International Mission Board (IMB) President Jerry Rankin sent out an urgent plea to help “break down the wall” of Islam during the closing session of the June 18–19 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Phoenix, Ariz.
Using video presentations and interviews with IMB representatives, volunteers and friends, Rankin shared how missionaries and missions volunteers are needed to reach the Muslim world for Christ.
“It is God’s time for the gospel to penetrate those barriers in the Muslim world,” Rankin said. “It is the providence and power of God, moving to fulfill His purpose that He will be exalted among all nations and peoples and tongues. The only question is … will we be found faithful?”
While challenging Southern Baptists to search their hearts about how they will help reach the Muslim world, Rankin also reported that only 100 missionaries will be appointed for the rest of the year.
“We already have 308 applications for [those positions],” Rankin said. The IMB also cut short-term volunteer positions by 40 percent, he added.
Rankin explained that limiting the number of new missionary personnel results from a lack of funds to support them. “The $115.1 million given to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this past year was the most ever given, but the increase in giving [has] not kept pace with the numbers God is calling from our churches,” he said. “Last year [Southern Baptists] gave $9.4 billion, but less than 2 1/2 percent was channeled into extending God’s kingdom overseas through the International Mission Board.
“How will we give an account to God for our failure to send those called out of our churches for such a time as this?” Rankin asked.
Noting the recent termination of missionaries for not affirming the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, Rankin said, “Much has been published about missionaries who have resigned or been terminated, but the largest number of missions personnel to serve [is right now].
“We have 5,545 doctrinally sound missionaries who are fully responsible to the churches that support them,” Rankin said.
“Last year your missionaries gained access to 146 new people groups who had the opportunity to hear the gospel for the first time and planted congregations of indigenous believers as an ongoing … witness and ministry,” Rankin reported. He also noted that 421,436 new believers were baptized in 2002 and 8,369 new churches were started in Eastern Europe. “That is a 42 percent increase over the previous year,” he said about the new church starts.
Answering Baptists’ questions
Rankin also entertained questions from the convention floor during this report.
Roy Davis of Shreveport, La., asked if there is a program for churches to sponsor and support missionaries on the field.
“There is indeed a program to support the missionaries being sent out,” Rankin replied. “It is called the Cooperative Program.”
A former IMB trustee asked if the IMB had reduced its annual number of trustee meetings.
Rankin explained that IMB bylaws requires its board to meet six times a year, but due to budget restraints the board voted to suspend that requirement for one year. So the IMB board will meet only five times in 2004.
Tom Higginbotham from Judson Baptist Church, in Walker, La., asked for clarification about Scripture being included on the Iraqi food boxes recently collected. During the convention sermon O.S. Hawkins referenced “liberals” preventing Scripture from being in the boxes, Higginbotham said.
“Dr. Hawkins said the liberals did not want Scripture in them. He did not say we did not accompany them with Scripture,” Rankin said. “Scripture is on the box and there are wonderful opportunities to share the gospel.”
Bob Arthur from First Baptist Church, Springdale, Ark., also talked about the Iraqi food boxes live via satellite from Baghdad, Iraq. With a group of 30 volunteers in Iraq, Arthur asked Southern Baptists to send teams to Iraq during the next 120 days.
“Food cartons are going to arrive in late July or early August,” Arthur said. “We need Southern Baptist teams there to distribute those boxes in Baghdad and surrounding communities.”
Arthur also encouraged churches to adopt and encourage churches in Iraq. “We need to take advantage of the open door and church history right before us,” he said. “Are we going to open the door wider by sharing the love of Christ and God?”
Assuring Southern Baptists that the missionary team in Iraq will take good care of volunteers, Arthur said needs existed such as cell church training, structural repairs and water filtration systems.
The pastor of the Protestant Evangelical Church of Baghdad told Arthur there are 2,500 born-again believers in Baghdad.
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