International Mission Board (IMB) trustees and IMB president Jerry Rankin have responded to recent criticisms contained in a paper circulated by former Southern Baptist Convention President Paige Patterson.
The paper, written by Keith Eitel, professor of Christian missions at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, N.C., outlines his concerns about the theological framework employed by the IMB. The eight-page document, titled “Vision Assessment,” was sent to all IMB trustees by Patterson.
In the paper, Eitel argues that because of inadequate theological training of some missionaries, “evangelism, church planting and discipleship are in the hands of theological novices.” He also contends women are inappropriately placed in positions of authority over men.
Patterson, Eitel’s former boss at Southeastern and now president at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, wrote a cover letter for the document in which he praised Eitel as “one of the cutting-edge missionologists of our day.” He added, “The critical importance of this paper, especially in light of the conservative movement in the Southern Baptist Convention, will be apparent to you as you read it.”
IMB trustees responded with a two-fold action. During a Nov. 10-12 meeting in Lexington, Ky., the trustees affirmed without discussion or dissent the “strategies and leadership” of the board. The second action affirmed an initiative by Rankin to arrange a meeting of IMB staff and trustees with Eitel and Patterson “to resolve misunderstandings and perceptions communicated in Eitel’s assessment of the International Mission Board vision and strategy.”
Rankin said he would write Patterson “to seek an explanation as to why he would cast aspersion on our board relative to the conservative resurgence.” IMB trustees are “God-fearing, Bible-believing men and women, products of the conservative resurgence within our convention,” Rankin declared. Yet, “our staunch embracing of and adherence to the Baptist Faith and Message is not considered adequate from your perspective.”
A letter from Rankin to Eitel countered the criticisms as “unfounded” and questioned why they were circulated without first coming to the board’s leadership for a response.
Rankin acknowledged in the letter, however, that he was pleased finally to learn “the source of rumors that have plagued the IMB in recent years.” He said “myths” about the IMB have been perpetuated by the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Mainstream Baptists, Texan David Currie and employees of Southeastern Seminary.
“I had wondered why so much criticism of our program and policies, disrespect of leadership and even threatened litigation was being generated by students from Southeastern,” Rankin told Eitel. Another memo written by Eitel to an IMB staff member “clearly indicates that they were being programmed to hear certain distortions out of context and encouraged to engage in a subversive response.”
Eitel’s criticisms have endangered collaborative efforts between Southeastern Seminary and the IMB, Rankin said. “It is hard to see how we can continue such a partnership when disrespect for leadership and policies is being nurtured, nonbiblical subversive behavior is encouraged and blatant disregard for truth is propagated.”
In the seven-page letter, Rankin countered point by point each of Eitel’s criticisms.
He denied the IMB is placing less emphasis on theological training for missions workers, as Eitel suggested. He insisted on the importance of using short-term volunteers in contemporary missions work. He defended the training techniques and staff of the Missionary Learning Center. And he defended partnerships with other Great Commission Christians as a paradigm shift “that has been blessed of God to enhance unprecedented impact on a lost world. The reality is that many of these Great Commission Christians are far more conservative in their doctrine than Southern Baptists have been and would not have accepted us into partnership with them until recent years.”
Rankin also defended the role of women in missions leadership.
“We fully recognize the biblical limitation of women holding a church office, such as pastor, that clearly represents spiritual authority in a local congregation,” Rankin said. “However, to extrapolate that limited application to deny women the freedom to practice their giftedness and calling as a part of a team seeking to reach a segment of the lost world goes beyond biblical teaching.” (ABP, BP)
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