Divisive use of Missions

by  Harold & Betty Cummins                                                                                                                            Vol. VI, No. 5, June 1993

[To date the Banner has not had space to run letters to the editors. However, the following short piece was printed as a letter to the editor in the 13 May 1993 issue of Word & Way, the journal of the Missouri Baptist convention. It is so pertinent that it is presented here as a brief article for the benefit of our readers.]

This letter is in response to the report of Cecil Sherman at a meeting in Columbia [Missouri]. We are greatly saddened , disappointed, and concerned that Dr. Sherman and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are using missions to further divide the Southern Baptist Convention. For CBF to use missions as a rallying point is as much of a challenge to our faith as the use of inerrancy by the conservatives. [Note that the authors are not doctrinaire political conservatives.]

This can only be seen by most missionaries as an attack upon the work being done in 128 countries. It will result in decreased giving and fewer missionaries serving in the approved and successful world missions program of the SBC. Is this what CBF wants? If they are Southern Baptists, as CBF insists, why would they want this to happen?

We do not need another "missions delivery system." We have an excellent one. We do not need attacks upon the way missions is being done. What we need is a return to consolidation of missions praying, giving, and sending.

Dr. Sherman is in error when he says that "we no longer do missions in an appropriate way." One of our missionary co-workers recently wrote, "Our work continues and thrives. We have not had any new directions placed on us by the Foreign Mission Board. We continue to get good new missionaries who are just as qualified, dedicated, and theologically sound as in the past. We know of no missionaries in Africa who are contemplating leaving our board. ... There has been no attempt nor rumor of an attempt to establish a creed or an obligatory statement from missionaries.

“No one outside our mission tells us what to teach or write or how to do missions in our field of work. The only action which could alter our future would be splitting of SBC gifts into two competing channels, thus forfeiting many long term commitments to both missionaries and nationals with whom we serve."

It seems obvious that most of CBF's money will have to be spent in setting up the "delivery system"– and in the support of a few missionaries [Currently 22 according to the CBF]. Do we want and need such duplication? How can we say "yes" to such when we already have the best plan and the best missionaries in the world?

We cannot understand the CBF position. To us, that which is inappropriate is to attack, malign, and betray a great mission program which is struggling against other assailants, trying to win the world's people to Jesus.