Editorial

It has been my privilege to attend since September three meetings of the International Mission Board, including two in the Sunshine State and the most recent trustee meeting last week in Albuquerque, N.M. (For news coverage of the meeting, see Ninety-five new IMB missionaries exemplify God’s call; IMB trustees appoint 95 missionaries, elect officers;IMB chairman recommends further restriction on blogging trustee.) At each of the meetings I have been astounded by the awesome task of this body of 88 of our Southern Baptist peers in guiding the work of the most impressive missionary force God has blessed any denomination to gather.

Each IMB meeting has included incredible testimonies of God’s grace at work across the globe through our more than 5,000 missionaries. At each meeting one can easily observe the burden of lostness in the world that is deeply experienced by the trustees and IMB staff.

And each meeting causes me to wonder: are Southern Baptists doing their part — in prayer — to uplift the work of the IMB? Of course, there are other means by which Southern Baptists can demonstrate their support for our missionaries — sacrificially giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, prioritizing missions education in the churches, and sending members on missions trips. But, are we praying for our missionaries, and for the board of trustees who has the important task of electing those missionaries and governing their work?

Prayer ought to be our first and last means of support for all those involved in our international missions enterprise.

The importance of prayer was driven home to me when I interviewed Floridian John Russell after his election in Albuquerque as first vice chairman of the IMB trustees. Russell, senior associate pastor of Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, told me: “These are difficult days that we’re living with in Southern Baptist life. And we need wisdom from God to be able to navigate these days. I’ll be asking for prayers from all my friends and family and others to pray for us as we attempt to give leadership that we believe would be God-honoring.”

Difficult days, indeed. The IMB has received a great deal of attention in the last year — but not only and perhaps most noticeably not because of wonderful stories of God’s work on the field. Instead, much negative attention has focused on the trustees’ adoption of new measures addressing baptism and the matter of “private prayer language” among missionary candidates. The Witness has covered extensively these matters and it’s unnecessary for me to repeat the issues here. (For those unfamiliar with these matters, significant information is available on our Web site: www.FloridaBaptistWitness.com.)

Some critics suggest that the upcoming Southern Baptist Convention in Greensboro is the proper venue to settle this dispute. I could not disagree more emphatically. Southern Baptists elect trustees to govern their entities and this system has served us well through many years, including those years racked by controversy.

The IMB trustees worked more than two years on the baptism and private prayer language matter, and an ad hoc committee of the board’s Missions Personnel Committee is currently at work thoroughly studying and reviewing these matters. The ad hoc committee is chaired by Paul Chitwood of Kentucky and includes trustees Bill Curp, Mo.; Andy Johnson, D.C.; Kevin King, Colo.; Sam Morgan, Ore.; Herman Pair, Ala.; Mike Smith, Texas; Simon Tsoi, Az.; and Blake Withers, Calif.

It’s clear many trustees are ready for these matters to be settled once and for all. Russell told me, “My hope is that we can unite Southern Baptists around the foot of the cross so we can continue to bring men and women, boys and girls of every tongue, tribe and people group to the Lord Jesus. That’s what I want to see. The greatest hope that I have is that we can get beyond these issues so that we can celebrate missions. I want to celebrate what God’s doing on the mission field.”

When I concluded the interview with Russell, I asked if there was anything he wanted to say and he returned to the need for prayer: “I’m requesting the prayers of the saints of God for John Floyd, for myself, for the other officers as we just seek to go and be about God’s will. I’m a man that’s in need of grace and I’m unworthy of this, to be in this role, but I’m thankful to accept it on behalf of Southern Baptists… .”

Even in the midst of controversy there is great news about what God is doing through our International Mission Board. Albuquerque hosted the fourth-largest class of missionary appointments in IMB history — 95 new missionaries sent to the field. IMB staff announced that this year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering will set an all-time record as Southern Baptists continue to faithfully support our missionaries.

Out-going IMB chairman Tom Hatley told the trustees in Albuquerque, “Southern Baptists have shown a real ability to focus and that is encouraging for everyone. In the face of some negative publicity the Lord’s people have risen to their greatest efforts. … Southern Baptists expect us to face problems and they also expect us to face those problems forthrightly while not being slowed by them.”

Southern Baptists’ domestic missions agency, the North American Mission Board, also has faced difficulties this year culminating with the resignation of its president. Another Floridian, Tim Patterson, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Jacksonville, was recently elected first vice chairman of that trustee board, which also needs the prayerful support of Southern Baptists.

Now is not the time for those of us who do not bear the burden of serving as an IMB trustee to substitute our judgments for theirs. Instead, now is the time for all Southern Baptists to be praying for the IMB trustees, administration and missionaries.