The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee on Feb. 19 approved two SBC entities’ requests regarding work in China and Canada.
Committee members unanimously approved a request by LifeWay Christian Resources to form LifeWay Global, a for-profit subsidiary that will make Bibles, Bible study materials and training materials available to churches and Christians in China.
Although China will be the only country initially impacted, the request also allows LifeWay Global to provide the materials to other countries. The for-profit status is necessary because China is reluctant to grant registration to international nonprofits, Executive Committee members were told. The goal is for LifeWay Global to be self-funding.
Executive Committee members also unanimously approved a request by the North American Mission Board to form NAMB Canada, a nonprofit corporation that will make it easier for NAMB to continue to expand its church-planting work in Canada. Currently, NAMB must direct its Canadian ministry efforts through the Canadian National Baptist Convention. Forming the nonprofit will allow NAMB to directly hire employees, rent office space and purchase property as needed.
Gerry Taillon, the Canadian National Baptist Convention’s ministry leader, expressed support for the proposal. The corporation will be funded solely by NAMB and will have five board members – three Canadian citizens and two U.S. citizens. Canadian law requires that nonprofits be governed by a board whose majority is comprised of Canadian citizens. Passage of any matter would require the votes of four of the five members. To change the bylaws, it would require five votes.
During subcommittee discussion of the proposal, NAMB president Kevin Ezell said the mission board has a good working relationship with the Canadian convention, but NAMB’s increased focus on reaching Canada means more church plants and more personnel, which would create an increasing administrative workload for the CNBC. The formation of NAMB Canada would remove that problem, Ezell said.
NAMB’s ministry assignment encompasses two countries: Canada and the United States. – BP