OUR LEGACY
Drawing people to Jesus Christ by offering medical and dental services.
THE HISTORY OF COMMISSIONED
Prior to BMDMI’s establishment, Charlie and Carolyn Harrington, the founders of BMDMI, arrived in Honduras in 1968 and served for six years working in evangelism and church development. The Lord richly blessed their early ministry efforts evidenced by the three churches planted during that time. However, the Herringtons were constantly heartbroken as they saw people suffering from the lack of basic medical and dental care. On one occasion, they discovered a woman passing through the last stages of cancer without even an aspirin to ease the pain. Countless other times, they met people with teeth rotted to the gum line. Instances such as these led them to ask the Lord what more they could do to help ease the pain and suffering that surrounded them. The Lord gave them a vision of what today we know as “short-term mission teams” – Christian volunteers traveling to the mission field and paying their own expenses to serve the poor and sick. These teams draw thousands of people to hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and offer medical and dental services free of charge.
1974 – BMDMI Established
Baptist Medical & Dental Mission International was founded in 1974 by missionaries Charlie and Carolyn Herrington in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The first team in 1974 consisted of seven volunteers; and every year since then, the number of teams and volunteers has grown.
1986 – BMDMI Mourned a Loss
BMDMI Founder Charlie Herrington went home to be with the Lord. The Hondurans mourned the loss of a spiritual father and BMDMI mourned the loss of a dedicated, dynamic leader. However, BMDMI belongs to no person, but rather to the Lord, so the work continues.
1989 – BMDMI Expanded to Nicaragua
BMDMI expanded its ministry beyond the borders of Honduras to the neighboring country of Nicaragua offering medical-dental care, planting local churches, and preparing Christian leaders.
1992 – BMDMI Accepted Their First Full-Time Missionaries
Responding to growing needs in these two countries, BMDMI founded and operates Christian schools, permanent medical-dental clinics, vocational training centers, and children’s homes. To oversee the work of these ministries, BMDMI took on the role of a missionary sending agency, accepting its first full-time missionaries.
2012 – BMDMI Expands into Asia
BMDMI extended its mission outside of Central America and into Asia – in the world’s only Hindu nation.
2014 – BMDMI Begins Serving Guatemala
BMDMI began serving in Guatemala. As the Lord provides and makes clear, and as servants are sent into the fields, BMDMI will continue to expand with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ!
2023 – Loss of a Loved One
BMDMI Founder Carolyn Herrington passed away in January 2023. She served, suffered, rejoiced, studied, and poured her life into serving God. We pray that we can always hold our work at BMDMI to the standard she set for us – to glorify God in every aspect of work and service.
2024 – 50 Years of Ministry
For 50 years, BMDMI has been blessed with the opportunity to serve God’s people. We celebrated and honored our 50-year legacy as we prepared to usher in a new chapter.
2025 – Commissioned International
BMDMI is honored to present our new name: Commissioned International. After our 50-year history of primarily medical and dental services, this name change reflects our comprehensive mission and vision. It represents our commitment to The Great Commission and our historical mission of evangelizing the lost, discipling the saved, and ministering to the needs of the poor.
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