NAMB commissions 7 chaplains, 125 missionaries at Oct. 8 service

The North American Mission Board (NAMB) commissioned 125 new missionaries and seven chaplains from 32 states and two Canadian provinces during the board’s fall commissioning service in McDonough, Ga.
Geoff Hammond, who assumed duties as NAMB president last May, was also commissioned as president of the agency during the Oct. 8 service at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church, McDonough, Ga., attended by some 1,400 people and streamed live via the Internet.

The commissioning ceremonies included a processional of 75 flags — a U.S. flag, state flags and Canadian flags — borne by NAMB staffers and middle school and high school students.
It also included special praise and worship music by solo artists and the church’s choir and orchestra and commissioning prayers and sermons.

Jerry Rankin, president of the International Mission Board, voiced the service’s opening commissioning prayer.
During the service, each missionary or missionary couple stepped onto the stage, introduced themselves and shared a specific prayer request for their ministry.

Missionaries were commissioned for ministries throughout North America — from Union City, Calif., to New England and from Talkeetna, Alaska, to the Hawaiian Islands.
On Oct. 7, most of the new missionaries and chaplains fanned out throughout the greater Atlanta-metro area, speaking at local Southern Baptist Convention churches. (BP)