Most recently, I read an interesting article by Gary Thomas, pastor of Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He challenges the Southern Baptist Convention to embrace the cause of missionary work overseas as a means of renewing their faith and bringing the love of Jesus Christ to every corner of the earth. The local Southern Baptist churches send out missionaries into the world to reach the lost with the message of the Gospel. Sending missionaries to the mission field is a perfect example of the missionary’s ability to minister love and joy to those who are lost. Today the global impact of International Mission Board should be vigorously embraced by SBC Churches.

I also believe that the global impact of International Mission Board is an example of how churches can boldly minister to the world even when borders seem to be dissimilar to where they have lived for most of their life. Although the members of the mission board may have come from different cultures and different states, what they have done is planted seeds of love, fruitfulness, and peace even though they may not have been physically present. I also believe that the example set by the missionaries is a true depiction of how God has grown his kingdom in the midst of so much hate and violence. Churches’ prayer for the many Christian missionaries who wish to follow Jesus’s call to the mission ministry and join this growing mission is that they may boldly walk in the footsteps of our Lord and learn to minister love and joy to all who may need it.

Are believers motivated primarily by fear or by love? Do they really have the vision and faith to walk in the shoes of Jesus Christ and reach the lost world with the Gospel? If you are truly inspired by God’s love and want to share your testimony of Christ’s love to those whom need it most, believers are invited to look into becoming missionaries with International Mission Board.

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