When the Conservative Mennonite Conference was organized in 1910, one of five basic concerns was “how to best spread the gospel in accordance with the Word of God.”
Four years later, a children’s home was established, and a mission board began operating in 1919. Mission vision and activity quickly expanded during World War II, when young men began moving to various locations to fulfill alternative service obligations. An active voluntary service program opened doors to establish churches at several locations.
In 1946, the Conference mission board, known as the Conservative Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities (CMBMC) began mission work in eastern Kentucky. The first overseas work began in Germany in 1951, and then Costa Rica and other Latin American countries in 1961. In the early 1980s, personnel began exploring work in parts of the Middle East and Asia that were least-reached by the gospel.
The RMM offices relocated again in 2015 to the Rosedale International Center in Columbus, Ohio. And in 2019, RMM officially changed its name to Rosedale International (RI).
With the many transitions in location and title, RI’s vision remains the same as it was in 1910. Today, our focus is still on reaching the people of the world who statistically have little to no chance of hearing about Jesus – unless someone comes to them. Rosedale International exists to spread the gospel, so that all peoples have the opportunity encounter Jesus’ love, using the Word of God to guide and saturate every step.