Trustees of the International Mission Board unanimously elected a vice president for mobilization, learned projects aiding victims of the 2004 South Asia tsunami will be completed within 12 months, and heard appeals from leaders for Southern Baptists to ramp up efforts to spread the gospel around the world.
IMB trustees gather around Ken Winter and his wife LaVonne for prayer after approving him as vice president of the office of mobilization.The IMB also honored 54 retiring Southern Baptist missionaries July 16 in its annual emeritus recognition service as part of the trustee meeting, held July 16-19, at the Missionary Learning Center in Rockville, Va.
In board action, trustees unanimously approved the selection of Ken Winter as vice president of the office of mobilization. In his new role, Winter will provide vision and leadership to the IMB in communicating with and mobilizing Southern Baptists and partners to be strategically involved in overseas missions.
In early 2004, he joined the IMB staff as director and lead strategist for work among strategically mobilized Southern Baptist churches. In that assignment, he worked directly with churches to help them find their role in overseas missions. In November 2005, he was tapped to work with IMB president Jerry Rankin as his executive assistant.
Tsunami update
The Southern Baptist international director of world hunger and relief ministries told trustees that of the $16.8 million Southern Baptists have given to relief efforts in southern Asia following the December 2004 tsunami, more than $12 million has been used in relief projects in that region.
“These funds have provided field personnel an opportunity to do a lot of things they would not have been able to do otherwise,” the director said. “In a year and a half’s time, there has been a lot of physical progress. People have gotten hold of their lives. Rebuilding has taken place throughout the area.
“But the thing I noticed most was the spiritual changes in the lives of people. Because of the ministry of those from the West – most of them faith-based organizations – those persons affected by the tsunami now have a new perspective on who Westerners are, who Christians are,” he added.
Southern Baptists challenged
IMB president Jerry Rankin challenged Southern Baptists to remain focused on efforts to reach a lost world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Rankin said he remains focused on the IMB strategy of reaching unreached people groups with the gospel, sending missionaries God has called out, and mobilizing churches to get the gospel to all people of the world.
“God is going to hold us accountable for failing to reap the harvest in places where the doors are open and hearts are soft. The gospel is good news, but only if you’ve heard it and received it,” he said. “May we be devoted to the task and not allow anything to distract us from what God has called us to do.”
The next IMB trustee meeting will be Sept. 11-13 in Spartanburg, with a missionary appointment service at 6:30 p.m., Sept. 13, at First Baptist, North Spartanburg.