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OKLAHOMA CITY?Southern Baptists must be told the size of the task for reaching the world with the gospel and the prospect of achieving that vision within the next few years, stated International Mission Board trustee chairman Thomas Hatley of Rogers, Ark. After hearing regional IMB leaders describe what it will take to engage every unreached people group with a population greater than 100,000, Hatley projected that the missionary force of 5,340 must be increased by 60 percent and the annual budget of $276 million must grow to $480 million.
“The good news is that we are 60 percent of the way toward reaching the goal of touching the whole world,” Hatley told trustees meeting in Oklahoma City for the Nov. 15-17 meeting. “The bad news is that it’s taken us 2,000 years to get this far.”
When “praying to the Lord of the harvest to send more workers,” Hatley said pastors should include an appeal for mission service as part of their invitations. “We’re now seeing a rate like we’ve never seen before,” he said of the volunteer pool. “This trend will grow, I believe, if we let our churches know there’s a need.”
Secondly, Hatley said Southern Baptists are ready for a God-sized challenge. “They’re not going to respond to minor increases in goal setting,” he added, commending the more than $136 million received last year through the Lottie Moon international missions offering. “We must go beyond that and honestly say to Southern Baptists that this can be done. We can reach all of the unreached people groups [of more than 100,000 population] and do it in the space of several years, not several decades, and here is what it will take.”
In a meeting marked by the unity of trustees, staff and missionaries in response to the dramatic vision cast in the private session, Hatley thanked regional leaders for sharing from their hearts, IMB President Jerry Rankin and his staff for their “obvious desire” to accomplish the task and trustees for their passion in responding to the lostness of the world.
“We are now operating as one team with one very ambitious target. We will, under God, make this happen,” he insisted, prompting applause from all participants in the plenary session.
The trustee board approved a 2005 budget totaling $283.1 million, an increase of nearly $7.14 million over the current year. While the IMB anticipates receiving an additional $3 million from Cooperative Program receipts in 2005, the CP portion of IMB budget receipts is 2 percent less than last year. The IMB must rely upon increases in LMCO giving and investments to make up the difference.
The need for state conventions to send to the SBC a greater portion of their receipts from local churches continues to surface as a point of discussion among trustees. During a question and answer session with SBC President Bobby Welch, Florida trustee John C. Russell of Brandon, said, “We need a man like you to help us prayerfully consider what we could do to give more dollars to SBC entities.” With less than 40 percent of the IMB budget funded by CP dollars, Russell said he anticipates a pending crisis.
“My heart is heavy that Cooperative Program dollars are staying in the states and not going to missions,” Russell stated, noting that 60 cents of every CP dollar from local churches stays in Florida. Considering the fact that the North American Mission Board returns much of its CP allocations as they assist with ministry in states, Russell said state conventions get “an even greater lion’s share.”
He appealed to Welch to bring state executive directors together to examine their stewardship of CP dollars. Calling the Cooperative Program “a God-given tool,” Russell said, “Our states are out of balance.” Welch promised to address the concern at a future meeting with state convention executive directors.
Thus far, IMB trustees have pledged over $84,000 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Kansas trustee Phillip Graves delivered a $145,000 check on behalf of the Heart of Kansas Baptist Association. Profits from the sale of property provided the funds for the LMCO gift.
“If all Southern Baptists gave at the rate you are giving, we would give $2 billion to Lottie Moon,” Hatley told trustees. “We’ve just got to somehow put the need before the people and I think it’s going to happen.”
A preliminary report on requests for materials promoting the annual offering indicates heightened interest among Southern Baptist churches. The portion of orders via
