History of BIMI
The history of BIMI is exciting for anyone, but especially for those interested in Africa, for the roots of our fifty-year-old mission actually began nearly a century ago within the darkest jungles of the African continent.
Our mission's rich heritage is inseparable from many key people that aided in its early foundational years. One of these is a man named Anton Anderson. In 1917, he left American shores bound for the Belgian Congo. World War I was raging in Europe and after sicknesses, civil unrest, and delays, the family was finally able to disembark in Mombasa, British East Africa. From the Eastern side of Africa, they then faced the formidable and tedious task of traveling inland to their future home in the Belgian Congo. 
Anton secured porters who would not only carry their sea trunks and supplies, but also his wife, Viola, and young daughter, Emma, in a hammock-style chair over the rough terrain. After many long dreary days and nights, they finally entered the country of God's calling.
The Andersons lived in various locations and established many mission stations scattered throughout the Congo. Anton, who several years later served as director of the Congo Gospel Mission, influenced multitudes of Congolese for the cause of Christ: thousands were saved and baptized, churches were established, and schools were built. Yet it seemingly all came to an end following the sudden death of Bro. Anderson in 1956 and during the political unrest in 1960 which resulted in missionaries being evacuated and many national pastors and missionaries losing their lives.
In the early 1990s, when missionaries re-entered this area, they were amazed to see that the Gospel had still been advancing during those turbulent years! Solid churches were still operating under their national leadership, although there had been no missionary presence for thirty years! At that time, it was estimated that over 45,000 converts in that region could trace their Christian heritage back to the ministry of the Andersons!
Not only did the political unrest of the 60s strengthen the national church, it also served as the catalyst for a new mission. Congo was closed. Missionaries were gone. The Congo Gospel Mission needed to broaden its vision.
It was the decision of one of its board members, the late Dr. Lee Roberson, that the mission should disband and form a new mission agency: one that was Baptist in name and international in scope. Upon that recommendation, Baptist International Missions, Inc. was started.
It is from this humble beginning that BIMI, the largest Independent Baptist mission agency, was formed. Today, it remains unashamedly Baptist in both doctrine and practice and truly international in scope with over 1,000 missionaries serving in nearly 100 countries around the world!