Leaps of more than 40 percent in the number of new churches, new outreach groups and new believers in discipleship training show that God is at work in amazing ways through Southern Baptist missionaries and their overseas Baptist partners, said Avery Willis, the International Mission Board’s (IMB) senior vice president for overseas operations, and Scott Holste, IMB research director.
A total of 8,369 churches were organized in 2002, an increase of 42.5 percent over the previous year. The number of new outreach groups jumped to 9,862 an increase of 44.1 percent over 2001. And 369,069 new believers were enrolled in discipleship training, an increase of 40.8 percent over 2001.
Those dramatic increases were bolstered by positive growth in every one of the other 10 categories the IMB personnel engaged 138 new unreached people groups, representing a total of nearly 360 million people. A total of 22 major urban centers unreached by the gospel also were engaged for the first time.
“We are thrilled to see God at work in such power,” Willis said. “He is glorifying His name in all the world through missionaries who possess His passion for a lost world.
“Southern Baptists should be proud of their missionaries. They are pressing ahead, regardless of the cost, in spite of difficulties and dangers, determined that every people group will have an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Trustees appropriated $4.2 million in new funds to cover over-budget expenses in 2002 caused by record growth in the number of Southern Baptists coming forward for missionary service. The trustees also transferred $4 million from operating reserves for a package of important upgrades to the board’s Information Technology Group (ITG).
The transfer will provide critical upgrades to server security software and both overseas and stateside payroll programs, said Cheri Boggess, ITG associate vice president.
It also will advance a program to manage contacts with churches and other partners, as well as develop the capability of using CDs and DVDs to conduct software training for missionaries and stateside staff.
Trustees also appropriated $1.26 million to renovate a 52,000-square-foot warehouse purchased in September.
The purchase allows the board to move its distribution and reprographics operations out of rented facilities costing more than $100,000 a year.
(BP)
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