About MIA

General Background

Ministries In Action, Inc. (MIA) is an interdenominational, nonprofit faith-based 501(c) (3) organization headquartered in Miami, Florida. Since its inception in 1961 MIA has been committed to strengthening local Churches, particularly in the areas of fellowship, discipleship and evangelism, theological training, economic development, and works of mercy. Further, as a result of building coalitions and establishing partnerships with a large network of churches, government officials, and other faith based organizations, MIA initiates relief efforts when natural disaster affects our ministry area.

MIA’s ministry strategy is to be a resource to the local church. It is our goals to see churches in our service area begin to put into practice the “Ministries In Action Strategy (MIAS).” Since 1977 MIA has been lead by its President, E. Walford Thompson. Mr. Thompson was born on the island of St. Vincent in the southeastern Caribbean. He was educated at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica and at Bishop’s University in Canada. Mr. Thompson became a Christian at age 22, and has been very active in Christian work since that time. He served as an evangelist and church planter throughout the Caribbean for many years before joining the Ministries in Action staff in 1969. Mr. Thompson has been guest speaker at many Bible/Missionary conferences in the Caribbean, the United States and other parts of the world. He has participated in several
Christian Congresses as workshop leader and speaker including the Congress on World Evangelization (at Lausanne, Switzerland, and Columbia, and South America); Dallas School of Evangelism; Congress on the Evangelization of the Caribbean (in Kingston and St. Catherine, Jamaica); World Congress in Amsterdam and Holland, and in other seminaries, churches and colleges. In 2000 Mr. Thompson was awarded the first honorary Doctor of Ministry from Miami International Seminary.

E. Walford Thompson

In January, 2004, Mr.Dhan Lalsee was unanimously appointed MIA’s Executive Director. Dhan is a trained lawyer and has served with MIA as our Grenadian coordinator for MIAS and Project Ebenezer for the past eighteen years. Dhan has demonstrated his administrative ability and integrity in working with churches in Grenada and elsewhere in the Caribbean. As the Executive Director, Dhan is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the MIA office in Miami and so relieves the President of these responsibilities. Dhan and his wife Dolly now live in Miami. Pictured below is Dhan and Dolly, his wife at a recent ministry in Pennsylvania.

Dhan and Dolly Lalsee

In addition to the President and Executive Director, MIA currently has three Program Directors, four Field Coordinators, six Missionaries and twenty-five Associates along with an administrative staff of two and a Director of Development.

Programs

While functioning under separate Program Directors as independent ministries each MIAS Program is designed to fully compliment each other by completely integrating themselves within the church, if necessary. Each Program is facilitated by MIA Program Directors working through Field Coordinators, MIA Missionaries, MIA volunteers referred to as MIA Associates or partnering with others. MIA’s vision is achieved through implementing the following three ministries; MIA Strategy For Church Growth, The IONA Centres for Theological Study (IONA) and Project Ebenezer (PE) collectively called the “Ministries In Action Strategy” or “MIAS.”

Mission Statement

MIA’ s Mission Statement is, “Helping the Church internationally to grow holistically and in accordance with the Great Commission “ often shortened to read “Helping the Church to Grow.”

Vision Statement

Our Vision Statement is, “To see the Church primarily in North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean Islands grow numerically, spiritually and functionally through the faithful use of comprehensive strategies of fellowship, evangelism and discipleship, theological training, economic development, and works of mercy, all to the glory of God.”

Value Proposition

MIA has been a faithful and valuable resource to churches by helping them to put into action life-changing ministries. For example: We provide dynamic motivational speakers; E. Walford Thompson, President of MIA and Bresile St. Germain, MIA Director of (French) MIAS, for Mission Conferences, Evangelistic Outreach Meetings and Crusades.

• We are a useful tool for Pastors and Church Leaders to help them fulfill their calling by:
  • Providing access to a resource that will train church members in biblically based practices used by other successful Churches.
  • Helping the Church leadership to implement a time tested strategy designed to mobilize the whole congregation with each believer exercising their unique spiritual gifts.
  • Customizing workshops and seminars to meet the specific needs of a church.
• We make available comprehensive affordable, non-residential courses of theological training for Pastors, lay leaders, and business people.
• We provide opportunities for Church members to participate in modeling holistic missions by taking short term mission trips.
• We find opportunities to build God’s Kingdom through MIA’s network of Churches, governmental contacts and nonprofit organizations in North America, the Caribbean and parts of Latin America.
• We represent a tremendous investment for anyone looking to maximize his or her eternal return on investment.

Tax Status and Financial Accountability

Ministries In Action, Inc., (MIA) is a nonprofit corporation incorporated in the State of Florida. The Organization is exempt from income taxes under Section 501 (c) (3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to it are tax deductible within the limitations prescribed by the code. A copy of our IRS letter is available upon request.

Our organizational philosophy is to have all our staff, program directors and associates raise their own financial support as would any missionary. With the exception of a few full-time and part-time administrative employees, essentially all the monies given to MIA goes to ministry. MIA’s audited financial statements for the last three years and our 2002 IRS Form 990 are available upon request.

MIA has been a member of the Evangelical Council For Financial Accountability (ECFA) since October 11, 1990.