Long before he became International Mission Board (IMB) president, Tom Elliff dreamed of a new kind of missionary — Southern Baptist business leaders who leverage their resources, global connections and growth strategies to help fulfill the Great Commission.
That dream, which Elliff calls “global strategic mobilization,” or GSM, is a step closer to reality with his nomination of Scott Holste as vice president of the IMB’s newly created GSM office.
“It simply means that we would be partnering with SBC (Southern Baptist Convention)-led ministries and business professionals who are already traveling around the world and deeply desire to be involved in Great Commission ministries,” Elliff said.
Holste has served in the IMB’s global strategy office since 2009, where he oversees affinity group leaders who direct the work of the IMB’s nearly 5,000 field personnel. Holste also oversees the IMB’s global research department, hunger and relief ministries and orality strategies.
If approved by trustees, Holste not only will mobilize, train and strategically involve SBC business leaders to fulfill the Great Commission but will supervise human needs strategies and serve as a member of the IMB’s executive leadership team.
“My dream is that through the work of this new initiative, we will match our [nearly] 5,000 field personnel with 5,000 — or more — passionate, trained and strategically positioned and connected marketplace professionals working in concert together and alongside national Baptist partners and other evangelicals to ensure the sustained, effective engagement of every people group,” Holste said.
(BP)
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