Foreign Mission Board
January 9, 1958
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session at 3:00 p.m. on Thurs¬
day, January 9, 1958, with Mr. Jenkins presiding.
Present: L. Howard Jenkins, Garis T. Long, J. Levering Evans, Mrs. Kenneth
Burke, Horace Ford, Perry Mitchell, C. Bailey Jones, Howard L. Arthur, Solon
B. Cousins, Elton Phillips, Emmett Y. Robertson, J. E. Boyles, Baker J.
Cauthen, George W. Sadler, Winston Crawley, Fon K. Scofield, Rogers M. Smith,
Elmer S. West, Eugene L. Hill, Everett L. Deane, Bill B. Cody, Floyd North,
James G. Stertz, Frank K. Means, E. L. Wright, Ralph A. Magee.
Mr. Mitchell led in prayer.
Dr. Cauthen gave the following report:
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
As we come to this first meeting of 1958, we find ourselves looking forward to
the attainment of some of the goals which have been before us during ten years
of advance. When the objectives of advance in world missions were announced
in 19U8, they seemed to be fantastic to some. We are now approaching the time
when we see those objectives drawing nearer.
For several years we have been appointing missionaries well in excess of 100
per year. We hope it will be possible this year to appoint at least 130, and
there will be more appointments if qualified candidates are available. It is
necessary to appoint 130 missionaries to maintain a net gain of 100 per year.
If this can be done annually, we will come to the close of 1963 with 1,800
missionaries under appointment. It is our strong hope and expectation that we
will be able to exceed this number and it will be a joy to all of us if we can
come to the close of 196U, the year of Baptist Jubilee celebration, with a
minimum of 2,000 missionaries under appointment.
Friends often inquire whether our need in foreign missions is chiefly for
missionaries or money. We repeatedly answer that the need is alike for both.
We follow a deliberate policy of appointing all qualified missionaries. In
order to do this, it is necessary for other matters to be allowed to await
their turn.
The expenditures of this Board for its work throughout the world fall into
three categories. Approximately one third of our expenditures is necessary
for the support and maintenance of missionaries. Thx s includes not only the
salaries of missionaries but cost-of-living supplement, medical allowances,
furlough travel, and many other such items.
Approximately one third of our overseas expenditures are for capital develop¬
ments. This includes land and buildings for mission residences, schools,
hospitals, churches, goodwill centers, seminaries and other types of work.
Approximately one third of our expenditures are for operating costs of programs
of work on the field. This enables many efforts in evangelism, Christian edu¬
cation, seminary training, medical work, and publication work to be undertaken.
The requests for funds are carefully examined by missions in their annual
sessions. The needs confronted on the fields are always so large that the
missions in annual business meeting delete a large portion of that which is
set before them and recommend only a part of what is urgently desired.
This is demonstrated by the fact that in Brazil in their last mission meeting,
they recommended only three dollars for every eight presented to the mission
as being urgently needed for developments. It was apparent that the total
needs were so large that the list had to be reduced to bring ib within any
manageable proportions.
Those lists are then studied at the Foreign Mission Board. We are never in
position to provide anything like all the requests which are set before us from
the fields. In 1957 approximately $3,000,000 remained unmet.
