IMB

IMB ANNOUNCES MISSIONARY VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT TOTALS

February 24, 2016

Editor’s Note: A more complete story with responses from Tennesseans who serve on the IMB trustee board will be posted later and will appear in the March 2 print issue of the Baptist and Reflector By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector RICHMOND – Trustees of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board were told Feb. 24 that 988 missionaries will be leaving the mission field along with 149 stateside staff

PLATT ASKS STATE PAPERS TO ENCOURAGE UNITY

February 22, 2016

Baptist Press PONCE, Puerto Rico (BP) — International Mission Board President David Platt has asked Baptist state papers to encourage unity among Southern Baptists following the announcement next week of how many IMB personnel have left the board through a series of voluntary resignation programs. Addressing a gathering of Baptist state paper leaders Feb. 16 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Platt also detailed what he deemed some of the most exciting

N.C. BAPTISTS TO EMPLOY IMB RETIREES

February 12, 2016

Baptist Press CARY, N.C. — The Executive Committee of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina approved a recommendation Jan. 26 to set up a $500,000 reserve fund to employ International Mission Board retirees returning to North Carolina. Executive Director-Treasurer Milton Hollifield Jr. said, “This reserve will provide additional funding for strategic efforts to impact lostness through disciple-making … as we seek to capitalize on the expertise of IMB missionaries

LMCO ENGENDERS SACRIFICE, CREATIVITY

February 12, 2016

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — Giving by Tennessee Baptists to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions is up from last year about 5 percent — from $6 million to about $6.3 million as of Jan. 31. Early reports are that giving has been both sacrificial and creative. Some Tennessee Baptists intentionally sought to increase LMCO gifts this year due to the financial

IMB: MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

January 28, 2016

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector Earlier this year when the Southern Baptist International Mission Board announced that it needed to eliminate 600-800 positions, Southern Baptists were saddened and shocked. IMB leaders have allowed the idea to propagate among Southern Baptists that there is a financial shortfall. The cutbacks did not occur because Southern Baptists didn’t give. Cooperative Program giving on the national level has increased in small increments

CHURCH IMPRESSES FORMER MISSIONARY

January 20, 2016

By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector BYRDSTOWN — When Eric Thoman (pronounced Toh-mahn) came to Etter Baptist Church here about four years ago, he was glad to be called as pastor of a church which was so supportive of Southern Baptist efforts. He was a North American Mission Board missionary in Ohio for seven years who was downsized because of restructuring by the Southern Baptist Convention agency.

THE CP STILL WORKS

January 18, 2016

By Paul Chitwood Executive Director, Kentucky Baptist Convention I received a letter recently from one of our International Mission Board missionaries who is taking the early retirement offer from the IMB but desires to return to the field. Without support from the IMB, the missionary is hoping to raise his own support from his network of relationships with pastors, associational directors of missions, and laypeople who might donate to his

IMB ELIMINATES COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE, WRAPS UP ‘RESET’

January 14, 2016

By Julie McGowan IMB news office RICHMOND — The International Mission Board is in a position, financially, where no missionaries will be required to leave the field as the organization wraps up its two-phase reset, IMB President David Platt announced Jan. 14. The majority of the IMB’s Richmond Communications Center, however, will lose their positions, Platt also announced. The Communications Center will be eliminated, he said.

THE TENNESSEE BAPTIST CONVENTION – A YEAR IN REVIEW

January 4, 2016

By Lonnie Wilkey Editor, Baptist and Reflector BRENTWOOD — A highlight for Tennessee Baptists in 2015 was the news that baptisms increased in Tennessee Baptist Convention churches for the second year in a row. In 2014, 2,603 TBC churches reported 23,499 baptisms, the largest number of baptisms recorded since 2010. In 2013 churches reported 21,979 baptisms. The year saw leadership changes with TBC entities. Vickie Anderson began serving Jan. 1

COUPLE DECIDE TO REMAIN WITH IMB

December 4, 2015

Missionaries Ted, Beverly Holmes plan to return to “our home” in Poland By Connie Davis Bushey News Editor, Baptist and Reflector NASHVILLE — Instead of a “Pauline Damascus Road experience,” it was a quiet voice, the nudge toward, “This is the way. Walk in it,” said Ted Holmes of the couple’s decision to stay with the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board as missionaries to Poland. He referred to Isaiah

IMB

IMB ANNOUNCES MISSIONARY VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT TOTALS