Abbreviation | IG |
---|---|
Formation | 1980 |
Founder | Heidi Baker and Rolland Baker |
Type | Mission Organization |
Headquarters | Redding, CA, USA |
Location |
|
Website |
www |
Formerly called | Iris Ministries, Inc. |
Iris Global, previously Iris Ministries, is a Christian interdenominational, missionary organization that provides humanitarian aid in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Members of Iris seek to spread the gospel [1] while performing humanitarian activities. [2]
Iris was founded in 1980 by Rolland Baker and Heidi Baker. [3] [4] First based in the United States, the organization initially undertook short-term evangelism trips overseas. [5] In 1985, the Bakers began to work with the poor in Indonesia and then Hong Kong. [5] The organization began operating in London in 1992. [5]
Iris became active in Mozambique, Africa in 1995. In 1996, Iris took over an orphanage housing 80 children, which had previously been run by communist leaders. [6] However, when the number of children grew from 80 to 320, the previous government leaders put a price on Heidi's head. [6] The government also banned the singing of Christian songs in the orphanage, prayer, and the unauthorized distribution of food and clothing. [6]
While searching out and caring for the poor and needy, Iris volunteers have founded thousands of churches, Bible and ministry training schools, medical clinics, church-based orphan care programs, children's villages, primary schools, cottage industries, widows' programs, vocational training and well drilling projects. [7] Iris volunteers make regular visits to care for children living at a dump, [2] and the organization combats the second-class status of women and girls by campaigning for equality of the sexes. [2]
In 2015, Iris Global has expanded its work to provide food, clothing, and shelter to thousands of orphans. [6] [8] The organization has networks of church-based orphan care in all ten provinces in Mozambique [9] as well as bases in main cities, [10] including a base in Pemba which houses 200 orphans and several baby houses for abandoned infants. [7] [11]
Iris initially established churches in Indonesia, Hong Kong, and London, and later one in Mozambique. [12] By June 2001, Iris had initiated 1,800 churches, [6] including about 1,200 in Malawi. [6] In 2015 Iris has networks of churches throughout Mozambique as well as bases in main cities. [5] Two thousand churches have been organized among the Makua people over a span of eight years. [5] [2]
Iris conducts a series of gospel conferences worldwide. [7] In Africa, the conferences are attended by poor people, many of whom walk long distances to attend. As many as 10,000 people crowd makeshift platforms to hear the gospel. [6]
Iris opened Harvest Schools at which local students and visiting Westerners receive training to become pastors. [7] These students study for six-month terms or for three-month terms once a year for four years. [6] The organization also organizes primary schools on its bases, in which more than 2,500 students at a time are taught to read and write. [7]
Iris leaders pray for the healing of those with hearing and vision impairments during village outreaches in rural Mozambique. [13] Iris bases include medical clinics from which the poor can receive free care. [7] Iris workers sometimes pay for life-saving medical care for others, and the organization has handed out condoms in an effort to combat the AIDS pandemic. [2]
The Bakers have claimed that prayer has restored sight and hearing, [14] which was assessed and confirmed by researchers in a peer-reviewed article published by the Southern Medical Journal [15]. They have also claimed that people have been raised from the dead. [7] The group has been criticized by medical and government officials for these claims.[ citation needed]
Abbreviation | IG |
---|---|
Formation | 1980 |
Founder | Heidi Baker and Rolland Baker |
Type | Mission Organization |
Headquarters | Redding, CA, USA |
Location |
|
Website |
www |
Formerly called | Iris Ministries, Inc. |
Iris Global, previously Iris Ministries, is a Christian interdenominational, missionary organization that provides humanitarian aid in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Members of Iris seek to spread the gospel [1] while performing humanitarian activities. [2]
Iris was founded in 1980 by Rolland Baker and Heidi Baker. [3] [4] First based in the United States, the organization initially undertook short-term evangelism trips overseas. [5] In 1985, the Bakers began to work with the poor in Indonesia and then Hong Kong. [5] The organization began operating in London in 1992. [5]
Iris became active in Mozambique, Africa in 1995. In 1996, Iris took over an orphanage housing 80 children, which had previously been run by communist leaders. [6] However, when the number of children grew from 80 to 320, the previous government leaders put a price on Heidi's head. [6] The government also banned the singing of Christian songs in the orphanage, prayer, and the unauthorized distribution of food and clothing. [6]
While searching out and caring for the poor and needy, Iris volunteers have founded thousands of churches, Bible and ministry training schools, medical clinics, church-based orphan care programs, children's villages, primary schools, cottage industries, widows' programs, vocational training and well drilling projects. [7] Iris volunteers make regular visits to care for children living at a dump, [2] and the organization combats the second-class status of women and girls by campaigning for equality of the sexes. [2]
In 2015, Iris Global has expanded its work to provide food, clothing, and shelter to thousands of orphans. [6] [8] The organization has networks of church-based orphan care in all ten provinces in Mozambique [9] as well as bases in main cities, [10] including a base in Pemba which houses 200 orphans and several baby houses for abandoned infants. [7] [11]
Iris initially established churches in Indonesia, Hong Kong, and London, and later one in Mozambique. [12] By June 2001, Iris had initiated 1,800 churches, [6] including about 1,200 in Malawi. [6] In 2015 Iris has networks of churches throughout Mozambique as well as bases in main cities. [5] Two thousand churches have been organized among the Makua people over a span of eight years. [5] [2]
Iris conducts a series of gospel conferences worldwide. [7] In Africa, the conferences are attended by poor people, many of whom walk long distances to attend. As many as 10,000 people crowd makeshift platforms to hear the gospel. [6]
Iris opened Harvest Schools at which local students and visiting Westerners receive training to become pastors. [7] These students study for six-month terms or for three-month terms once a year for four years. [6] The organization also organizes primary schools on its bases, in which more than 2,500 students at a time are taught to read and write. [7]
Iris leaders pray for the healing of those with hearing and vision impairments during village outreaches in rural Mozambique. [13] Iris bases include medical clinics from which the poor can receive free care. [7] Iris workers sometimes pay for life-saving medical care for others, and the organization has handed out condoms in an effort to combat the AIDS pandemic. [2]
The Bakers have claimed that prayer has restored sight and hearing, [14] which was assessed and confirmed by researchers in a peer-reviewed article published by the Southern Medical Journal [15]. They have also claimed that people have been raised from the dead. [7] The group has been criticized by medical and government officials for these claims.[ citation needed]