In 1988 a number of Christians with links in Malawi agreed that a mission co-ordinating prayer and support would be beneficial to a developing work among the churches there; this agreement resulted in the founding of Malawi Mission Project in 1990.

It soon became evident, however, that the area of interest was much wider than Malawi, and the name was changed to International Mission Project (IMP), reflecting the broader scope and direction of the work.

In February 1993, International Mission Project received approval from the Charity Commissioners.

The I.M.P. is a registered charity in the UK.
Registration number: 1017386