As we reflect on 2025, BMS International is grateful for another year marked by meaningful community impact and faithful commitment to its mission. From vibrant gatherings at mission properties worldwide to strategic transformation in our Christian social entrepreneurship initiatives, this year’s results have only strengthened our commitment to promoting the Christian faith and empowering communities. Mission properties served as vital spaces for spiritual fellowship, while the Basfour Group in South Africa continued to create opportunities for young people through practical training and development. We are thankful for the dedicated volunteers and donors who helped in making this work possible.
Mission Activities and Regional Impact
Throughout 2025, BMS International’s mission properties across 10 countries served as hives of activity for spiritual growth and community connection. These cherished spaces fulfilled their essential purpose as gathering places where local church communities came together for worship, fellowship, and spiritual encouragement—hosting everything from weekly services to major international conferences that brought together hundreds of participants.
The year began with meaningful New Year’s conferences that set a positive tone for the months ahead. In Kerala, 250 participants from seven countries gathered for four days of fellowship, while Paso Flores in Argentina welcomed 210 attendees from across South America. These gatherings demonstrated the international reach of BMS International’s mission properties, with people traveling significant distances to connect with others who share their faith.
Summer brought high-spirited youth camps and conferences across multiple regions. A standout was Yaoundé’s five-day BUK Summer Camp, where approximately 145 young participants from across Cameroon met for services, activities, and fellowship. Mission properties also served as local gathering points for BCC Summer Conference broadcasts from Norway, allowing communities worldwide to participate together while enjoying local meals and activities. Throughout the year, international broadcasts via BCC Connect continued to unite communities across multiple properties, including the BCC Autumn Conference, Brothers Conference, and Advent Conference.
The year concluded with meaningful Advent and Christmas celebrations across all regions, with mission properties serving as warm gathering places for families and children to mark the season together.
For many families, the local mission property is far more than a venue — it is a place where children grow in faith and feel genuinely part of a community. Lana Saba, an 11-year-old from Tauranga, New Zealand, put it simply after attending a Bible Kids Day at the mission property with her local church: “It was amazing and lots of fun — so special, like it was set up just for us.” Her mother, Liandri, reflects: “Seeing Lana thrive at the mission property means a lot to me. It is such a comfort knowing she has a place to go where she can grow in her faith. You can really see how much care there is.” It is a small glimpse into what these properties represent for the communities built around them.
Lana, 11 (front left)
These spaces flourish through the dedication of local church members who contributed over 29,000 volunteer hours throughout the year for maintenance, landscaping, and facility improvements. International collaboration was particularly evident, with visiting members from the US joining local volunteers in Mexico for projects on the property, and church members from Poland participating in volunteer events in Ternopil, Ukraine.
Basfour Group: Empowering Through Christian Social Entrepreneurship
The Basfour Group in South Africa continued its dual mission in 2025: generating sustainable returns to support mission work in Africa while providing skills development for young adults through training programs. This “Business as Mission” model creates positive social impact through employment opportunities and community development.
The year brought both significant challenges and noteworthy achievements for the Basfour Group. Early in the year, substantial flooding occurred when heavy rainfall caused the Vaal Dam to exceed 114% capacity, significantly impacting Pont de Val Estates [Read more in the Q1 article]. The team demonstrated remarkable resilience, effectively coordinating evacuation efforts and quickly restoring operations while maintaining uninterrupted service to clients at alternative facilities.
Despite these challenges, 2025 marked a year of strategic progress. Pont de Val achieved a prestigious 5-star grading from the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa, recognizing exceptional standards across its accommodation, venue facilities, and service delivery. The estate also expanded its role as a community hub with the successful launch of Parkrun in November and the opening of a new Bike Park in December, strengthening connections with the local community.
Throughout the year, the Basfour Group advanced a series of strategic transformation initiatives to strengthen its long-term sustainability. These efforts included engaging external collaborators and establishing a centralized shared services function to enhance efficiency and streamline operations across the Group. Additionally, members of Basfour’s Board and Group Management contributed over 750 hours of volunteer support throughout the year, providing strategic planning guidance, financial management training, and leadership development to mission properties across Africa.
Restaurant at Pont de Val Estates
Training of CYDEP members in Basfour Group
A cornerstone of the Basfour Group’s mission impact is the training program for members of the Christian Youth Development and Empowerment Program (CYDEP), which provides comprehensive practical training and spiritual development for young adults from across Africa. Throughout 2025, CYDEP participants gained invaluable hands-on experience that equipped them not only with technical skills but also with confidence and hope for their futures.
The program continued its partnership with a local university, offering formal training that combines academic learning with workplace experience. Participants received training in diverse areas including hospitality and event management, IT and network infrastructure, financial and administrative skills, property and facility maintenance, and customer service. Beyond technical skills, participants developed crucial soft skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, and leadership.
A highlight of the year was the November Graduation Ceremony hosted at Pont de Val Estates, celebrating 28 participants who successfully completed their business skills course in collaboration with the local university. The ceremony recognized participants who balanced practical workplace training with academic coursework throughout the year.
Kevin, from Kenya, trained across accommodation and accounting at Pont de Val throughout the year, growing steadily in both skill and confidence. His manager described him as a “ humble, and respectful” team member who handled tasks independently and approached his work with enthusiasm. By December, Kevin’s own words captured how much the year had meant to him.
“This year offered a great training experience. My training in accounting went well and I gained more skills and experience. I got more confidence in performing accounting functions, processing, reconciliation, and filing. The university Certificate Award Ceremony was one of the experiences that stood out. I look forward to applying these skills and experience in my future career and service to church and community. I sincerely thank God and all stakeholders who made this successful.” — Kevin
For Maureen, a participant from Nigeria who trained with the accommodation team at Pont de Val, the year was one of growth in both practical skills and professional confidence. Working alongside her colleagues, she took on real responsibilities — from managing people and running projects to learning how to plan and keep to a budget. Her experience reflects the program’s commitment to equipping participants with skills that extend far beyond the workplace.
“Through training at PDV and the university program, I have learned useful skills like managing people, making and keeping to a budget, running a project, and planning properly. Overall, it has been a period full of learning and experiences that will help me in the future.” — Maureen
Experiences like those of Maureen and Kevin reflect what the program means in practice. Participants completed their training in December 2025, returning to their home countries with practical skills, workplace experience, and a strengthened foundation for their futures.
Supporting Participants Beyond the Program
Recognizing that many CYDEP graduates face challenging employment markets when they return home, the Basfour Group continued supporting CYDEP graduates beyond the program in 2025, expanding its remote work initiative in Nigeria where former participants Sochima and Joy make up a small but growing team working in administration and bookkeeping. Joy shares that the opportunity has meant more than just employment: “Before the training, I was honestly scared of using a laptop and lacked confidence in administrative tasks. Through the program, everything gradually changed. I feel incredibly grateful to now be working remotely in the same role I was trained for. It built my confidence and opened new doors for me. I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity and the growth I have experienced”. Discussions were also initiated with the local university to develop an advanced community development course for returning participants.
Dan from DR Congo (CYDEP participant) receiving training in maintenance
Guily from DR Congo (CYDEP participant) receiving training in IT networking
Graduation Ceremony for CYDEP participants hosted at Pont de Val Estates in November
After her time on CYDEP, Joy (front) also secured a remote position from Nigeria through the new Basfour Group training initiative
Looking Forward
As we close 2025, BMS International looks ahead with gratitude and new plans for the furtherance of our vision for mission work in 2026. The resilience demonstrated by the mission properties and the Basfour Group, combined with the dedication of volunteers and local church communities, positions the organization well for continued growth in the new year. BMS International remains committed to its mission of promoting the Christian faith and creating positive community impact through Christian social entrepreneurship. The organization is thankful for the generous support of donors and partners who make this work possible.
2025 At a Glance
BMS International owns mission-related properties in 11 different countries around the world. These properties serve as vital gathering spaces for local church communities and visiting members, hosting conferences, camps, services, and activities that further the Christian faith and strengthen community connections.
