In their reports to Southern Baptist Convention messengers June 15, both missions sending organization leaders said their goal is to get the gospel to all people.
According to International Mission Board (IMB) President David Platt, that goal has been in place at IMB for more than 170 years.
Budgeting processes recently led IMB to reduce its missionary force by 20 percent.
“I praise God for churches, associations, state conventions, the WMU and other entities who have rallied around these retirees and others, helping them redeploy into meaningful ministry across North America,” Platt said. “During a time in which I know the adversary has wanted and worked to divide Southern Baptists, you as a convention have come together in a powerful display of cooperative unity.”
Platt praised God for Southern Baptists’ commitment to stand beside IMB, evidenced by increased giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. Platt projected that IMB will be operating with a balanced budget for 2017, with the stage set for a healthy financial future (see story, page 11).
The missions force that remains on the field has the potential to grow to thousands more in the days to come.
Church planting
For the North American Mission Board (NAMB), reaching people for Christ involves, in part, planting churches, according to NAMB President Kevin Ezell.
“Since 2011, NAMB has directed an increasing amount of its resources to church planting,” Ezell said.
Looking at church planting’s impact on baptism rates, Ezell said church plants “baptize 1 person for every 14 members, compared to 1 for 52 in existing churches.”
Total baptisms
Ezell shared several examples of areas where churches planted since 2010 contributed a significant percentage of total baptisms from their states in 2015.
In Vermont it was 83 percent; in the Baptist Convention of New England, which includes six states, it was 39 percent; and in Canada it was 53 percent.
“Southern Baptists, church plants reach people for Christ and the more we plant, the more baptisms we will see,” Ezell said.
(BP, TAB)
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