Rudy Gray, president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, released the following statement to The Baptist Courier regarding Geoff Hammond’s resignation as president of the North American Mission Board on Aug. 11:
Most of us do not know the details of Dr. Hammond’s resignation. What we do know is that the North American Mission Board has served an important role in evangelism and church planting in the past. An organization of this size (5,600 missionaries in North America, 279 employees, and a budget of about $130 million) needs a leader with exceptional organizational and leadership abilities. It needs a board of trustees who take that fiduciary responsibility seriously.
The talk leading up to this meeting of NAMB trustees in Atlanta seemed to pose some serious doubts about Dr. Hammond’s leadership. David Thompson spent 10 years as a NAMB trustee. He pointed out that there was a lot of nepotism and cronyism at NAMB and that people were being brought in who were not qualified. He also pointed out that morale issues were involved due to Dr. Hammond’s intense micromanagement style.
I have spoken to some leaders within our denomination and get a consistent message: Geoff Hammond is a good man but lacks the administrative and leadership skills to operate effectively at the level of president of NAMB. It was pointed out to me that he did not seem to connect with the people who were at NAMB which in turn caused people who work at NAMB to feel marginalized which in turn led to a lowering of morale.
This resignation was not a complete surprise. In April of this year the trustees met with Dr. Hammond in a closed session to discuss his leadership style.
The general consensus I get from several leaders within our denomination is that this is a time of dismay and even discouragement but that, by God’s grace, the work of NAMB will continue and even grow stronger and better. I have talked with no one who did not respect Dr. Hammond or his heart for evangelism. No one questioned his faith or his integrity but that he simply was not the leader NAMB needs.
When something like this happens, all kinds of feelings are generated and a great deal of talk typically circulates. We do need to pray for Dr. Hammond and his family as well as the three associates who are resigning with him. We need to pray for the trustees at NAMB and the task that is before them in finding a new president. We need to pray for the work of NAMB that in spite of these difficult times, the work of Christ will continue and that what will emerge from this will be a stronger force for evangelism and church planting than we have ever seen before.
God is sovereign. This is the time to seek His guidance and find comfort and direction from His Word. Romans 8:28 can be a source of real help and encouragement for everyone who cares about these events and the future of NAMB and our denomination.