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“Don’t you say, there are still four more months, then comes the harvest? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest.”
Jesus’ words in John 4:35 have never been more relevant than they are today. North America is lost and the need is urgent. Seventy-five percent of the population, a staggering 259 million people in the United States and Canada, do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. There is one Southern Baptist Church for every 6,828 people in North America.
Recognizing this need, the North American Mission Board has developed the SEND North America strategy to bring the gospel to North America. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is helping SBC churches in Texas in mobilizing mission efforts with SEND Montreal and SEND Boston.
According to NAMB, Send North America focuses on mobilizing missionaries and churches.
When churches or individuals sign up, they are first assessed to identify the types of partnerships or missionary tracks that best fit them. Then NAMB provides any needed equipping and training—including evangelism and leadership development—before the missionary or church enters the mission field.
Churches that partner with NAMB have a broad range of participation options, including starting a church themselves or with a group of other churches. All are encouraged to send volunteers and other resources to partner with church planters on the field.
Currently fewer than 4 percent of SBC churches are engaged in church planting as a primary sponsor. NAMB’s goal is to see this increase to 10 percent.
SEND North America also focuses on five regions allowing NAMB to be more strategic and responsive to the diverse needs across North America, factoring in demographics, geographical challenges and spiritual realities.
That contextualization continues with coordinated efforts surrounding each region’s largest population centers. A total of 32 cities are in the SEND focus including Atlanta, Denver, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Toronto and Vancouver, as well as many others. Currently, SBTC has partnerships with both SEND Boston and SEND Montreal, in addition to the Utah-Idaho State Convention.
While the work won’t be limited to these metropolitan areas, cities are “the mouthpiece of any nation and the place where culture is created,” according to Aaron Coe, NAMB’s vice president for mobilization and marketing and a former church planter in New York. We expect to see a gospel influence radiate from the cities we reach, thus impacting the rest of the region.
“If the gospel of Jesus is going to spread around the world in the 21st century, the great cities will be its launching pad.”
For more information about SEND North America, its five regions and 32 cities, visit the SEND North American website at namb.net/overview-why-send. For additional information about SBTC Partnerships with SEND Boston and SEND Montreal, visit sbtexas.com/mobilization.
