International Mission Board – Page 3

10 Reasons to stop giving through the Cooperative Program…and why they’re wrong

As I near a quarter of a century of ministry in and to churches cooperating with the Southern Baptist Convention, I can reflect upon countless conversations about the cooperative missions offering known as the Cooperative Program. In my role as a pastor, those conversations took place in budget committee meetings, missions committee meetings, in church hallways […]

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Reaching the unreached

Fulfilling the Great Commission requires cooperation. None of us, alone, are able to make disciples among all the world’s people groups. Working together, however, I believe the Great Commission can and will be fulfilled. Baptist churches in Kentucky 176 years ago became convinced they could do more to reach Kentucky and the world for Christ

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What is the future of the state convention?

Having recently recounted the rich history of the Kentucky Baptist Convention and presented a case for why the KBC still exists today, I want to look toward the future. Will the state convention continue to be relevant moving forward? Why or why not? Elton Trueblood first popularized the term “postdenominational” in 1967. In an article appearing

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SBC agency leaders’ reports underscore importance of CP

Once a year, typically in February, I have the opportunity to attend a meeting of all of the state convention executive directors from across the Southern Baptist Convention. At this year’s meeting, we heard reports from SBC president Ronnie Floyd and several SBC agency heads, including David Platt (International Mission Board), Kevin Ezell (North American

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International missions challenge starts at home

The Week of Prayer for International Missions was an opportunity for us to reflect upon the need for Christ to be preached among the nations. With billions of people remaining in the grasp of idol worship and unbelief, the call to make known the life-giving message of the gospel must be heard. “Go ye therefore!”

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CP and ‘The Insanity of God’

I recently read The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken (pseudonym) and found it to be a tremendously impacting book. I have known the Ripkins for nearly 20 years, having served as pastor to members of Nik’s family. I also assisted with the memorial service when their teenage son died unexpectedly from an asthma attack

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Reports of Our Death are Greatly Exaggerated

The 2013 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting kicked up very little Texas dust. Other than a resolution about the gay agenda finding a home in Boys Scouts of America, the biggest news coming out of Houston was the scarcity of Southern Baptists who showed up in Houston. Low messenger registration, along with reports about declining

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Doing the Math

At the recent KBC Mission Board Meeting, Pastor TJ Francis presented a check representing 10 percent of New City’s undesignated receipts, to CP. With lostness growing in our state and Kentucky Baptist Convention agencies and institutions always in need of additional funds, are we investing too much in mission work overseas? Let’s consider the math.

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Embracing the Unengaged

The Psalmist declared, “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done” (1 Chronicles 16:8). When Jerry Rankin announced his retirement after 17 years as president of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, I was serving as trustee chairman of the IMB. Consequently, I

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