IMB’s Fort: Baptists should rethink missions priority

RIDGECREST, N.C. — Many Southern Baptist churches that pride themselves on being “missions-minded” might have a hard time convincing an impartial observer, an International Mission Board (IMB) leader told trustees Sept. 12 at LifeWay Ridgecrest (N.C.) Conference Center. The meeting was part of a three-day gathering that included a national reunion for about 1,000 emeritus missionaries at Ridgecrest and the appointment of 48 new overseas workers at Biltmore Baptist Church, Arden, N.C., near Asheville.

“As I travel, I hear a lot about how ‘missions-minded’ Southern Baptists are,” said Gordon Fort, IMB vice president of overseas operations. “I often ask, ‘How much does your church pay for utilities each year?’ Then I ask, ‘If you are paying more for your utility bill than you are giving to reach a lost world for Christ, how does that make you a missions-minded church?’” Southern Baptist churches ought to re-examine just how high a priority missions really is when they claim a total of 16 million members yet have only 5,234 international personnel currently under appointment, Fort said.