Trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board appointed 116 missionaries-the second-largest group of new missionaries in board history-during their May 19-21 meeting in Midland, Texas.
They also adopted guidelines for cooperating with other Great Commission Christian partners overseas; elected new officers for 2005-06; received reports on the board's finances and missionary personnel; and heard from IMB President Jerry Rankin about the necessity of ongoing evangelical mission efforts in Roman Catholic countries.
Trustees adopted revised goals and guidelines outlining five levels of “strategic relationships” with other Christian groups committed to international missions. The guidelines clarify for trustees, board staff and missionaries appropriate ways to partner with others-some of whom differ with Southern Baptists in theology and church practice.
“IMB missionaries do not enter into strategic relationships randomly” but with the intention of starting church-planting movements and “in accord with the biblical principles of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message,” the guidelines state. “The deeper the level [of cooperation], the greater the significance” of being in accord on those principles.
The first two levels offer wide latitude for networking with many types of groups, including secular organizations. In Level One, “Our aim is simply to gain a presence or access to a people group or population segment,” the guidelines state. “The missionary may be trying to make inroads into what may be a hostile situation. Creativity and flexibility are essential in associating with cultural programs, educational institutions, business forums or whatever can open the door to deeper levels of relationships.”
Level Two centers on human needs projects, disaster response and mobilizing prayer in cooperation with many kinds of relief groups, Christians and Christian organizations.
Level Three focuses on specific presentation of the gospel, limiting potential partners to “those whose commitment is to New Testament evangelism and who present personal repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.” These include joint efforts with groups skilled in various aspects of outreach and discipleship, such as TransWorld Radio, Operation Mobilization and the Navigators.
Level Four, the actual planting of churches, further narrows partners to those in alignment with the definition of a church found in the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as well as the additional guidelines on what constitutes a church approved by IMB trustees in January.
Finally, Level Five “seeks to influence the ongoing shape of Baptist work and identity … through theological education and ministerial training. Seldom, if ever, would we engage in strategic relationships, even with other Great Commission Christians, at this level. …”
Rankin, in his president's report to trustees, noted the passing of Pope John Paul II, a man beloved by millions of Protestants and evangelicals “for his zeal, his personal warmth and his unyielding stand for human dignity, the sanctity of life and many other moral convictions shared in common.”
Rankin added, however, that nearly 1,200 Southern Baptist missionaries continue to serve in 65 predominately Roman Catholic countries where 852 million people live.
“Why would we invest such efforts in Catholic countries? The answer is quite simple: It is because they are lost,” Rankin said. “The people may be identified as cultural Christians since that is their socio-religious profile, but most of them do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. … They, too, deserve an opportunity to hear, understand and respond to the life-changing message of the gospel. They cannot be ignored in our commitment that all peoples would know our Lord Jesus Christ.”
David Steverson, IMB treasurer and vice president for finance, reported that contributions to IMB mission work in 2004 through the Cooperative Program, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, hunger and relief giving and other gifts totaled more than $245 million, up almost $6 million over 2003 giving. Other income-from investments, legacies, additions to endowments and the like-totaled $41.6 million, bringing all income for the year to nearly $287 million.
“Let me hasten to say that the numbers are not growing at the rate we need them to grow in order to sustain a growing missionary force,” Steverson said. “However, just as we experienced last year when we told Southern Baptists we had missionary candidates ready, willing and able to go but insufficient funds to send them, I'm convinced Southern Baptists will respond to the needs as they catch the vision of reaching a lost world.”
Steverson projected that the Lottie Moon Offering for 2004, which was to be officially announced after all receipts are counted at the end of May, will total about $133 million-down some $3 million from the 2003 offering. However, Steverson reminded trustees that the devastating tsunami slammed into Asia Dec. 26 and churches immediately began giving for relief efforts.
“Southern Baptists have responded by giving over $16 million toward tsunami relief right in the middle of Lottie Moon season,” he said. “Between the two offerings, Lottie Moon and tsunami, Southern Baptists have given almost $150 million for international missions efforts.”
IMB Executive Vice President Clyde Meador reported that the international missionary force at the end of last year-5,165-reflected a net loss of 205 when compared to the previous year. While 686 new missionaries were added during the year, 891 were subtracted due to retirement (48), completion of service by shorter-term missionaries (572) and attrition (271).
The IMB missionary count peaked at about 5,500 in early 2003, but began to fall with the budget cuts and temporary freeze on new appointments that year.
Baptist Press