January 13, 1966
131
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session on Thursday, January 13, 1966
in the chapel of the Foreign Mission Board with Dr. J. Roy Clifford, presiding.
Present : Wade Bryant, J. Roy Clifford, Joseph P. Edmondson, Curtis English, Mrs. Clyde
V. Hickerson,- W. Rush Loving J. Walter Martin, John L. Moran, James E. Rayhorn, Ryland
0. Reamy, Meredith K. Roberson, D. 0. Rose, Edwin L. Shattuck, Dalton Ward.
Staff: Baker J. Cauthen, Rogers M. Smith, Winston Crawley, Cornell Goerner, John D.
Hughey, Jesse C. Fletcher, E. L. Deane, E. L. Hill, Fon H. Scofield, G. Norman Price,
Samuel DeBord, William Marshall, Truman Smith, Harold G. Basden, Floyd North, lone Gray,
Edna Frances Dawkins.
Dr. Wade Bryant read a Scripture passage and led in prayer.
Dr. Cauthen announced that Mr. E. L. Wright, Business Manager, had undergone surgery
earlier today and had come through with a good report.
Dr. Cauthen gave the following report of the Executive Secretary:
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Our hearts are filled with thanksgiving to God for the Advance Funds received through
the Cooperative Program at the close of 1965. These funds total $1,823,505.00. Upon
receipt of the money we sent a telegram to Dr. Porter Routh at the Executive Committee
of the Southern Baptist Convention reading as follows:
"We praise God and thank Southern Baptists for Advance Funds
through the Cooperative Program. Our hands are strengthened
to answer the calls of emergency relief, provide funds for
Crusades of Evangelism and Church development, strengthen
worldwide ministries in radio and television, enlarge Bible
distribution, help churches to secure strategic locations and
urgently needed buildings and advance into new fields as God
opens the way."
It will be recalled that we have already appropriated $50,000 of this money for overseas
distribution of Bibles through the American Bible Society. A like sum of $50,000 for
this purpose will be provided through the lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
In the report of the Administrative Committee today there will be a recommendation that
we appropriate $100,000 of the Advance Funds for advance projects in evangelism and
church development. For a number of years funds have been appropriated from the advance
section of the Cooperative Program enabling these large efforts in evangelism and church
development to take place throughout the world. Specific sums from this amount of
money will be appropriated from time to time to meet specific needs as projects are
developed. Eight major projects in evangelism and church development are scheduled for
1966 and already are in process of organization and projection. The first of these will
be Ghana, February 6-27 and much prayer has been requested for this undertaking.
The report of the Administrative Committee will also recommend $100,000 of the Advance
Funds to be appropriated for relief. This sum of money will constitute a Relief Fund
out of which specific recommendations will be presented as needs appear. Emergencies
occur so repeatedly throughout the world that it is necessary to have a considerable
Relief Fund on hand in order to be able to respond to crises as they occur.
The Cooperative Program brought a grand total of $11,123,505.00 to the Foreign Mission
Board in 1965. This represented 49.287. of all the Cooperative Program funds received
by the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. Every Southern Baptist
who contributes through the Cooperative Program has a share in worldwide mission labors
made possible by this channel of support.
We are grateful to God for the excellent reports which are coming from the Lottie Moon
Christmas Offering which is now in process of being received. The final reports of this
Offering will not be available for some time but individual reports from churches fill us
with thanksgiving and praise. A few days ago I was in the First Baptist Church of
Biscoe, North Carolina. With a membership of 306, their Offering had already reached
by the Sunday morning service a total of more than $4,700 and they hoped that it would
reach $5,000 during the day.
The Immanuel Baptist Church of Little Rock, Arkansas indicates that their Offering has
reached a total of $22,050. The First Baptist Church of Lubbock, Texas indicates that
their Offering has exceeded $28,000 and is still continuing. The South Main Baptist
Church of Houston reports that their Offering has reached $50,000 and the First Baptist
