IMB Study Lists Six Areas of Concern
By Dan Martin

During its long and painstaking study of the work of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board, the Mission Sending Agency Study Committee of the Baptist General Convention of Texas found six areas of "crucial concern regarding the present work and direction" of the IMB.

The six areas are listed in the report of the committee, presented at the May 22 meeting of the Executive Committee of the BGCT. The committee was created by vote of messengers at the 1999 annual meeting of the BGCT in El Paso on a motion by Nathan Porter, a member of Calvary Baptist Church of Waco.

The four pages of findings regarding the IMB are part of the 18-page report submitted by the 17-member committee chaired by Jim Denison, pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church of Dallas.

The committee noted it met with IMB leadership, current and former IMB missionaries and administrative staff and others as it did its work.

Members of the committee which studied the IMB said it "studied in depth the materials distributed by the IMB senior administrative staff ... publications, news releases and articles.... "The group "discovered significant differences between the information from the IMB and the personal experiences of some current and former missionaries...."

It added the study group found areas of agreement, but also found "crucial concerns regarding the present work and direction of the IMB."

The entire Missions Sending Agencies Study Committee Report is available on the BGCT website (http://www.bgct.org) A summary of the six areas of concern are:

ONE: In the past three years, IMB has implemented a "New Directions" reorganization which gives highest priority to the rapid multiplication of indigenous churches, at the expense of traditional missions activities such as hospitals, theological education, agricultural missions, retreat centers and other activities.

"This focus has served to open new fields, but may tend to ignore the harvest in some countries and the relationship with Baptist partners in those countries with whom we have a long history of cooperation. This focus also may disregard the efforts of years of intensive missionary cultivation which are now bearing fruit and from which national missions sending agencies are developing," the report says.

The report also noted the abrupt change in strategy "becomes frustrating to career missionaries who prepared to work in specific ministries (such as medical missions, theological education or agricultural missions) as their primary assignment and are now being told such work is no longer strategic and will not be funded. Missionaries have told our committee that their alternatives are to accept assignment to a ministry to which they do not feel called by God, or resign.

"While we believe that New Directions does have positive qualities, we have significant concerns about repercussions from the implementation of this strategy," the report says.

TWO: The committee expressed a concern with the decrease in the number of persons who are appointed to careers as international missionaries. It said statistics provided by the IMB show there were 3,365 career missionaries in 1990, and there were only 3,323 in 1999.

THREE: The committee reported that career missionaries interviewed by the group "feel they have a less meaningful voice in strategy planning and determining how to do their work." The New Directions strategy has resulted in a central decision making process.

Some IMB missionaries reported they believe that while they were formerly seen as God-called missionaries who carry out the Great Commission, they now are seen as employees of the IMB are "are being required to carry out the tasks identified by the organization."

FOUR: The committee also was concerned about the role of women in IMB leadership. No woman serves as part of the senior administration, nor does a woman serve as one of the 14 regional leaders.

"Texas Baptists will continue to encourage women who are called to missions, whether married or single and will urge them to continue doing the work of God. We will pay for and hold up the hands of all who follow the example of Lottie Moon, who served God by starting churches, witnessing for Christ, and seeing people come to salvation," the report said.

FIVE: "For more than a century, WMU of Texas has played an integral role in the growth of mission work around the world. God continues to use WMU of Texas to lead Texas Baptists to greater mission awareness and involvement. The WMU - both national and Texas - traditionally has been our primary vehicle for involvement by women, teens, children and preschoolers in missions education, mission action and mission support. We encourage the IMB to value and to strengthen its relationship with these necessary and vital organizations."

SIX: The committee said it has concerns about adherence to the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.

The report noted the ambiguity in IMB positions regarding requirement that missionaries, staff and new appointees be required to adhere to the revised statement, adopted by the SBC in 2000.

"For the first time, the Southern Baptist international missions sending agency is examining candidates with reference to a specific theological document with which many Texas Baptists disagree, and which the BGCT has chosen now to endorse. Based upon dialogue with IMB leadership, the committee understands that a candidate who does not agree in totality with the new BF&M would experience greater scrutiny.

"We call upon those who screen missionary candidates from Texas and other states to hear carefully their biblical convictions regarding the missional task of evangelism and ministry and measure them by Scripture alone," the report says.

Despite the concerns, the committee recommends making no change in the budgetary relationship between the BGCT and the IMB.

It adds a caveat: "We hope there will be improvement in the documented areas of concern and we will continue to work with and encourage the IMB to address the areas identified."

August 2001