Why does NAMB keep money in reserves and what are reserves used for?

NAMB’s ministry is unique, and the way we manage our reserves reflects that. NAMB’s reserves are not passive. They are at work serving church planters and other missionaries. Sixty-five percent of NAMB’s reserves are committed to church loans and property. This property includes transitional missionary housing, buildings being used by church planters and Send Relief ministry centers. We make loans so church plants, which otherwise would not qualify for a loan, can have a place to worship. When a church matures, it usually refinances through another financial entity.

The remaining 35 percent of our reserves are committed to contingency in case of a financial crisis, catastrophic needs for missionaries and short-term strategic projects. During the 2020 pandemic, for example, when the rest of the world said “stop,” we were able to say “go” to our missionaries because we had adequate reserves through the faithfulness of Southern Baptists.