FOREIGN MISSION BOARD MINUTES
February 11, 1975
The Foreign Mission Board held its regular monthly meeting at 2:30 p.m., February 11,
1975, in the Baker James Cauthen Chapel, Foreign Mission Board headquarters, Richmond,
Virginia. The President, W. 0. Vaught, Jr., presided.
PRESENT: State Members: Alabama: J. R. White; Arkansas: W. 0. Vaught, Jr.;
Florida: Don Mott; Georgia: Ohlen R. Wilson; Illinois: A. F. Tuck; Indiana:
Ronald P. Liesmann; Kansas: J. W. Pace; Kentucky: Eldred M. Taylor; Maryland :
Ralph D. Walls; Michigan: Hubert G. Keefer; Missouri: John W. Goodwin, James W.
Hackney; North Carolina: Mrs. Thomas C. Womble, Jr.; Oklahoma: Robert L. Lynn;
South Carolina: Ira Q. Craft, Lonnie Shull; Tennessee: Joe L. Orr; Texas: Travis
S. Berry, Morris G. Cobb, James G. Harris.
Local Members: Robert B. Bass, J. Roy Clifford, Paul E. Crandall, Austin W. Farley,
Gurney W. Grant, Franklin D. Hall, Hiram L. Harrison, Scott C. Humphrey, Neal T. Jones,
John W. Patterson, Julian H. Pentecost, Bruce H. Price, M. Hunter Riggins, Jr., Mrs.
Ross S. Shearer, Mrs. E. S. Stratton, Mrs. Thomas Whalen, H. I. Willett.
Staff : Baker J. Cauthen, James D. Belote, Charles W. Bryan, Louis R. Cobbs, J. Winston
Crawley, Edna Frances Dawkins, William K. Dawson, Samuel A. DeBord, Everett L. Deane,
James G. Edwards, Jesse C. Fletcher, Franklin T. Fowler, Cornell Goerner, lone Gray,
Ward S. Hildreth, Eugene L. Hill, Dwight A. Honeycutt, J. D. Hughey, Frank K. Means,
Stanley A. Nelson, Floyd H. North, R. Keith Parks, Samuel M. Pittman, G. Norman Price,
Sidney C. Reber, Davis L. Saunders, Fon H. Scofield, Rogers M. Smith, Truman Smith,
W. L. Smith, Richard M. Styles, Wilbur N. Todd, Melvin E. Torstrick, Joseph B. Underwood,
E. L. Wright, Elizabeth Minshew. Attorney: John C. Williams.
Fred T. Laughon, Radio-TV Commission Representative (working in liaison with Foreign
Mission Board) .
The President called the meeting to order.
Dr. James Middleton, former member of the Board, read a passage of Scripture and led
in the opening prayer.
The audience joined in singing: "My Country 'Tis of Thee," led by Sidney C. Reber.
Board Minutes for the meeting, January 14, 1975, were approved.
The President welcomed those who were present and recognized the visitors: Dr. James
Middleton, former member of the Board; Dr. Abner McCall, President, Baylor University;
Dr. John Fincher, President, Carson-Newman College; and Dr. Ben Fisher, Executive
Secretary-Treasurer, Education Commission, SBC.
The President recognized the Executive Secretary, Baker J. Cauthen.
Report of the Executive Secretary
I am happy to report that the Cooperative Program in January increased 9.08 percent
over the same month a year ago. We rejoice also in the fact that the Lottie Moon Christmas
Offering is bringing funds to the Board far ahead of this same time last year. We anticipate
that the offering will reach a high point in missionary giving .
We are especially concerned at this time about world hunger. This serious matter is
being brought to the attention of the American public by the news commentators and
newspapers. The problem is that the world's population is escalating rapidly and the
production of food lags far behind . It is evident that the world is becoming threatened
with more serious suffering than ever before.
The Foreign Mission Board has been concerned about this matter for a considerable
time. At the October meeting, a resolution was passed that we request the Executive
Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention to join with us in reminding Southern
Baptists that the Foreign Mission Board is a channel for relief, and that Baptists may
use this channel to their fullest desire to respond to world suffering.
We recall that following World War II a special offering amounting to more than $4,000,000 .00
was given by Southern Baptists in 1946, and this offering was disbursed by the Foreign
Mission Board. Great blessings came from it.
Many states have begun special emphases, and we can anticipate a larger flow of resources
to the Foreign Mission Board in the months ahead to help meet world need .
