Foreign Mission Board
February 12, 1959
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday,
February 12, 1959, with Mr. Jenkins presiding.
Present: L. Howard Jenkins, J. Levering Evans, Mrs. Kenneth Burke, Lawrence Brad-
Horace Ford, James Todd, Elton Phillips, Mrs. John Tyree, Howard Arthur, Garis
T. Long, Herman Thomas, Bailey Jones, J. E. Boyles, Emmett Y. Robertson, P. Earle
Wood, Baker J. Cauthen, Winston Crawley, Cornell Goerner, Rogers Smith, Elmer West,
E. L. Hill, E. L. Wright, Floyd North, Bill Cody, E. L. Deane, Fon Scofield.
Dr. Robertson led in prayer.
Dr. Cauthen gave the following report:
REPORT OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Since the last meeting of the Board in January, the secretaries and many missiona¬
ries have been engaged in a remarkable conference on evangelism and missions held
in Dallas, Texas. The meetings were held in the Memorial Auditorium which seats
approximately 13,000. The afternoon sessions were held in churches so that meet¬
ings by areas could be convened. There was a remarkable spirit prevailing through¬
out the meetings. The consistent high attendance indicated the eagerness with
which the people listened to messages related to evangelism on a world scale. At
the closing service of the conference there was a very large response to an invi¬
tation at which time many people made dedication of life for foreign mission service.
In recent weeks numerous letters have come to the Foreign Mission Board on the part
of individuals indicating their impression of God's leadership to mission service.
Several days ago one of the outstanding specialists in one of our major cities made
known to the Foreign Mission Board his readiness to go to the mission field. From
every indication it seems as if we will be considering for appointment one of the
most highly qualified men professionally we have seen go out in many years.
We are meeting with response on the part of people in all age groups. Those with
whom our Personnel Department is in touch all the way from juniors in Sunday School
through highly qualified men and women who have long since completed their educa¬
tional preparation.
The outlook is good for our appointing this year the minimum number of 140 we have
anticipated. It will give us great joy if we can go beyond this number, because
more missionaries are urgently needed.
Reports of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering are still far too early to give any
indication of the final results. We are expecting the offering to be larger than
ever before in its history.
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allocations to be made from the Lottie Moon Christ¬
mas Offering have been reviewed and passed by the Executive Board of Woman's
Missionary Union, and will be submitted to the Foreign Mission Board in April in
keeping with our usual procedure.
At this time of the year we are in process of appropriating the Advance Program
money provided for foreign missions through the Advance Section of the Cooperative
Program in 1953. The recommendations for appropriation today will consist of sums
from this money. It would be difficult to state fully how much this money re¬
inforces foreign missions and how urgently it is needed in the task across the
world. We keep in mind that even with the amounts of money provided, there are
large needs which we are unable to meet.
Among the designations made from Advance Program funds, none is more significant
than the amount set aside for Advance Projects in evangelism and church development.
You will notice in the appropriations being recommended today several items from
this block of money.
Across the world 1959 is being stressed as a year of evangelism. Many special
projects have emerged. Upon the recommendations of missions and convention organi¬
zations, one of the outstanding projects is in Japan where they are celebrating
the seventieth anniversary of the beginning of mission work. There will be exten¬
sive meetings projected in Japan during the year, and it is anticipated that several
people will be going from this country to share in those meetings.
One of the reasons we are seeing an increase in mission concern throughout the
convention is that sizable numbers of leaders in responsible places have been able
to make a first-hand contribution on mission fields through preaching, conducting
clinics and other types of special services. Even as this report is being written.,
several leaders are in Latin America sharing in the Latin American missionary con¬
ferences being led by Dr. Means, Among those who are in Latin America now are
Dr. Theodore F. Adams, Dr. Clifton J. Allen, Dr. Merrill D. Moore.
