FOREIGN MISSION BOARD MINUTES
February 8, 1972
The Foreign Mission Board held its regular monthly meeting at 3:00 p.m., February 8,
1972, in the Foreign Mission Board Chapel, Richmond, Virginia with the President,
Drew J. Gunnells, Jr., presiding.
PRESENT: State Members: Alabama : Drew J. Gunnells, Jr., Jaroy Weber; Colorado:
Glen E. Braswell; D. C ■ : Kenneth E. Thornton; Kansas : J. W. Pace; Louisiana:
Perry R. Sanders; Michigan: Hubert G. Keefer; North Carolina: Mrs. Carl E. Bates;
South Carolina: Daniel W. Cloer.
Local Members: Joseph B. Flowers, Robert B. Bass, Mrs. R. B. Carter, Sr., Austin
W. Farley, Paul E. Crandall, V. Allen Gaines, David S. Hammock, Mrs. Clyde V.
Hickerson, Scott C. Humphrey, JohnW. Kincheloe, Jr., John W. Patterson, Julian H.
Pentecost, Meredith K. Roberson, Mrs. Ross S. Shearer, Mrs. E. S. Stratton, Mrs.
Thomas Whalen.
Staff : Baker J. Cauthen, James D. Belote, Charles W. Bryan, Louis R. Cobbs, Winston
Crawley, Edna Frances Dawkins, E. L. Deane, Samuel A. DeBord, lames G. Edwards,
Jesse Fletcher, W. Eugene Grubbs, Eugene L. Hill, Frank K. Means, Stanley A. Nelson,
Floyd H. North, Norman Price, Sidney C. Reber, Fon H. Scofield, Melvin Torstrick,
Rogers M. Smith, Truman Smith, Richard M. Styles, E. L. Wright, Elizabeth Minshew.
The meeting was called to order.
Sidney C. Reber, Director of the Board's Management Services Division, led the audience
in the opening Hymn: "Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart."
Dr. Daniel W. Cloer, Board member from South Carolina, read a passage of Scripture
and led in prayer.
Minutes of the Board for January, 1972 were approved.
The President recognized Dr. Baker J. Cauthen , executive secretary, who gave the fol¬
lowing report:
The death of missionary nurse Mavis Pate brought to Southern Baptists afresh a reali¬
zation of the great price which sometimes must be paid in missionary service. She
lost her life, in an ambush, riding in a car just outside of Gaza on her way to Tel
Aviv. Missionary Ed Nicholas was wounded, and one of his children had an injured
foot.
The fact that she was buried on the hospital grounds in Gaza has great significance.
Her grave will be a silent witness to the love of God and the extent to which his
servants must sometimes go to communicate his love to a world in need.
The beautiful attitude of her family can be understood only in terms of their faith
in a living Saviour and their own appreciation of the missionary commitment Mavis so
wonderfully expressed. Memorial services in her home church and in the First Baptist
Church of Tyler, Texas, where she had once lived while engaged in nursing service in
that city, gave occasion for many expressions of appreciation of her Christian life
and her dedicated work.
As we meet today, the family of Dr. Georger W. Sadler is in bereavement because of
the passing of his beloved wife. Dr. and Mrs. Sadler served as missionaries in
Africa, and he for eighteen years served as Area Secretary. Since his retirement
in 1957, followed by two years of special service in Europe, he has had the privilege
of serving a number of churches as interim pastor and staff member. He is now on the
staff of the Grace Baptist Church, where the funeral service for Mrs. Sadler will be
conducted at four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, with burial in Hollywood Cemetery.
The Foreign Mission Board extends its deepest sympathy to Dr. Sadler and his family
in this time of bereavement, and we thank God for the beautiful life of Mrs. Sadler
which blessed so many people in many parts of the world.
The Board today in its Administrative Committee report will be dealing with some
very important matters related to the support of missionaries. This is a matter
of continuing attention which has, during recent months, taken on special need of
study. The Board's attention has been called a number of times to the bearing of
recent economic policies with dollar devaluation upon the missionary situation.
Already, in January, recommendations were made calling for $186,000.00 in making
adjustments on some fields where dollar devaluation had been serious. Today the
Administrative Committee will present recommendations for cost-of-living adjustments
on other fields where inflationary conditions have created circumstances which require
an increase in missionary compensation. These adjustments will call for an ap¬
propriation of $145,540.00.
