Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International (BMDMI)

What Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International (BMDMI) does

Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International (BMDMI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, by missionary Carolyn Herrington and now headquartered in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The organization delivers medical, dental, and educational services to impoverished communities in four countries: Honduras (its origin), Nicaragua (since 1989), Guatemala (since 2014), and Nepal (since 2012). Programs include short-term volunteer mission trips providing free medical and dental care, a child sponsorship program that feeds and educates roughly 35 children at approximately $43 per child per month, and earmarked ministry projects covering hearing aids, water filters, building funds, and similar needs.

The organization operates with no proprietary technology platform; its service delivery relies on deployed field missionaries (20+), a small US administrative staff (~9), local in-country staff, and visiting volunteer teams. Tools used operationally are limited to a website (bmdmi.org) and social media channels for outreach and donor engagement. There is no described software product, data infrastructure, or technology architecture in the input.

The revenue model is donation-driven rather than transactional. Sources include recurring child sponsorships, per-participant fees for short-term mission trips, general unrestricted donations, and earmarked contributions to specific ministries or projects. A supplementary revenue line consists of proceeds from the sale of handcrafted goods produced in Honduras. Leadership rests with President Timmy Ruhnke, President Emeritus Dwight Carr, and a board of directors; the founder Carolyn Herrington passed away in January 2023.

Name

Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International (BMDMI)

Legal name

Baptist Medical & Dental Mission International

Website

https://bmdmi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International (BMDMI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974 that delivers medical, dental, and educational services to impoverished communities in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Nepal through short-term mission trips, child sponsorship, and donor-funded ministry projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Humanitarian and Mission Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Child and Youth Services (62411), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGACAI

Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAJAE

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAF

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYEDAIAGAI

Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Service Learning, Volunteering & Gap Year Programs

SECONDARYHLAJAKAE

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

SECONDARYEDAIAGAC

Public Health & Medical Volunteering Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Service Learning, Volunteering & Gap Year Programs

Keywords

• Humanitarian medical missions
• Children residential care
• Pastoral theological education
• Short-term mission trips
• Christian nonprofit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hattiesburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: BMDMI operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization entirely funded through donations from individuals, churches, and organizations. All missionaries and staff are support-raised. The organization accepts general donations, missionary support, and ministry-specific contributions through online giving platforms.
2. Child Sponsorship: Monthly sponsorship program for children at the Good Shepherd Children's Home. Default amount is $43/month per sponsor. Each child requires approximately 17 sponsors at $43/month to be fully sponsored ($750/month total). Sponsors receive communications from their sponsored child.
3. Mission Team Fees: Short-term mission teams pay fees to participate: $350/week for groups of 1-4 people, covering food, housing, and transportation. Teams of 4+ pay $850/person. These fees support operational costs of hosting teams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BMDMI operates an integrated missionary ministry delivering medical and dental care, residential child welfare, pastoral theological education, and Christian schooling across Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Nepal. The organization sends short-term volunteer teams and supports career missionaries while running permanent facilities including clinics, Bible institutes, children's homes, and bilingual schools. Programs are funded by donations, child sponsorships ($43/month), and short-term mission team fees ($350/week per person or $850 per person for teams of 5+).

Product overview

BMDMI operates a diverse portfolio of ministry programs organized around evangelism, discipleship, and meeting needs of the poor. The core offerings include: short-term Teams Ministry sending volunteers to serve alongside missionaries; Pastoral Training through two Bible Institutes (Thomas Herrington in Honduras, Dwight Carr in Nicaragua); Medical Ministries featuring the Guaimaca medical clinic with surgical capabilities; and Children's Ministries including the Good Shepherd Children's Home (GSCH) in Honduras, Emmanuel Home of Protection in Nicaragua, and a home in Nepal. Supporting programs include Project Life for specialized medical cases, Good Shepherd Christian Academy (GSCA) providing bilingual education, child sponsorship opportunities, and an Ambassador Program for fundraising support. The organization also operates the Mount of Olives Christian School in Nicaragua. BMDMI is a non-profit missionary organization, not a technology product company, and does not have a software platform or API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Good Shepherd Children's Home (GSCH) Residential care facility on 70 acres in Zamorano, Honduras for abused, neglected, and vulnerable children ages 1-18, providing shelter, food, education, counseling, and spiritual development. Operates under Honduran DINAF child welfare regulations.
• Guaimaca Medical Clinic Year-round medical clinic in Guaimaca, Honduras offering clinical care, emergency treatment, X-ray services, pharmacy, diagnostic laboratory, and a surgical wing for life-giving surgical procedures.
• Project Life Medical treatment program for patients requiring specialized care beyond village clinics, including open-heart surgery, cleft palate surgery, and burn treatment.
• Thomas Herrington Bible Institute Bible institute in Las Crucitas, Honduras providing theological education and church development training for national pastors and church leaders.
• Dwight Carr Bible Institute Bible institute in Diriamba, Nicaragua providing theological education and practical church leadership experience for national pastors and church leaders.
• Good Shepherd Christian Academy (GSCA) Bilingual Christian school on the GSCH property in Zamorano, Honduras, offering education from K4 through 9th grade to GSCH residents and surrounding community children.
• Emmanuel Home of Protection (EHP) Children's home in Diriamba, Nicaragua providing care for young ladies, preparing them for success within their cultural setting under a director and national staff.
• Mount of Olives Christian School Christian school in San Gregorio, Nicaragua, established in 1998, providing bilingual Christian education for children from the community and surrounding area.
• Teams Ministry Short-term mission teams (typically 2 weeks) serving alongside BMDMI missionaries and local churches in evangelism, construction, medical support, children's ministries, and other ministry activities. Teams pay $350/week per person (1-4 people) or $850 per person (teams of 5+).
• Missionary Service Volunteer, sojourner (1-year commitment), and career missionary opportunities serving in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Nepal. All missionaries are support-raised and serve under BMDMI supervision.
• Child Sponsorship Monthly sponsorship program for children at the Good Shepherd Children's Home at $43/month per sponsor. $750/month total (approximately 17 sponsors) covers full care per child. Sponsors receive communications from their sponsored child.
• Ambassador Program Volunteer fundraising program enabling individuals to represent BMDMI, speak to churches and groups about ministries, solicit supporters, sponsor children, and organize fundraisers.
• Youth in Transition Program Program assisting children leaving GSCH at age 18 with housing arrangements, college classes, and job options as they transition to independent adult life.
• Guatemala Children's Feeding Programs Four children's feeding programs in Guatemala serving more than 400 children weekly with hot nutritious meals and worship services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children cared for in children's homes for 25+ years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Nightlight Christian AdoptionsminorOthersReferral partner for families interested in adopting children from Honduras. BMDMI recommends Nightlight Christian Adoptions for families inquiring about adoption from GSCH, given Honduras' adoption process complexity.
• BE MinistriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMDMI missionary Ben Frusher partners with BE Ministries in El Tomate, Honduras for agriculture/gardening ministry. Works on BE Ministries property growing gardens and farms.
• DINAF (Honduran Child Protection Services)coreOthersGovernment child welfare agency that places children with GSCH and works on reunification and foster care initiatives. GSCH operates under DINAF regulations and requirements.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Compassion International:
• Samaritan's Purse: Samaritan's Purse is a much larger evangelical relief organization operating World Medical Mission, which sends medical professionals to mission hospitals worldwide. Directly comparable faith-based medical missions model with significantly greater scale.
• International Mission Board (SBC): The International Mission Board is the Southern Baptist Convention's global missions sending agency, sending missionaries to Honduras, Nicaragua, and other BMDMI-served countries. Comparable Baptist-affiliated missions sending structure and theology.
• Project HOPE: Project HOPE operates health programs globally with a focus on training local health workers and providing medical care in low-resource settings. Comparable in delivering medical care to underserved populations internationally, though secular in orientation.

Direct peers

• Baptist Global Response: Baptist Global Response is the relief and development arm of Baptist World Alliance, serving in disaster response and community development internationally. Comparable Baptist denomination-affiliated humanitarian model.
• MAP International: MAP International is a faith-based global health organization providing medicines and medical care to communities in need worldwide. Comparable Christian medical mission focus with established international infrastructure.
• Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA): CMDA sends healthcare professionals on short-term medical mission trips globally and operates the Global Health Outreach program. Closely comparable faith-based medical volunteer mobilization model.
• Medical Teams International: Medical Teams International deploys medical and dental volunteers to serve refugees and vulnerable populations globally, including short-term volunteer teams. Closely comparable model combining medical/dental clinics with volunteer mobilization for underserved communities.

Emerging players

• MedSend: MedSend enables healthcare professionals to serve internationally by providing student loan repayment support. Comparable faith-based enabling infrastructure for medical missions professionals.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BMDMI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/baptist-medical-and-dental-mission-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International (BMDMI)