Southern Baptists celebrated 63 new International Mission Board missionaries during Tuesday’s (June 9) opening session of the SBC annual meeting in Orlando. As missionaries took the stage and stood on the floor of the Orange County Convention Center, church messengers listened as they described their callings and expressed gratitude for support of their Great Commission work.
IMB President Paul Chitwood announced that the missionary pipeline is “exploding,” noting a 500% increase in recent years, an announcement that was met with applause.
Read more stories from the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando.
“With more lost people living on the planet than at any point in human history, now is the time for more Southern Baptists to answer God’s call to the nations,” Chitwood said.
He thanked the sending churches of the missionaries for discipling, praying and “generously supporting them through your Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering gifts.”
“Your IMB missionaries don’t go alone,” he said. “You go with them. Together, we send them and sustain them. Together, we trust God to use the gospel to change everything. I want to invite you to join in — not as spectators but as participants. Because this story includes all of us.”
The new appointees join more than 3,500 IMB missionaries and their families serving in 155 countries. Those going to regions hostile to the gospel or missionary presence appeared behind a screen for the public event to protect their identities.
The missionaries in Orlando included a grandfather returning to the mission field, a woman who once confessed to being an atheist and a couple who have committed their lives to serving people in various capacities. All of them shared their stories before the Sending Celebration occurred.
Messengers observe prayer through responsive reading
After the missionaries shared their testimonies, Chitwood led a time of responsive reading, inviting those attending to participate in prayer for the missionaries.
“Father, we place these missionaries in Your care,” Chitwood said as he concluded the prayer time. “Go before them. Walk with them. And use them for Your glory among the nations. We trust You because we know Your gospel changes everything. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
The next Sending Celebration will be September 16, at The Heights in South Chesterfield, Virginia.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Chris Doyle and originally published by the International Mission Board.
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