Prepared missionaries

The Dec. 11, 2003, issue of The Alabama Baptist contained an article with the headline “Facing criticism IMB officials address concerns from seminary professor.”

Please allow me to make a couple of comments in reference to the sentence “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.’”  

I believe that is the same complaint some “professors” and “seminary presidents” had concerning “theological novices” whom Jesus called in the Gospels and used to change the world in the book of Acts.

The IMB sent our daughter to Brazil as a Journeyman but only after a very lengthy process that began with a recommendation from her church and pastor and extensive interviews to assure that God called her to the missions field.

This was followed by weeks of intensive training in church planting, evangelism, spiritual warfare and other things at the Missionary Learning Center. She is now in language school in Brazil and will serve under the supervision of career missionaries.

All Southern Baptists can be assured that the IMB only sends well-trained, well-equipped missionaries who were recommended by local churches and called of God.

Connie Carden
Kimberly, Ala.