Iris Global was founded as a dedicated Christian missions organization in 1980 by Rolland and Heidi Baker. At first based in the United States, it encompassed short-term evangelism trips to the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Hong Kong, until in 1985 Rolland and Heidi moved to Indonesia. Eventually denied permanent missionary visas in Bali, Rolland and Heidi then moved to Hong Kong. There Iris’s activities were focused on the care and evangelism of residents of the poorest and most crowded slums. After four years Rolland and Heidi left the church they had planted to enroll in graduate theological studies at the University of London. While in England they planted another church, Believer’s Centre, and continued to work especially with homeless street-sleepers, along with university students, lawyers and businesspeople. It was a small but beautiful cross-section of the Body of Christ, and all worshiped together as close brothers and sisters in the Lord.
In 1995 Rolland and Heidi came to Mozambique, Africa, where they have concentrated their ministry ever since. Their U.S. administrative offices are in Redding, California, USA, but Iris has expanded to Iris Canada, Iris UK, etc., as charities in many countries. Iris missionaries are founding new bases on mission fields around the world, and one-third of the time Rolland and Heidi travel and minister at churches and conferences wherever the Holy Spirit leads them.