The news that the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) will bring home between 600 and 800 missionaries produced a variety of emotions among concerned Baptists.
Shock at the unanticipated announcement might have been the first response but that was quickly followed by concern for families that will be displaced. Confusion was another reaction as people asked how IMB got itself into this financial bind. Some reacted angrily because of the impact the decision will have on family and friends. Others thought about their giving or their lack of giving.
Because IMB spends about 85 percent of its budget on personnel-related expenses, fixing the financial problem falls most heavily on families who have dedicated themselves to serving overseas. IMB assured that no pressure will be applied to any missionary family to return home or staff members to retire but the situation creates its own pressure as self-sacrificing people ponder whether they should “take one for the team” and abandon their sense of calling so others might stay and serve.
Thankfully IMB is not talking about bringing home 600–800 missionary families. They are talking about people, officials said, so a husband and wife count as two people. A single missionary counts as one.
IMB’s announcement created a new round of uncertainty and soul-searching for missionaries across the globe. Alabama Baptists will want to lift up these faithful servants during the coming weeks as they seek God’s will for their future.
Surprise timing
To those who have followed the news from IMB, the announcement was more surprise at the timing than shock at the content. IMB has been drawing down its missions force through attrition for the last few years. Presently there are about 4,800 missionaries down from a high of 5,600. The announced target is about 4,200 overseas personnel. IMB also has about 450 staff in its Richmond, Virginia, headquarters who are impacted by the drawdown decision.
What surprised many was IMB President David Platt’s admission that “for the sake of short-term financial responsibility and long-term organization stability we must act now.”
In the 1990s, IMB began reaching into its reserves to send more missionaries because of the theological conclusion that this was the last generation of missionaries and it would be sinful to have financial reserves when the Lord returned.
It was not long before IMB’s budget for missionary support surpassed its income through the Cooperative Program (CP), Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) for International Missions and other regular channels. IMB decided to prop up its personnel cost by spending unrestricted reserves and using proceeds from the sale of property IMB owned around the world.
Financially the opening decade of this century was a heady time for Southern Baptists. CP receipts grew from $178.3 million in 2000 to a high of $198.8 million. Cumulatively LMCO receipts grew by almost 45 percent over receipts from the 1990s — from almost $900 million to $1.34 billion.
Unfortunately no one foresaw the impact a sluggish economy would have on the years ahead. In 2009, SBC figures indicate Southern Baptists gave a total of $11.9 billion to their churches. In 2014 giving to the churches had declined to $11.15 billion. That is a drop of almost $800 million. Churches in turn gave less to missions causes through CP — $520.3 million in 2008–09 to $478.7 million in 2013–14.
The result was fewer dollars for SBC causes — $194.3 million in 2009 and $180.9 in 2014 — even though the percentage of CP receipts going to SBC causes increased.
LMCO also was hurt by the economic downturn. After a record-setting offering of $150.4 million in 2007 it was another six years (2013) before receipts reached that level again. At the same time IMB challenged Southern Baptists to give more, setting a goal of $175 million each year of the current decade. Against a cumulative goal of $875 million for the first half of the decade, Southern Baptists gave $748.8 million or $126.2 million below the goal.
$200 million property sales
IMB made up the differences in part by spending reserves, a practice previously reported by The Alabama Baptist. The missions agency also continued to sell property. Officials report almost $200 million worth of property sales used to support the operations budget.
In 2014 the entire LMCO goal of $175 million was built into the operating budget though officials knew only a miracle from God would cause receipts to jump $21 million in one year. When Southern Baptists gave $153 million the shortfall was covered by spending more reserves and property sales.
Now contingency reserves equal about four months operating expenses and are dropping every day. IMB policies call for contingency reserves to be “up to six months operating expenses.” Officials believe the four-month level is dangerously low.
The news is not all bad. IMB is not about to go broke. In fact, despite budgeting reserves for operations, total assets of the organization have increased since 2010. The audit shows in 2010 IMB had $252.8 million in net assets. The 2014 audit shows net assets at $259.9 million. About half of this amount is held in trusts for IMB by organizations like The Baptist Foundation of Alabama. IMB has access to the earnings but not the corpuses.
Declining contingency reserves
The problem is that contingency reserves available for budget support have declined from $145.4 million in 2010 to $132.3 million at the end of July 2015. Property sales options also have declined. The plan is to solve the problem by bringing home missionaries, cutting staff and scaling back appointments. Officials say about 600 new missionaries are needed annually to stay even because of normal retirements/resignations and the completion of short-term personnel positions (two- to three-year assignments).
IMB plans to appoint about 300 people this year and next. The slowdown in appointments would reach the target level by the end of 2016 but Platt contends IMB cannot wait that long. He wants the missionary force reduced right away so career missionaries and staff members nearing retirement eligibility will have about six weeks to decide to stay or come home.
With LMCO season approaching, this development will likely result in an abnormally high offering for 2015. That is what happened after a missionary appointment slowdown in 2003. Unfortunately experience teaches emotionally based giving is hard to maintain.
The good news is that IMB trustees are working with Platt to address the problem. The bad news is that IMB trustees worked with leadership to develop the problem. But this is not a time for blame. It is a time for prayer. Pray for the missionaries and staff members whose lives will be changed. Pray for wisdom for IMB leadership as they seek “financial responsibility” and “organizational stability.”
It also is a time to pray about our financial stewardship and the role of our churches in missions and ministry beyond our local churches through CP — Southern Baptists’ primary means of financing missions and ministries.
Perhaps in God’s sovereignty this time of trouble will become a time of blessing.
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