Foreign Mission Board
January 8, 1959
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session in the new headquarters
building at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 8, 1959, with Mr. Jenkins presiding.
Present: L. Howard Jenkins, Howard L. Arthur, J. E. Boyles, Lawrence Bradley,
Mrs. Kenneth Burke, Solon B. Cousins, Horace Ford, Oscar L. Hite, C. Bailey Jones,
Garis T. Long, Elton Phillips, Emmett Y. Robertson, Herman P, Thomas, James T.
Todd, Mrs. John C. Tyree, P. Earle Wood, Baker J. Cauthen, Rogers M. Smith, Frank
K. Means, Winston Crawley , Cornell Goerner, Fon Scofield, Elmer West, E. L. Deane,
Bill Cody, James Stertz, E. L. Hill, Floyd North, R.
Л.
Magee, E. L. Wright.
Dr. Ford led in prayer.
Dr. Cauthen made the following report:
REPORT OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
We have begun 1959 with the happy privilege of moving into the new headquarters
building of the Foreign Mission Board. The construction of this building has
gone forward in a most gratifying manner. All committees have worked efficiently
and faithfully. The result is that we have a building that will be a vast bless¬
ing to the missionary labor of Southern Baptists.
There are numerous small details to be completed. The chapel is expected to be
finished at some time in February when the pews will be installed. There are
small matters that need correction in various places of the building, but these
are incidental and will soon be in order.
Because planning for this building has gone over a period of several years, it
was possible to arrange funds for its construction without seriously retarding
work in other areas of responsibility. We are now coming into a completed build¬
ing without any indebtedness either upon the building or furnishings. It appears
that there will be a conservative amount remaining in hand from the funds appro¬
priated for the building.
Plans are being laid for the dedication of the building at the April meeting of
the Board. There will be an open house at that time for friends from all over
the surrounding territory who will come for the appointment service on the evening
of April 7.
If the chapel can be completed early enough, an open house for friends in Richmond
may be arranged at some time well in advance of the April meeting of the Board.
This can be allowed to wait until the completion date of the chapel is definite.
The Advance Section of the 1958 Cooperative Program is now complete. The Foreign
Mission Board received a total of $1,922,932.10 of Advance Funds beyond the 1958
Southwide Budget. For each dollar of this money we are grateful. This makes
possible continued advance thro ugh the budget of the Foreign Mission Board and
in provision for capital and other needs across the world. One of the important
parts of this money is that which is earmarked for advance projects in evangelism
and church development. We annually earmark a total of $100,000 of this money
to be appropriated throughout the year for these advance projects as they emerge
upon recommendation from the missions. We can anticipate this to be an increasing
aspect of our missionary labor.
Across the world we are greatly impressed by the necessity of accelerating all
efforts made in direct evangelism and in the development of churches. 1959 is a
year of world evangelism, and there will be more projects called for in this year
than in any normal year.
Reports from the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering are still not available. There
will be a number of weeks before we can begin to have any idea of the amount of
this offering. Individual churches have given account of their offering, and the
reports have been excellent.
The secretaries of the Forei gn Mission Board met with the Executive Board of Woman'
Missionary Union early in January' to review the appropriations from the Lottie
Moon Christmas Offering. These lists have now been approved by Woman's Missionary
Union and will be submitted at the April meeting of the Board to the Foreign Mis¬
sion Board for adoption.
An interesting survey of North American Protestant Foreign Mission work in 1953
has just been released by the Missionary Research Library.