Missions - My Take On It All

There is rarely a week that goes by that I do not receive at least one request for assistance from some well meaning, biblically based missions ministry. They run the gambit in personality and style. They focus their ministries on building churches, assisting in disaster relief efforts, starting and maintaining orphanages, sending medical teams to combat AIDS, or any one of a thousand other missions. All are good and well-meaning missions. I have no doubt that most people involved in these ministries have a divine calling and real passion for their particular ministries, but I generally choose not to support them financially. I have been criticized for this on many occasions and some believe I am uncaring or lack sympathy for those who are hurting in our world. In fact, I am offended by those nay sayers. They generally insinuate that my position is founded upon little thought or prayer. That could not be farther from the truth. So, today I am sharing my reasoning for supporting Southern Baptist ministries and missions. I share from my heart to yours.

Long before I was ever born, the church began to realize that the Great Commission was given not just to the eleven apostles, but to the entire church. The importance of missions and evangelism began to grow in importance. In May 1845 two hundred ninety-three Baptists met together in Augusta, Georgia and formed the Southern Baptist Convention. Since then, Southern Baptists have had their fair share of squabbles, disagreements and even some downright failures, but to be where they are today, they must have done something right as well, I won’t go into a lengthy history of the Southern Baptist Convention here, but I believe God has had His hand on Southern Baptists down through the years.

In the early days of the Convention, and even before, each ministry segment of the convention was pretty much on its own, particularly when it came to funding. The Foreign Mission Board, the Home Mission Board, the publishing arm, and others all were self funded. All of these entities were called “Societies” and each society was busy raising funds for their own work, even at the expense of the others. It seemed as if they were often working against one another, rather than with one another. As the work of God’s kingdom grew, this societal method for funding became ambiguous, cumbersome and less effective in carrying out the total ministry of the church. In 1925 the Southern Baptist Convention adopted a simple but profound change in the way it funds ministries, both at home and around the world. They called it the Cooperative Program. Simply stated, churches and agencies would begin to cooperate with one another in their funding strategies. Local churches would send funds to their respective state conventions, who in turn would retain a percentage for state missions and ministry funding, then send the rest on to the Southern Baptist Convention. The SBC would then divide the money among all of its ministry and mission agencies in accordance with directions received from its executive committee. This committee was, and still is, made up of members from every state convention. No longer were individual ministry or missions agencies allowed to solicit direct funding from the churches. For these last eighty-four years the Cooperative Program has worked magnificently well, and it is a major reason that I have elected to be a Southern Baptist.

I believe in the way we, as Southern Baptist’s do missions and ministry. I believe that when we cooperate together to carry out the great commission, we can accomplish far more than any of us could alone. Southern Baptists’ have, over the past eighty-four years led the way in evangelism and missions. Our missionaries, both at home and abroad, never have to worry about how they will be funded. They do not have to return home every few months to beg for more money. They never have to fret over health or life insurance. They can sleep in peace knowing that their children will be educated. When there is a problem, they know that there is a strong agency behind them with a competent, trustworthy team to support them. They can spend their time, all of it, doing the ministry they were called to, without worrying about their personal needs. They know that when Bibles are needed, they’ll be there. If an automobile, or boat, or even and an airplane is needed to accomplish their mission, it will be made available. The Cooperative Program isn’t perfect, but it is the best financial strategy God has ever given. Why, because it’s Biblical. God has instructed each of us to “bring the tithe into the storehouse.” That is, we are to bring a portion of what He has given to us (10 percent of our growth) to His church, so that it can do the ministry He has called it to do. The same principle has been applied to the conventions ministry and mission, and it works better than any thing else because it is a Biblical principle.

I grew up in a Southern Baptist church, but as an adult I can choose to be a part of any denomination I desire, or none at all. I choose to be a Southern Baptist because I like the way we do missions! We have our faults, but mission support is not one of them. I support our missionaries for two major reasons. First, because they are depending on me. As a Southern Baptist, I have made a commitment to them and I plan to remain true to that commitment. This is also a major reason I rarely support other mission sending agencies or independent missionaries.

The second is equally important: Southern Baptist missionaries are held highly accountable. There is a structured system in place to both select the most highly qualified applicants for missionary service, and to monitor their activity once on the mission field. Southern Baptist missionaries are held accountable in their personal lives, their financial lives and in their ministries. I know that the money I, or my church gives to Southern Baptist work will be used in a manner that is uplifting to the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that our missionaries are held to a higher standard than many other agency missionaries are, and I appreciate that. While the Southern Baptist Convention is a huge organization, my church and I still have a voice and a vote in what takes place. Southern Baptist missionaries are OUR missionaries and they are accountable to US, and I like that. So, I will continue to support Southern Baptist mission and ministry causes above and before all others.

There are an abundance of wonderful ministries out there, but if you are a Southern Baptist, I would encourage you to support your own first. Give your tithe through your local church and celebrate the Cooperative Program. It’s our lifeline to world missions.