New Missions Channel Needed? Check the Record

by Glenn A. Brown                                                                                             Vol. VII, No. 3, April 1994

[Glenn Brown is editor of The Baptist Messenger, state paper of Oklahoma Baptists. This article was his 4 November 1993 editorial. Bold print in original]

Is [the] Southern Baptists' missions program alive and well, or it is time to shift to a new system? This week a group representing a competing mission-sending agency, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) is holding meetings in key cities in the state to share information about its "programs, missions, and historic commitments." Baptists seeking to assess the viability and strength of our Foreign Mission Board deserve to know its track record in recent years.

R. Reed Lynn, pastor at Rock Creek and one of Oklahoma's trustees on the Foreign Mission Board, wrote the following report based on facts secured from the board's director of research and planning.

"In the 1970s God put it on the heart of Southern Baptist leaders to seek His face and catch His vision for what He could do through Southern Baptists in the last quarter of the twentieth century. In 1976 Southern Baptists adopted the glorious vision of Bold Mission Thrust. The nay sayers have pronounced Bold Mission Thrust dead in the water and the house of Southern Baptists in shambles. Are they correct? Bold Mission Thrust required (1) Bold praying and (2) Bold giving resulting in (3) Bold going. Our people were challenged to pray and to give as never before. Our brightest and best were challenged to follow God to the ends of the earth with the promise that we would support them spiritually and financially. What has God done through Southern Baptists since 1976?

"Under the direction of Minette Drumright, prayer strategy coordinator for the Foreign Mission Board, Southern Baptist churches have been challenged to pray for specific unreached people groups. In response to the prayers of His people, God has called forth laborers and opened new doors for the sending of missionaries with the gospel message. Prayer has been the key to the advances made.

"What have Southern Baptists done to increase financial support for Bold Mission Thrust? In 1975-76, we gave $26,169,431.12 through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. In 1992-93, we gave $80,980,881.11. [Editorial Note: The SBC Executive Committee at its February 1994 meeting challenged Southern Baptists to honor the 150th anniversary of the SBC by giving to the 1995 Lottie Moon Offering $100,000,000 and to the 1995 Annie Armstrong Home Mission Offering $50,000,000: a total of $150,000,000.]

"Have Southern Baptists heard and heeded the call to go? In 1976, The Foreign Mission Board had 2,667 missionaries serving in 82 countries. Presently the board has 3,948 missionaries serving in 127 countries. Missionaries are assisting in another 26 countries and maintain ongoing relationships with people in an additional 21. Under the positive leadership of board president Jerry Rankin and with faith in God and confidence in the faithfulness of Southern Baptists, the missionaries, staff, and trustees anticipate reaching the goal of 5,000 missionaries before the year 2000.

"What kind of work are the missionaries doing? In 1976 our missionaries and their national partners baptized 80,742 believers. In 1992, they baptized 251,700. In 1976, there were 7,584 churches to which our missionaries related. In 1992, there were 32,742. 1991 and 1992 were years of consecutive all-time records in the number of baptisms and church starts. Unquestionably, your missionaries are doing a great job!

"Several of the Foreign Mission Board's Bold Mission Thrust goals have already been exceeded, all are reachable and beatable if we remain faithful. This is no time for despair; it is not time to look for an alternative channel of mission support. This is the time for Southern Baptists to complete the vision of Bold Mission Thrust through increasingly sacrificial and bold praying, giving, and going. This is the time to say by our actions to our nearly 4,000 foreign missionaries that Southern Baptists will keep their promise to support them spiritually through prayer and financially through increased cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering gifts.

"... These are our missionaries; they have come from our churches. In the spiritual armada at war for the souls of men your missionaries serving through the Foreign Mission Board represent the finest battleship in the world. God is blessing; it's no time to hit the life rafts. Southern Baptists can demonstrate that we are worthy of the missionaries God has called out from among us by meeting and exceeding the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal..."

From this report it is evident that our Foreign Mission Board is strong and fruitful. It continues on course in reaching its bold Mission Thrust goals. Certainly there are other mission sending agencies. But I would think long and hard before taking money away from our Foreign Mission Board to support them.