Author: IMB Staff

IMB celebrates the work of Black missionaries

Editor’s Note: During Black History Month, the IMB celebrates the contributions of African American missionaries in building the kingdom. For a downloadable prayer guide and other resources, visit IMB.org/george-liele.

Asa and Vanessa Watson serve as IMB missionaries in Germany with their three young children. On the mission field, Asa tells others his story about how God lead him through playing professional football (with the New England Patriots in 2014), to working with a pit crew in NASCAR, then working in campus ministry, and now serving as a missionary.

Pray for the Watsons

Pray for the Watson family to still have opportunities to reach out to friends and neighbors, even though activity usually slows in the winter and rising COVID-19 rates may slow down activity again.

Pray for their three kids in school as they interact with other kids, sharing the light and love of Jesus.

Pray that God will continue to remain at the forefront of all that the Watsons do, and that they will look to Him for all things, big and small!

Karen and Richard Lee serve as IMB missionaries in Tanzania. Since before they married and began a family and careers, they both felt called to missions. In 2001, they became missionaries with the IMB and moved to East Africa with their children, Christian and Rebecca, who are now young adults.

Their message to African American Southern Baptists is, “You can be a part of reaching the world. God called us. He can use you and your church in mighty ways.”

Pray for the Lees

Pray for the Lee family as they reach Tanzanians with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pray that Tanzanian believers will be equipped and empowered to serve God, gather into healthy churches and take part in the Great Commission.

Eric and Ramona Reese serve as IMB missionaries in Brazil. They love Brazilians, and the Brazilians know it and love them back. Early in their ministry, they experienced the dangers of working in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Eric recently released a book about that time called “Willing To Risk It All: For His Name’s Sake.”

“I share my stories because I want to tell people about my struggles with being courageous,” Eric said. “When God calls us to obey Him, it’s not contingent on whether the circumstances are favorable.”

Pray for the Reeses

Pray for Eric and Ramona’s daughters, Gloria, 24, and Alicia, 20, as they continue to study.

Ask God to give insight and wisdom to each member of the Reese family.

Ask God to bless their relationships, keeping Jesus at the center of family, friend and professional relationships.

Pray for evangelism efforts in São Paulo, Brazil and a new church plant in the area.

Pray for the Reese family as they disciple local missionaries.

Download a prayer guide highlighting these missionaries.

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Search team formed to fill SBC Executive Committee president and CEO post

NASHVILLE (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has created a search team to begin the entity’s search for the new president and CEO.

Search team members include Mollie Duddleston (Springdale, Ark.), Mike Keahbone (Lawton, Okla.), Jeremy Morton (Woodstock, Ga.), Philip Robertson (Pineville, La.), Adron Robinson (Country Club Hills, Ill.) and David Sons (Lexington, S.C.).

EC trustees nominated fellow trustees to serve on the team. In total, 23 trustees were nominated for consideration. Following the nominations, trustees selected their top six candidates in a secret ballot vote.

The first five candidates were elected outright, while Keahbone was elected after a runoff that included fellow nominees Rolland Slade (El Cajon, Calif.) and John Yeats (Jefferson City, Mo.).

Three candidates tied for the sixth spot, leading to the runoff. During a second runoff vote, Keahbone and Slade tied again, and Slade, who is current chairman of the full EC, removed his name from consideration to avoid another runoff.

Slade told Baptist Press he hopes the strategy of the search team will not just be practical, but also prayerful.

“I’m going to encourage the search team to approach their work with a prayerful attitude from the beginning, and God will lead them to the person that He’s going to elevate,” Slade said. “I think it’s going to be clear and we should not try to politicize it or pick a certain ‘group,’ but who is it that God is bringing forward for this hour.”

EC bylaws require the chairman to be an ex-officio member of the team. Slade will serve on the search team until both his chairmanship and his EC term expire in June. The new chair will then take the spot.

The search team members will meet soon to elect a chair and set the framework for their process.

Slade offered a few suggestions and strategies for the search team.

“We’re the cheerleaders, we’re the encouragers, we’re the folks who are really supposed to be out there sharing about the Cooperative Program,” Slade said.

“One of our strategies will be to listen and to familiarize ourselves with the relationships the candidate has. I believe the person is going to have to be a relational person, and that’s going to be really important in doing this.”

Regarding the ongoing sexual abuse investigation, Slade said implementing the suggestions and recommendations from the Sexual Abuse Task Force in response to its upcoming report will be one of the first major responsibilities of the new president and CEO.

“We’re going to hear loud and clear about these things in May and it’s going to be the first thing to come up in terms of how are we going to respond,” Slade said.

“They (the new president/CEO) have to be able to listen and then relationally be able to respond to that. Our response needs to be a biblical and relational response, not a sort of cardboard response. We’ve really got to say ‘We’ve really got to uncover this. Here’s where we’ve seen some things that we need to work on together.’”

In terms of a timetable for the selection of the candidate, Slade said “to me, it needs to be as long as it takes.”

Slade asked Southern Baptists to pray for the search team.

“Pray for protection of our hearts,” Slade said. “The best thing people can do is pray for that team.”

Send Relief responds to the Ukraine crisis

Send Relief, the combined compassion ministry effort of the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board, is currently working with local Baptist partners in Ukraine to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis. This crisis has been created by the escalated tension mounting around the border between Ukraine and Russia and Russia’s invasion.

Send Relief partners are already on the ground providing emergency food relief, shelter, clothing and more to displaced families. As the situation worsens, Send Relief partners are ready to provide further food relief, meet shelter needs and offer transportation to assist those impacted by this escalating crisis.

Reports continue to indicate that as many as 5 million Ukrainians will be displaced in neighboring countries such as Poland and Romania, and a large number of internally displaced people are beginning to form in Western Ukraine. The greatest needs for these displaced families will include finding access to food, water, shelter, clothing, sanitation and hygiene.

Gifts to Send Relief’s Ukraine Crisis Fund are vital to these relief efforts. The best way for Southern Baptists to respond is through prayer and giving.

Send Relief encourages churches and individuals to pray for Ukraine by downloading the Ukraine Prayer Guide:

Pray for:

The people of Ukraine. Pray for strength, courage and perseverance as their home is threatened by conflict.
Safe passages out of conflict zones for displaced populations.
Government officials to lead with wisdom in this tense time.
The estimated 4 million displaced people who will be forcibly removed from their homes. Pray that in the face of conflict, they will find psychological, emotional and spiritual healing from this trauma.
Soldiers on both sides of this conflict to be safe from harm.
Local churches, relief workers and humanitarian aid organizations to care for what could be a massive wave of displaced peoples in Ukraine.
Disciples Church in L’viv, Ukraine, and its church plant in Bryukhovychi. Many of the people there are displaced from the East. Pray for peace for these believers as they had hoped this conflict from eight years ago was over and now, they are facing it again.
The Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary as it wrestles with how to assist its students in this time of crisis.
Ukrainian believers as they seek to be a light in the darkness.
Ukrainians who have never heard the gospel to have an opportunity to experience the hope of Jesus.

The post Send Relief responds to the Ukraine crisis appeared first on IMB.

15 questions for Christians to ask about their social media engagement

A bipartisan group of senators recently introduced a bill to protect children from the potentially harmful impacts of social media. The Kids Online Safety Act of 2022 includes five major elements:

Social media companies would be required to provide privacy options, the ability to disable addictive features and allow users to opt-out of recommendations like pages or other videos to “like.” It would also make the strongest privacy protections the default.

The bill would give parents tools to track time spent in the app, limit purchases, and help to address addictive usage.

It would require social media companies to prevent and mitigate harm to minors, including self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and unlawful products for minors like alcohol.

Social media companies would be required to give kids’ data to academic and private researchers. The scientists would use that data to do more research on what harms children on social media and how to prevent that harm.

Social media companies would be required to use a third party to perform independent reviews to quantify the risk to minors, compliance with the law, and whether the company is “taking meaningful steps to prevent those harms.”

Whether the bill will be something Christians should support remains to be seen. But as Dr. Dave Anderson, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, told ABC News, it’s an attempt to apply what social science research has taught us about the potential harms of social media. “I think politicians are taking what we know from the science and saying, ‘How do we build in these safeguards?’”, says Anderson.

Questions for evaluation

While it’s important to build safeguards on social media for our children, every Christian adult should also consider what guardrails they are putting up for themselves. Listed below are 15 questions for self-reflection that we can ask ourselves about our social media engagement.

1. The time use question: In 2020, the average adult spent three hours a day on social media. Do we spend more daily time on social media than we do on spiritual practices, such as prayer and Bible reading?

2. The best use question: Even if the time we spend on social media is not out of proportion to other activities, we should still consider how we want to spend our days. Is our social media usage an example of following the command in Ephesians 5:16 to make the “best use of the time”?

3. The bubble question: Social media allows us to choose who we interact with, allowing us the ability to create the online equivalent of gated communities. What types of interactions are you missing out on by engaging only within your social media bubble?

4. The corrupt company question: In light of question 3, what kind of bubble are you creating? Who are you surrounding yourself with online? Bad company — even disguised with Christian language — that will corrupt (1 Cor. 15:33)? Or good company that will build up?

5. The looking with lust question: The predominance of personal photos on social media can allow us to get an intimate glimpse not only into people’s lives but often of people’s bodies. What precautions are we taking to prevent ourselves from looking with lust on the images we see in private (Matt. 5:28)?

6. The one another question: Throughout Scripture there are more than 50 “one another” commands that apply to our fellow believers (for example, the commands to “encourage one another and build up one another” in 1 Thessalonians 5:11). How are you using social media to fulfill those commands?

7. The probability of cancellation question: Cancel culture refers to the modern practice of withdrawing support for someone (i.e., “canceling them”) after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. What are the chances that you could be “canceled” for something you post on social media?

8. The loving your enemy question: Jesus commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:43). Do we use our social media accounts to identify the “enemies” we need to pray for?

9. The foolish controversies question: In Titus 3:9, Paul tells us to avoid foolish controversies because they are unprofitable and useless. Does our social media usage increase the likelihood that we will engage in such foolish controversies?

11. The eulogy question: Imagine that if at your funeral someone who despises you was able to give a eulogy that consisted of them reading 10 items you posted on social media. Would you have any concerns or fear of embarrassment if that were to happen?

12. The anonymity question: Many people on social media (especially on platforms like Twitter) choose to remain anonymous. But Jesus says “there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open” (Luke 8:17). If you have an anonymous account, would you be ashamed if your identity was revealed? (Alternative question: Should we be engaging with those who choose to hide their identity while attacking those whose identities are known?)

13. The unwholesome talk question: Paul commands us by saying, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Eph. 4:29). Do we use social media to engage in unwholesome talk?

14 The true and noble question: Additionally, Paul says, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil. 4:8). Does our social media usage help us to think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy?

15. The glory of God question: Paul also says, whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:13). Can we honestly say that all that we do on social media is glorifying God?

The post 15 questions for Christians to ask about their social media engagement appeared first on ERLC.

Barber to chair Committee on Resolutions; Arriola, Wellman named to posts

SARALAND, Ala. (BP) — Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church of Farmersville, will serve as chair for the 2022 Committee on Resolutions at the annual meeting in Anaheim, Southern Baptist Convention president Ed Litton announced Feb. 14.

Barber, who will celebrate 23 years at FBC Farmersville in July, served on the committee last year alongside Dana McCain, a member of First Baptist Church in Dothan, Ala., who will be vice chair.

“I believe with all of my heart that whenever two or three believers gather in His name, Christ is present among them to speak to them and through them,” Barber said. “Our resolutions play a beautiful role in that divine process. It is not my ambition to shape Southern Baptist opinion, but instead to state Southern Baptist opinion – to empower our messengers to speak as Christ has laid it upon their hearts to speak.”

For McCain, involvement in crisis pregnancy ministries is what spurred her passion for seeing the Gospel’s impact on people’s lives.

“It’s humbling to participate in the process of helping Southern Baptists reflect the Gospel to the world by speaking to contemporary issues, both within the church and in the public square,” she said. “I’m honored to be able to serve the SBC in this way, and look forward to the good things God will do during our time together at the 2022 Annual Meeting.”

Other committee members are:

Julio Arriola – director, Send Network SBTC and a member of Thompson Station Church, Thompson’s Station, Tenn.
JT English – lead pastor of Storyline Fellowship in Arvada, Colo.
Kristen Ferguson –11th Street Baptist Church in Upland, Calif.
Donna Gaines – Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, Tenn.
Mike Keahbone – senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Lawton, Okla.
Jon C. Nelson – lead pastor, Soma Community Church, Jefferson City, Mo., and president of the Missouri Baptist Convention
David Sons – lead pastor, Lake Murray Baptist Church, Lexington, S.C.
Jared Wellman – lead pastor, Tate Springs Baptist Church, Arlington, Texas

“For many decades, the resolutions process has served our convention by allowing us to speak forcefully to significant matters upon which we are resolved,” Litton said. “I have the highest confidence in the men and women I have asked to serve on the 2022 Committee on Resolutions. Each of them are faithful and capable leaders who embody what it means to be a Great Commission Baptist.

“I am particularly grateful for Dr. Bart Barber’s willingness to serve as chair of the committee. Across our convention, Dr. Barber is esteemed for his character and wisdom, as well as his conviction and charity. I have no doubt that Dr. Barber, along with Vice Chair Dana Hall McCain, will serve all of us by leading this committee to present resolutions for consideration that reflect the biblical priorities and convictions of our Great Commission people.”

According to Bylaw 20, the committee must include at least two members who served the previous year, a requirement fulfilled by Barber and McCain. Keahbone, Sons and Wellman meet the stipulation that three Executive Committee members also be on the committee. Wellman served on the committee last year as well.

According to Bylaw 20, the procedure for submitting resolutions is as follows:

Proposed resolutions may be submitted as early as April 15 but no later than 15 days prior to the SBC annual meeting, giving the Resolutions Committee a two-week period in which to consider submissions. The committee also may propose resolutions for consideration during its deliberations. Resolutions may not be submitted during the annual meeting.
Proposed resolutions must be accompanied by a letter from a church qualified to send a messenger to the SBC annual meeting certifying that the individual submitting the resolution is a member in good standing.
Proposed resolutions preferably should be submitted by email or mailed to the Committee on Resolutions in care of the SBC Executive Committee, 901 Commerce St., Nashville, TN 37203. The drafts must be typewritten, titled, dated and include complete contact information for the person and his or her church.
No person will be allowed to submit more than three resolutions per year.
If a properly submitted resolution is not forwarded by the Committee on Resolutions to the SBC annual meeting, a two-thirds vote of messengers would be required to bring the proposed resolution to the convention floor.

GuideStone, NAMB partner to provide retirement, insurance for new church planters

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – New Send Network church planting missionaries can take advantage of increased support through the North American Mission Board (NAMB), anchored by a slate of customized benefits from GuideStone Financial Resources.

Church planters assessed and endorsed in 2022 will have the opportunity to enroll themselves and their families in GuideStone’s Value Health 5000 plan without underwriting beginning this May. NAMB’s church-planting arm, Send Network, will cover 100 percent of the premium for an entire family for 12 months, after which, the church plant will be required to take responsibility for the premium.

Moving forward, new planters who have been endorsed by Send Network, completed their assessments, and meet eligibility criteria will have access to enroll in coverage. Qualifying church plants must have an SBC ID number, and the church planter must receive W-2 income from that church.

Church planters will also be able to participate in a retirement plan designed specifically for Southern Baptist churches through GuideStone. To “jump-start” their savings, Send Network will provide a $1,000 one-time contribution to the retirement plan for every church planter who is eligible upon their launch date.

The plan was announced at a meeting of NAMB’s trustees Feb. 15.

“Thanks to GuideStone’s help and the generosity of Southern Baptists, we are able to provide the best services of any church planting network in North America,” said NAMB President Kevin Ezell. “I am grateful for Hance Dilbeck’s commitment to making this happen and for the GuideStone team who worked so diligently with us.”

Dilbeck said GuideStone is committed to helping all Southern Baptist pastors.

“We work to see all Christ’s servants free to finish well,” Dilbeck, GuideStone president-elect, told trustees. “We want to simplify financial solutions to multiply Kingdom impact. At GuideStone, we are called to advocate for pastors; and to advocate to pastors. We strive to see churches take better care of their pastors and to see pastors take better care of themselves.”

Planters who enroll in the retirement plan may be eligible for additional benefits at no cost, made available by Baptist state conventions and GuideStone. This includes a disability benefit of up to $500 monthly and a survivor protection benefit of up to $100,000.

O.S. Hawkins, outgoing GuideStone president, indicated helping pastors in every church – from church plants to established churches and from the beginning of their careers to and through retirement – is a core part of why GuideStone exists.

“For more than 100 years, our mission is to honor the Lord by being a lifelong partner with our participants in enhancing their financial security,” Hawkins said. “This partnership allows us to work ever more closely with our partners at NAMB to ensure this next generation of church leaders can prepare well for their financial futures, so that they can continue to serve the Lord effectively.”

The increased benefits are meant to help Send Network-endorsed church planters start a healthy church-planting journey by providing practical help, especially in the form of retirement and insurance, GuideStone and NAMB emphasized.

“As a lifelong partner to pastors and churches, GuideStone works to simplify financial solutions so they can be free to focus on their work and fulfill their ministry,” Dilbeck said.

Ezell said NAMB will set the expectation moving forward that new church plants will cover a health insurance plan for their planter pastor right from the start.

“Church planters – just like most pastors – rarely speak up for their own needs, so we want to speak up for them,” Ezell said. “NAMB is happy to fund this first year of coverage, but we are establishing the clear expectation that after that, each church plant will continue to fund this important coverage.”

The work on how to provide health benefits for Send Network church planters began more than a year ago.

“We knew it was a huge need, but we also knew covering even just the newest church planters would cost more than $5 million annually,” Ezell said. “Still, we made the commitment to do it and then last year Southern Baptists amazed us by giving $5 million more to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering than ever before. What an incredible example of God’s provision.”

Vance Pitman, who begins serving as Send Network’s new president March 1, said the benefits will make a huge difference to church planter families.

“You cannot imagine how much stress and worry this will remove from the lives of church planters and their wives,” Pitman said. “We are addressing a burden that too often distracted from ministry and the well-being of these servants.”

Church planters in Send Network who are eligible for this new coverage will be contacted by Send Network staff in the weeks ahead.

In addition to the new benefits through GuideStone, NAMB announced a new financial service that will provide accounting, payroll and bookkeeping for church plants. A new online giving service is also available.

These services become part of a host of others, including the minimum $56,000 in funding Send Network continues to provide vocational church planters, as well as church plant loans; a two-day, in-person orientation; contextualized training; two years of personal coaching; access to free, confidential counseling; free access to periodic national and local ministry events; and ongoing care for the planting couple and their family.

Details about all Send Network church planter benefits and services can be found at SendNetwork.com/benefits.

“When these new additions are combined with what we already provide through assessment, funding, training, coaching and care, Send Network cares for its planters better than any other church planting network,” Ezell said. “That’s what Southern Baptists expect, and that is what their church planters deserve.”

Cabrera named senior director of Send Network Español

PUERTO RICO – The North American Mission Board (NAMB) has named Félix Cabrera to be senior director of its Send Network Español initiative.

Send Network Español helps churches identify, develop and send out called men who aspire to plant churches in North America. The objective is to simplify and contextualize the process of planting churches in North America and provide access Send Network resources.

As senior director, Cabrera will lead Send Network Español to establish relationships with churches in each of six regions (Oklahoma, Utah, Houston, Washington, D.C., Miami and Puerto Rico so far), identify candidates for residency programs and recruit churches to start residencies.

Through the residency program, men who feel called to church planting will be trained, sent and sustained through the process of planting a church. They will receive theological training and reinforcements in the areas of spiritual, ministerial and administrative growth.

Cabrera comes to his new role after three years leading the Convention of Southern Baptist Churches in Puerto Rico as its executive director, where he has led the convention to growth as well as historic giving to Southern Baptist national and international ministry causes. He is also NAMB’s regional director in Puerto Rico, overseeing all church planting efforts there.

“Felix has such a heart to mobilize and equip Spanish-speaking church planters, and he has already been doing it so well for many years,” NAMB President Kevin Ezell said. “His role leading Send Network Español allows us to bring all our best assessment resources plus training, coaching and planter care to Spanish-speaking planters in their native language.

“The timing could not be better as the Hispanic population in North America is exploding over the next several decades, and Southern Baptists must start thousands of new churches to meet this need.”

Scott McConnell, director of Lifeway Research, has worked alongside Cabrera and said he “has a strong track record of investing in the things that help church plants and churches flourish.”

“He is a church planter, and he has coached church planters giving them hands-on experience as they prepare for ministry,” McConnell said. “Throughout all of this, he has modeled Christ-centered, biblical teaching and ministry in his church. Even more Southern Baptists will benefit from his service in his role at Send Network Español.”

Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton said Cabrera, “is perhaps the very best example I’ve ever seen of a life committed to being on mission. Felix has a strategic mind, an evangelistic heart, and a passion to see lives changed by the power of the Gospel.

“He is without a doubt one of the strongest assets Great Commission Baptists have deployed to the mission field. I am grateful to God for continuing to expand the reach of Felix’s ministry.”

Under Cabrera’s leadership, the number of Baptist churches in Puerto Rico grew from 35 to 52, the convention launched three new ministries and partnered with the International Mission Board to send three missionaries to minister to unreached North African and Middle Eastern people groups.

IMB President Paul Chitwood said Cabrera’s passion to see more Hispanics taking the Gospel to the world is what led to the partnership.

“We look forward to seeing him, in this new role, help Hispanic churches across the SBC send more missionaries to the nations through the IMB,” Chitwood said.

This article was originally published by the North American Mission Board.

Churches continue to report exceeding Lottie Moon offering goals

NASHVILLE (BP) – The generous giving of Southern Baptists toward the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering has continued even beyond the holiday season. Many churches are celebrating vastly exceeding their initial goals for the offering.

International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood told Baptist Press he is happy to see the early positive reports of Lottie Moon giving.

“We’ve been thrilled to celebrate with churches which have met and exceeded their Lottie Offering goals, and several churches which this year collected their first Lottie Offering, or their first one in many years,” Chitwood said.

Throughout recent months, Chitwood has tweeted stories and examples of churches exceeding offering goals they had set for themselves, and he has visited several churches in person to receive an honorary check.

Just within the last few weeks, Chitwood has tweeted reports from churches such as First Baptist Church Montgomery, Ala.; Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church in St. Joseph, Mo.; Northside Baptist Church in Valdosta, Ga.; and Graefenburg Baptist Church in Waddy, Ky., praising their congregations for their generous giving toward the Lottie Moon Offering.

These are just a few of many positive reports from churches about their giving to the this year’s offering, which the IMB reports is up 16.1 percent over last year through the first four months of this financial year.

Additionally, IMB Treasurer and CFO Price Jett reported during last week’s IMB trustee meeting that the mission board’s financials for 2021 have been audited and received an unmodified opinion, which is the highest level of confidence given by the auditors.

During the meeting, trustees celebrated not only the outstanding early financial reports, but other positive updates like a growing pipeline of missionary candidates, many churches connecting with a missionary and donating for the first time, a notable increase in Cooperative Program giving, an increased emphasis on diversity in missions efforts and a continued focus on establishing systems throughout the organization to appropriately prevent and deal with abuse.

During his address to trustees, Chitwood said these updates are an encouraging source of inspiration for the IMB’s current work.

“The most important work in the universe remains unfinished,” Chitwood said. “Thankfully we haven’t quit. In fact, we may be working harder than ever before.

“By God’s grace and in His favor, I believe what we are doing together at IMB is working. The work … isn’t finished, and the vision has not yet come to pass. So we press on, until all whose names are in the Book of Life from every nation, people, tribe and language, have heard the Good News.”

Regarding the generous giving of Southern Baptist churches toward the Lottie Moon offering, Chitwood told Baptist Press the most important thing is not the particular financial goals of individual churches but the spirit of missions cooperation throughout the convention as a whole.

“With the growth of the global population, and more lost people alive today on the planet than at any time in human history, the need for more missionaries on the ground has never been greater,” Chitwood said. “I praise God our missionary force is growing again! And I thank God that Southern Baptists’ giving shows their commitment to support that growing number of missionaries answering His call to go to the nations.

“Goals aside, the growing generosity of Southern Baptists through the Cooperative Program and Lottie Offering, from churches large and small, leads me to believe that the future of cooperative mission work is bright.”

This article originally appeared on Baptist Press.

El seminario Southwestern reúne a líderes hispanos y destaca los nuevos títulos que ofrece

Del 14 al 18 de enero, más de 100 estudiantes de 10 países y 18 estados participaron en una semana de cursos intensivos en español como parte del programa de Maestría de Estudios Teológicos (MET) en Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. La semana culminó con una cena, patrocinada por el seminario, donde se destacaron los diversos programas y títulos que ofrece el seminario y donde también se escucharon testimonios por parte de los estudiantes.

Durante la cena, el Dr. David S. Dockery, rector interino y vicepresidente de asuntos académicos, les dijo a los estudiantes que, “Los hispanos son parte de la visión global de la Gran Comisión y la herencia de Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.” Los estudiantes incluyeron pastores y sus esposas, traductores de la Biblia, misioneros, y líderes laicos interesados en obtener una educación teológica en español.

Los asistentes escucharon testimonios de alumnos graduados y estudiantes en el programa acerca del impacto que han tenido las clases del programa MET en sus propios ministerios.

Originario de Cuba, Misael Rodríguez, pastor de Hillcrest en Español en Cedar Hill, Texas, se graduó con una MET de Southwestern y es profesor adjunto en la Universidad Bautista de Luisiana. Rodríguez compartió que “graduarse del programa en español de SWBTS me ayudó a comprender cómo ministrar transculturalmente, ya que hay una comunidad hispana muy diversa para servir en los Estados Unidos.” Dijo que también estaba “inspirado por los estándares académicos, la capacidad pedagógica, la flexibilidad, y el carácter cristiano de los profesores que impartían los cursos,” en particular Terry Coy, Bruno Molina, y William “Bill” Goff.

Yorley Aleiro Parra Rúa, estudiante del seminario Southwestern y pastor de la Iglesia Bautista el Buen Pastor en Bucaramanga, Colombia, dijo que se está equipado para movilizar a los plantadores de iglesias en la asociación bautista regional en Santanderes, Colombia. Se inscribió en el Seminario Southwestern porque quería capacitarse bien en el trabajo ministerial y ser equipado por profesores que hayan tenido experiencia trabajando en el campo misionero y que fuesen, “muy bien preparados”.

En su testimonio como estudiante, Celia Ortiz expresó su apreciación por la pericia de la facultad y decidió obtener un Doctorado en Ministerio en Southwestern. Ortiz dijo que ella y su esposo, Noé, se están preparando para servir con la Junta de Misiones Internacionales (IMB) para trabajar con el grupo de personas no alcanzadas de Chigmecatitlán en Puebla, México.

Mark McClellan, Director de Programas Hispanos en Southwestern y profesor de misiones en la Escuela de Evangelismo y Misiones Roy J. Fish, organizó la semana de clases sobre misiología, predicación, ministerio pastoral, y estrategias de globalización y misiones impartidas en español por profesores hispanoparlantes, la mayoría cuales son originarios de países de habla hispana. Las clases fueron impartidas por McClellan; Juan Sánchez, pastor de la Iglesia Bautista High Pointe en Austin, Texas, quien también está programado para dar el sermón de la convención en la reunión anual de la Convención Bautista del Sur de 2022 en Anaheim, California, y el primer latino escogido para predicar este sermón; Ramón Medina, pastor de la iglesia Champion Forest Baptist Church en Español en Houston, Texas, actual Segundo Vicepresidente de la Convención Bautista del Sur y Presidente del Concilio Hispano de SBC; y Amanda Dimperio, quien es parte del Equipo de Globalización de la Junta de Misiones Internacionales y fue misionera en México, Bolivia, y Colombia.

McClellan compartió los nuevos certificados y títulos que ofrece Southwestern a través de los Programas Hispanos, incluso un certificado específicamente para mujeres hispanas impartido por profesoras hispanoparlantes, y un título de asociado de dos años que comenzará este año. McClellan añadió que los programas de maestría en español se han ampliado para incluir una Maestría en Divinidad con dos concentraciones, y la MET ahora también incluirá una concentración en misiones. En el otoño del 2022, el seminario ofrecerá un Doctorado en Ministerio (D.Min.) a través de los Programas Hispanos y también está en el proceso de establecerse un Doctorado en Filosofía (Ph.D.) con dos concentraciones. El departamento de Estudios Hispanos proyecta poder comenzar a aceptar aplicaciones para el PhD en agosto del 2024.

Durante la cena de la IMB del 11 de enero, John D. Massey, decano de la Fish School en Southwestern y misionero retirado de la IMB, les dijo a los asistentes que la comunidad hispana es “parte del presente y el futuro de la familia de Southwestern.” Massey animó a los participantes a “ser fieles al llamado que Dios les otorgó con la ayuda del seminario Southwestern.”

Oriundo de Venezuela, Oscar Tortolero, Estratega de Movilización de las iglesias hispanas en la IMB, desafió a los pastores y líderes a unirse y enviar misioneros hispanos por todo el mundo porque “los hispanos pueden ir a lugares donde otras culturas no pueden ir y necesitamos enviar nuestros propios misioneros para alcanzar a las naciones.”

Philip Levant, ex presidente de la Junta de Fideicomisarios del Seminario Southwestern, graduado del seminario y pastor de la Iglesia Bautista La Vid en Hurst, Texas, compartió durante la cena ofrecida por NAMB el 13 de enero, que cuando él era plantador de iglesias, el ministerio de los representantes de la NAMB lo dejó con una gratitud perdurable hacia la Junta Misionera Bautista del Sur, el Programa Cooperativo, y el Seminario Southwestern. Levant dijo que estaba viviendo “bajo la red de la gracia con actos de gracia.”

Julio Crespo, catalizador de SEND Oklahoma de NAMB compartió que “hay 62.3 millones de hispanoparlantes en los EE.UU y este número crecerá a 111.2 en el 2026 y es urgente que los hispanos cristianos se preparen y planten iglesias para alcanzarlos con el Evangelio.” Crespo dijo, “NAMB no planta iglesias, las iglesias plantan iglesias, y los estudiantes hispanos de SWBTS necesitan prepararse para plantar esas iglesias que plantan iglesias y enviar misioneros al campo teniendo en cuenta que Dios está ofreciendo oportunidades para la comunidad hispana, y es hora de que hagamos un impacto en Norte América y en el mundo.”

Puede encontrar más información sobre el Programa Hispano en Southwestern Seminary aquí.

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IMB dinner at SWBTS encourages overseas missions through Hispanic churches

In conjunction with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s week of intensive courses through the Hispanic Programs, the International Mission Board (IMB) hosted a dinner for Dallas-Fort Worth area pastors and church leaders on Jan. 11 to encourage local churches in gospel advancement overseas.

The Hispanic community is “part of the current, present, and future of the Southwestern family,” John D. Massey, dean of the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions at Southwestern Seminary, told the participants. He encouraged all attendees to “be faithful to the calling God gave you with the help of Southwestern Seminary.”

Oscar Tortolero, who was born in Venezuela and serves as the Hispanic Church Mobilization Strategist for the IMB, challenged the pastors and leaders in attendance to unite and send Hispanic missionaries all over the world.

“Hispanics are able to go to places where other cultures cannot go and we need to send our own missionaries to reach the nations,” Tortolero said, while noting there are 7,283 different ethnicities worldwide. “We have the privilege and the urgency of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unreached people of the nations through praying, giving, going, and sending,” he added. He challenged the leaders and pastors to consider sending at least one missionary in two years because of the great “need we have in our SBC churches to mobilize and send more Hispanics to the nations.”

Tortolero encouraged the Hispanic leaders with a message based on Romans 10:14-15 emphasizing the urgency of sharing the gospel with the 2 billion lost people in the world. He said the nations continue to come to the United States and there is a vast mission field of internationals waiting for those who will bring the good news of Jesus Christ to them. Tortolero challenged the leaders to ask themselves two questions: “Why do you think God has you living in such a time as this, and how are you going to use the life God has given you?”

He said he is praying for Christians to unite and mobilize to share the gospel. “There is no news more important, glorious and urgent than to share the gospel,” Tortolero added.

The dinner brought together a group of international Christians to listen to the word of God and spend time in prayer and worship. Dirce Cooper, a Chinese Brazilian, opened the time with prayer and the Southwestern Seminary Hispanic Band, whose members represent four different countries, led the gathering in worship.

Amanda Dimperio, director of globalization with the IMB and former missionary to Peru, Bolivia, and Mexico, spoke about young Christian organizations seeking the assistance of the IMB to enhance their missionary efforts in places where not everyone can go and establish a Christian presence.

“We must consider how to help lay the foundation to sustain an effective missionary presence and implementation of the missionary task,” Dimperio said. “Only the Holy Spirit can change a heart, but he has chosen people through which to proclaim His message.” She wants to raise an international army of equipped believers and send that missionary force to the nations, she said.

Alfredo Valencia, candidate consultant with the IMB who also served as a missionary for 13 years, shared the eight areas of personal growth that help missionary candidates get ready for missions’ deployment, including an understanding of calling, training in a cross-cultural environment, evangelism and discipleship training, changing their lifestyles, and the stability of their health, marriages, and families. Valencia emphasized that people are hurting and looking for God while adding, “We need to do together what no one of us can do alone.”

Clara Molina wrote this article for Southwestern Seminary.

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