory
and reflection with grounded
practice in church ministry. I
have often come to Müllers
with questions ranging from
ecclesiology and missiology
to Christology and more
personal discipleship queries
- and everything in between.
This has led to interesting
and fruitful discussions which
have deepened my theological
understanding, thus enriching
my ministry placement and
challenging me in my own
discipleship. I am so grateful
for the Müllers family and for
the relationships that have
been built during this year.”
Iloni Kingston-Smith
As I write, the Coronavirus
pandemic has pushed the course
online. We are grateful to have
the technology such that most
of the students can continue to
meet online weekly to encourage
one another, speak to the Lord
about one another, and speak to
one another about our Lord and
His marvellous message to us in
Scripture.
Prayer Points:
• "A healthy church is a growing
church." Please pray for
the spiritual health of local
leaders and churches so that
the gospel and the wholeness
and hope it brings can be
proclaimed across the Bristol
area.
• Please also pray for creative
ways to resource children's
and youth work, and that the
Youth Workers Forum would
remain a helpful provision for
local Youthworkers.
• Please pray that the
Practical Theology Course
would continue to serve the
churches of the Bristol area
by strengthening individuals
in their faith, and that they in
turn would help to strengthen
their congregations.
18 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org 19

STRENGTHENING CHURCHES
STRENGTHENING CHURCHES
Samm
and Andy
Cheesman
Samm and Andy live in Szeged
(pictured), southern Hungary, where
they are working regular jobs and
raising a young family. Andy also
serves by leading a local church. We
are so pleased to support Andy in this
ministry, and to hear Andy’s ongoing
work of building up the church in
Szeged.
It has been a year of change for
them. Last summer brought a lot of
new faces into the church and some
of these new people were particularly
in need, bringing fresh challenges
and opportunities. A lot of work
has also gone into the preparation
and roll-out of new and updated
ministries in order to breathe new
life into the church. There are plans
to start an Alpha course, a Marriage
course and a ministry for wholeness
in Christ - a lot of work for only a
small team of volunteers.
We are encouraged to hear that the
church is looking for fresh ways to
reach young people. A new monthly
gathering of youth and young adults
needs our prayers as they manage
wide age-ranges and differing
levels of spiritual maturity and
commitment. The church leadership
is seeking to revitalise the Sunday
school in a loving, gracious way that
does not alienate those who have
faithfully served for many years:
“We are just trying to show love/
interest and that Jesus is real for
every situation.”
It is wonderful to hear that the
church was bursting at Christmas
with a visit from the Szeged Roma
church. One of the things on Andy’s
heart is not to be only a seasonal
church. The slogan “Nem csak” (not
only) is on their minds as they shape
the church into a 24/7 reflection
of Jesus Christ and the church has
had a week of prayer with other
churches in Szeged. These have been
very positive steps and they are
looking forward to building deeper
relationships with other churches.
We want to bless and support this
work, to see them and the church
in Szeged strengthened in the Holy
Spirit, and to see their community
transformed and lives changed as
people come to know Jesus.
Prayer Points:
• Please pray for positivity and
unity in the church going
forward through many changes
and new starts.
• Please pray for the Lord to
strengthen and equip this
church as they reach out to
people in need and seek to
bring transformation to their
community.
• Please pray that their
connections with the local Roma
church, traditionally perceived
as “outsiders” and viewed with
suspicion, would be a powerful
witness to local people.
Arévalo Squire
Family
Dennis and Charmian Arévalo-
Squire live with their four children
in Lima, Peru, where they lead a
church. Their church is focussed on
reaching many vulnerable people
in the community, and its activities
include groups for children and
young people, groups that support
women’s development, refugee
and orphan care, and advocacy to
oppose human trafficking. We are so
pleased to be in partnership with this
missional church and to report on the
encouraging work continuing there
this year.
The teenage group Encendidos draws
together young people from different
backgrounds, including international
friends. Some are Venezuelan
refugees and we thank God that
at Encendidos they find a place to
belong and receive advice and care.
This school year they began a new
mentoring scheme in which each
teenager has someone they can go
to for advice and encouragement
and who is committed to regularly
asking how they are. It is wonderful
to hear how this scheme is tackling
the anxieties and struggles of the
young people as they navigate the
many competing voices in their
culture and peer groups. The group
also meets for lunch once a month
to cook and eat Venezuelan, Peruvian
and international food and enjoy
friendship together.
It is also exciting to hear of Dennis
being invited to preach and teach in
the Peruvian Amazon, where he has
met with many tribal leaders who
travel as missionaries into the deep
jungle bordering Brazil.
We continue to bless and support the
work of the Arévalo-Squire family, to
see the church strengthened in Lima
as they reach those in need in their
community and bring God’s kingdom
transformation there.
Prayer Points:
• Please pray for the Encendidos
group to bring lasting change in
young people and grow to reach
even more young people in need.
• Please pray for the isolated tribes
of Peru to be reached with good
news and for it to bring hope to
their communities.
• Please pray for the church’s work
with the most vulnerable in this
society - refugees, orphans and
those in extreme poverty.
• Please pray for Charmian
in her role as director of El
Refugio children’s home, which
provides a loving and safe home
to children abandoned due to
extreme poverty.
20 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org 21

TRANSFORMING
COMMUNITIES
Communities have a vital role
to play in enabling children
and young people from all
walks of life to realise their full
potential. Our aim is that children
and young people belong to a
community that reflects the values
of the Kingdom of God, being free
from war, poverty and injustice.
Operation
Mobilisation
(O.M.)
We are delighted to partner with
OM’s economic empowerment
project Unique Star in Lahore,
Pakistan. It is a wonderful example
of work that shares our vision
in which individuals, families,
churches and whole communities
can support children and young
people from all walks of life. This
year has seen many stories of
God’s provision as the program
continues to transform lives and
communities.
As individuals in churches apply for
loans, Unique Star brings O.M. into
partnership with many churches
with whom they previously did not
have any contact. These churches
then also serve alongside O.M. in
relief, development and outreach.
Meanwhile, the openness of the
Christian business community in
Pakistan is giving the church access
to a different, more influential
sphere of society, which is an
exciting opportunity to see God’s
kingdom begin to transform these
communities.
More women are applying for
loans for small businesses, which
is a significant and potentially
dangerous challenge to the
prevailing culture in Pakistan. O.M.
has to manage this very carefully
as it provides training and loans
to help lift whole communities
out of poverty. However, Unique
Star continues to work counterculturally
by offering training
focussed on women and by
encouraging women in the church
to take up this training and to apply
for loans.
Here are just a couple of the stories
we have been encouraged by, which
show how Unique Star is positively
transforming lives and communities in
Lahore.
Musayyab’s family runs a dairy farm
business and his loan is helping him
to produce good quality, organic and
reasonably priced milk. This gives him
positive relationships with his supply
chain and, as they are the only Christian
family in the village, he uses this
goodwill as an opportunity to share the
love of Christ with his community.
Agnes has been running a store for
ten years. In the fourth year, the shop
was burned down, and she turned to
Unique Star for a loan. She is so grateful
to God for His provision, which enabled
her to rebuild her shop and continue to
provide for her family’s needs so that
her children can still go to school and
have enough food to eat.
Asfand is 33 and drives a rickshaw that
he bought with a loan. He is grateful to
God and looks for ways to serve Him
through this work as he shares the love
of God with the community. On one
occasion he picked up a family whose
child was very ill. He suggested that they
go to church for prayer, after which the
child’s condition improved. He was even
able to give them a New Testament and
stay in touch. Asfand hopes that the
income he gains will support his future
family.
TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES
We are so encouraged to see God at
work through this project, as small loans
bring about big change in people’s lives,
which then go on to be transformative
in communities in Lahore. Following
its success, O.M. will now be looking
to rebrand Unique Star, changing the
name to Living Hope. This will give
opportunities to expand operations
into poorer rural areas, where it has
always been its vision to work. Müllers
is excited to continue partnership in
this work in order to see even more
communities transformed so that
children can grow up free from poverty
and injustice, and fulfil their God-given
potential.
Prayer Points:
• Please join us in supporting O.M.
in prayer as they act counterculturally
in reaching women and
breaking traditional barriers within
their communities.
• Please pray as O.M. re-writes
the training so that women are
empowered to start businesses
despite the cultural challenges.
• Please pray as the O.M. Pakistan
leadership team plan expansion
later this year. Please pray for the
Lord to provide resources including
finance and people, and for O.M. to
be reassured that the Lord’s hand
has taken this program to where it
is now and will give them wisdom
and guidance for the next phase.
22 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org 23

TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES
Bristol
Churches City
Fund
It has been a privilege to be
involved throughout the second
year of the Bristol Churches
City Fund, an initiative aimed at
strategically applying Christian
generosity to needs in the city in a
way that demonstrates partnership
and unity.
Reflecting over the last two years, it
is not hard to see how this echoes
the work of George Müller himself,
who received donations from people
for the needs of the orphan children.
Müller’s Report Booklet in 1858 reads
“I will now in the first place state,
minutely, every single donation,
received still further since May
26, 1857, for providing additional
accommodation for 700 more
Orphans…”
As a charity, we are careful not to be
involved in the fund-raising activity
but we do provide governance and
administration for the receiving,
holding and releasing of funds.
We cover the cost of our own
involvement so that every penny
donated is released to meet the need.
Over the past year, the fund
received donations amounting to
approximately £34,000. These monies
were disbursed to four projects
around debt and mental health. Also,
some of the past year’s donations
were also to provide accommodation
for a family in need as part of a wider
project to address homelessness,
which reflects George Müller’s 1858
intention.
We cannot emphasise enough just
how much hope is being released
into lives alongside the release of
these monies. We know that this is
helping to achieve our own mission
as a charity to strengthen the
Church to meet the needs of the
vulnerable.
We have committed to a third year
of the Fund and, at the date of this
report we are aware of a growing
connection between Coronavirus and
severe local need. This will be an area
for the Bristol Churches City Fund to
address with generosity.
Prayer Points:
• Pray that the projects that
have received funding will be
successful in thier community
initiatives addressing needs
surrounding debt, mental health
and homelessness.
• Pray for those making decisions
about Bristol Churches City
Fund particularly in how to show
kingdom generosity in response
to the impact Coronavirus has on
the region.
OTHER
NEWS
This year has seen a change in
personnel for the Charity as we
bid farewell to our C.E.O., Dan
Doherty, at the end of November.
We are grateful for Dan's work
with us over the last two years in
leading the team, directing a review
of our vision and guiding our move
to Loft House. We had anticipated
there being a few weeks before his
replacement could begin, but we
were delighted at God’s provision of
Joel Preston to take over from Dan
as Charity Leader the same week
that Dan left. We are also preparing
to say goodbye to Jo Formby, our
Administrator and Bookkeeper at the
beginning of March 2020 and have
begun the appointment process for a
replacement.
Many of you will have known that
Beryl Stallabrass, who faithfully
served on the Müllers staff team
for many years, passed away at
the beginning of March 2019. Beryl
devoted herself to serving the Lord
at Müllers for most of her working
life, and had been a part of life at
Müllers for more than 30 years. She
served under five Directors and for
some of that time was the Director's
P.A. / Secretary and latterly was
Dan Doherty & Joel Preston
Administration Manager for many
years. She had an encyclopaedic
knowledge of people and events
connected to Müllers, from its past
right up to the present day.
Our Former Boys and Girls Open Day
for 2019 was held at Müller House
for the last time, just before we
made a move to our new premises.
As always, the event was a fantastic
opportunity for guests to catch up
with friends, remember their time
as residents of the Müller Homes for
Children and share news. It was also
a chance to reflect as many of our
guests remembered Müller House
from their younger years and recalled
those who were no longer able to
join us at these events. We enjoy this
time with our former residents and
continue to pray for them throughout
the year.
Trustees:
S.D. North (Chairman)
E.J. Marsh (Vice Chairman)
A.C. Davies (Company Secretary)
Q.T.S. Elston (Retired 17/06/2020)
E.F.C. Small
D.J. Powell
J.N. Kingston
T.D. Grieve
Directors:
George Müller (Founder) (1834-1898)
James Wright (1898-1905)
George Frederick Bergin (1905-1912)
William M. Bergin (1912-1930)
Alfred E. Green (1930-1940)
Thomas Tilsley (1940-1952)
John McCready (1952-1958)
James J. Rose (1958-1986)
Joseph Cowan (1986-1988)
Robert L. Scott-Cook (1988-1994)
Julian P. Marsh [Chief Exec.] (1994-2008)
Keith Hagon [Chief Exec.] (2008-2012)
Robert L. Scott-Cook (2012-2016)
[Hon. Exec. Chair]
Stewart D. North (2016-2018)
[Hon. Exec. Chair]
Daniel J. Doherty (2018-2019)
[Chief Exec.]
Joel T. Preston
[Charity Leader]
(2019-Present)
24 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
Beryl Stallabrass (Left) and Former Boys and
www.mullers.org 25
Girls Reunion at Müller House (Right)

FINANCIAL
REVIEW
We praise God for His
faithful provision and
continue to look to Him.
We are grateful to all our donors
who contribute to our mission to
strengthen the Church to meet
the needs of the vulnerable.
Gift Aid
We are grateful of the opportunity
to maximise gifts received through
Gift Aid. If you’re a U.K. tax payer
please contact us for more details
as special rules apply for the
Scriptural Knowledge Institution
(S.K.I.).
Legacies
Many of our supporters leave a
legacy through their enduring
support of the charity over
many years, through prayer and
recounting the story of George
Müller to those around them. The
gift of a financial legacy is another
way to make a difference. If you
are considering leaving a legacy,
then please either visit our website
mullers.org, where there is some
useful information, or call us on
0117 924 5001.
Total Income for
2019/2020 Unrestricted
General Funds:
1
2
3
4
5
Donations
Legacies
Rental Income and
Mortgage Interest
Investment Income
Other
Total Expenditure for
2019/2020 Unrestricted
General Funds:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Orphans of the
World Grants
Widows of the
World Grants
Inspiring Faith
Nurturing Families
Strengthening
Churches
Transforming
Communities
Governance
8%
2%
20%
69%
1%
31%
10%
18%
1%
13%
18%
9%
6
5
5
Amount: £584,110
4
4
1
7
2
3
3
Amount: £467,568
The Charity also administered restricted funds of £1,137,235 representing legacies and gifts
received for specific Orphans of the World, Widows of the World missionaries, specific local
events and projects.
Net Gains on Investments for 2019/2020: £260,216 (In Expendable Endowment Fund).
The above figures are taken from the audited Trustees’ Annual Report and Statements for
the year ending 29th February 2020. The full document has been filed with the Charity
Commission and is available from their website.
1
2
LOOKING
FORWARD
With Faith
We compile this annual
report during the period
of lockdown caused
by COVID 19. The Coronavirus
and its effects have swiftly
and dramatically changed the
landscape of charitable work
around the world. Müllers joins
with many other organisations in
considering how best to respond to
the anticipated “new normal,” and
although it seems that so much has
changed, so drastically, in so short
a space of time, we hold on to the
foundational truth that
“Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and for
ever.” Hebrews 13:8
Though our situations, contexts,
culture and world may change, our
God does not, and Müllers is still
as passionate to show others that,
as Müller himself put it, “God is
faithful still and hears prayer still.”
At this time, we have refined our
mission statement, focusing on the
reason why Müllers exists today: to
strengthen the Church to meet
the needs of the vulnerable
by inspiring faith, nurturing
families, resourcing ministry and
transforming communities.
Inspiring Faith
• We will work to develop our
online presence so that, even
though our fantastic museum
has to remain closed for the
time being, we can share more
of the story of George Müller
and how God worked through
Him in such an amazing way.
• We will offer support to
existing local youth events,
including The Mix Bristol, to
adapt to online ministry until
they can meet again in person.
• We will share stories of God
at work in and through our
partners.
Nurturing Families
• We will continue to resource
and promote orphan care in the
U.K. and around the world by
partnering with organisations
such as Home for Good.
• We will find ways to enable
churches to support families
through resources like
parenting courses and toddler
groups.
Resourcing Ministry
• We will continue to run the
Practical Theology Course,
albeit in a post-lockdown
appropriate format.
• We will run digital Equip
Events, enabling leaders in
the Church to guide their
congregations through
lockdown, preparing for the
long-term impact of COVID 19
on their communities.
Transforming
Communities
• We will continue to financially
support our partners around
the world as they minister
to those in need and the
vulnerable throughout the
Coronavirus crisis and beyond.
• We will partner with others
locally in practical ways to
ensure the hungry of Bristol
are fed in both the short and
long term.
While our approach over the
next twelve months needs to
remain flexible, our mission,
vision and passion will remain
the same. Please will you join us
in prayer as we commit ourselves
to strengthening the Church
to meet the needs of the
vulnerable?
26 Müllers Annual Report 2019-2020
www.mullers.org 27

1857
2020
Müllers, 45-47 Loft House, College Road, Bristol, BS7 9FG
0117 924 5001 • admin@mullers.org • www.mullers.org
@mullersbristol • @mullersmuseum