# Southern Baptist Mission Efforts



## Pergamum (Mar 2, 2008)

Florida Baptist Witness: Publishing Good News since 1884


GAINESVILLE (BP)—International Mission Board trustees appointed 36 missionaries to be heralds of the Gospel during their Jan. 28-30 meeting in Gainesville.

But why aren't there enough heralds to reach a lost world? asked Gordon Fort, IMB vice president for overseas operations, referencing Romans 10. Because not enough heralds have been sent.

If just 10 million of Southern Baptists' 16-plus million members banded together to send just 1 percent of their number into missions, Fort said, "we would have 100,000 missionaries."

"We can't be sitting in a spiritual rocking chair," Fort added. "We have to do something that can ensure these people groups have a witness."

There are 600 remaining unengaged, unreached people groups—each with populations of more than 100,000—that have no access to the Gospel, Fort said. To engage these people groups, which represent about 1 billion people around the world, personnel need to be placed among them to implement aggressive church-planting strategies, he said.

To place more missionaries on the field, Southern Baptists need to give even more than they have given in the past to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, IMB treasurer and vice president for finance David Steverson told trustees.

The decreased value of the dollar overseas was the main reason why missionary medical and field parity supplements exceeded their budgeted amounts in 2007, Steverson said.

"We are grateful that we have the field parity supplement account to help our missionaries battle the effects of a weak dollar," Steverson said. "We are grateful for the tremendous 2006 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering that enabled us to appropriate $5.2 million to send 200 new missionaries."

Because of the declining value of the dollar around the world, board officials have projected that Southern Baptists needed to give $165 million-meeting the goal for the 2007 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering-just to sustain budgeted ministries supported by 2006's record $150 million offering.

A final report on the 2007 Lottie Moon offering total will be released after the May 31 close-out date for offering receipts.

Doors open to the Gospel

In his report to trustees, IMB President Jerry Rankin said that despite ongoing political sensitivities and restrictions on overt evangelism in parts of the world, doors are opening to the Gospel.

He joined Vietnamese Baptists in Ho Chi Minh City in early January to celebrate Grace Baptist Church's official recognition by the Vietnamese government. The church also formed a Baptist confederation that is expected to spur evangelism and church-planting efforts throughout the country. Church leaders, as well as a Baptist delegation including Rankin and Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page, met with representatives of the Vietnamese government's Committee on Religious Affairs.

There are strong foundations of indigenous leadership and stable churches training believers and engaging students and unreached population segments in Southeast Asia, Rankin told trustees. "What a marvelous opportunity to come alongside them in training, in discipleship, in equipping to continue to support that missions vision," he said.

Rankin noted two initiatives-Hands On and Fusion-will enable young people to gain missions experience. Starting this January, students and young adults are taking a semester or year away from college to participate in Hands On missions in sub-Saharan Africa. The IMB is seeking students and young adults for Hands On Africa projects in 2008, with plans to expand to 1,000 students and young adults in multiple regions by 2009, Rankin told trustees.

Rankin said plans are also underway to expand a program called Fusion in which students receive college credit for a year of overseas missions service between high school and college.

"We are sensing a passionate commitment on the part of this generous new generation to give of their lives and to be involved in making a difference in a hurting world," Rankin said. "We realize that God is stirring in this generation, and we need to provide the diversified channels and opportunities for them to make a difference in the world."

Trustees also heard plans for the IMB to:

• Form an urban evangelism training model to equip missionaries to reach mega-population cities.

• Host the second annual Global Medical Alliance gathering to project needs and establish partnerships among health care missionaries and medical volunteers.

• Host a national retreat for missionary parents.

• Add a global deaf strategist to mobilize personnel in deaf outreach around the world.

In other business:

• Trustees approved bylaw changes so that the new slate of officers elected in April will begin their service at the close of the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting each June.

• Trustees heard a report that Southern Baptists released $1.8 million in hunger and general relief in the last quarter representing more than 90 projects. More than $1.3 million was released to support world hunger needs, $374,000 supported general relief needs and $100,000 went to tsunami aid. Of the 90 projects, 54 were community development ministries and 36 supported disaster relief efforts. During the last quarter, Southern Baptists helped support projects such as hurricane relief in South America, cyclone recovery in southern Asia and food boxes in Zimbabwe.

The next IMB trustee meeting is April 7-9 in Sunnyvale, Texas, including an appointment service April 9.






THOUGHTS?


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## Pergamum (Mar 15, 2008)

I'll take the liberty to bump this once...any thoughts [crickets chipring....] ????


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## Ivan (Mar 15, 2008)

A lot was covered in that article, Pergy. Do you have a particular concren?


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## Iconoclast (Mar 15, 2008)

It is interesting to see God's hand at work in an area where a few years ago it looked like a hopeless case that any good would come out of the war.
Sometime it is hard to live over here and really understand the struggles that the church goes through in many parts of the world.
God raising up gifted persons in Vietnam that our missionary groups are able to assist is exciting even if sometmes we see evidence of decline in our churches and society.
We read of God having people all through the world. I just think if someone does not travel to other countries it is harder to put a face on it.
Sometimes we pray for other churches that we have limited contact with.If we have a chance to visit the church and actually see the faces of the people and interact with them,it does aide in our praying for them.
We should be able to just pray for God's will for His Kingdom and it's growth without seeing every aspect of it.
When I have a chance to go into more urban area's during work it is helpful because you get to see, and have dealings with people from other countries.
The differences in the culturally setting and attitude of the people is instructive and helps bridge the gap between what I hear or read from missionaries.
I think another thing that happens sometime is that when a missionary gives a report of field activity,there is also a mixed feeling that it is good to hear of it, but it also raises some personal feelings of, Am I doing enough in regards to missions? Am I thinking of or praying about brethren who are serving the Lord day by day? Have I tried to speak a word of the gospel this week, or this very day?
Like every area of the christians life, self examination and an honest evaluation of our walk is in order. We do not need to put ourselves under guilt and condemnation, and a morbid introspection which does not usually result in much effective work taking place. A proper evaluation of how we are spending our time might be telling in this regard.


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## Pergamum (Mar 16, 2008)

Interesting things about the article:

If just one percent of a portion of SBCers enlisted into missions, there would be 100,000 new missionaries. That is astounding in terms of numbers.

There are only 600 unengaged large people groups left in the world.

A short term guided internship seems like a possible corrective to short-term mission mania that does not seem to do a lot of lasting good.

The number of indigenous leaders in SE asia is on the rise - a huge blessing.

A focus on urban evangelism: this is HUGE! Missions success stories are often rural and tribal whereas now most people live in large cities.





Questions or issues the article brings up:

Large scale corporate efforts at missions and a corporate missions budget (from the Lottie Moon offering).

Large offerings to be used by a centrally controlled group.

The decreased dollar - what long term effect will it have?


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