Richmond, Virginia
March 11, 1965
211
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session at 3:00 P.M. on Thursday,
March 11, 1965 with Dr. Roberson presiding.
Present: State Member: Dr. R. Paul Caudill, Tennessee: Local Members: T. F. Adams,
Wade Bryant, J. Roy Clifford, Joseph P. Edmondson, Curtis English, Horace L. Ford,
J. C. Hatfield, Mrs. Clyde V. Hickerson, M. Josiah Hoover, J. Walter Martin, J.
Leonard Moore, Meredith K. Roberson, D. 0. Rose, Edwin L. Shattuck, James T. Todd;
Staff: Baker J. Cauthen, Rogers M. Smith, E. L. Deane, Jesse C. Fletcher, R. Keith
Parks, William W. Marshall, Louis R. Cobbs, Truman S. Smith, Edna Frances Dawkins,
G. Norman Price, Fon H. Scofield, E.L. Wright.
Dr. Adams read a Scripture passage and Rev. Roland Dutton, pastor of College Avenue
Baptist Church, Annapolis, Maryland, led in prayer.
Dr. Cauthen recognized Miss Lucy Smith, missionary to Hong Kong, who was present
and asked that she bring greetings.
Dr. Caudill brought greetings from Miss Edythe Montroy, missionary to Nigeria,
who was seriously injured several years ago in an automobile accident.
Dr. Cauthen gave the following report of the Executive Secretary:
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
At the recent meeting of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention
held in Nashville, Tennessee, recommendations were drawn up for allocation of 1966
Cooperative Program Funds of the Southern Baptist Convention. The sum of $10,000,000
for foreign missions is being recommended. This indicates an increase of $700,000
above 1965. It is hoped that there will be funds for advance made available by
amounts received above the Convention budget of which two-thirds will come to the
Foreign Mission Board.
Funds from the recent Lottie Moon Christmas Offering are now being received in the
Treasurer's Office. The sum of $8,420,205.68 has been received to this point.
This amount i8 $801,114.36 more than had been received at this point last year.
We are encouraged to believe the offering will go considerably beyond the amount
received a year ago. Books on the offering will remain open until the first of
May.
We regret that one of our Board members, Mr. Willard Dobbs, who is serving as
chairman of our Bylaws Committee, has suffered a heart attack and is in Grant
Hospital in Colombus, Ohio. Last report indicated that he is getting along quite
well. The meeting of the Bylaws Committee has been postponed due to Mr. Dobb's
illness.
The appointment of 28 missionaries today brings us to a good beginning for 1965
in missionary personnel. We are looking forward also to sending out approximately
50 Missionary Journeymen. The outlook is good for 1965, indicating that counting
Missionary Journeymen and regular appointments, we should have 200 or more appoint¬
ments made this year.
We are very familiar with the important responsibilities of appointing missionaries
and appropriating funds for work to be done. Another important part of our respon¬
sibility consists of helping forces on the field to maximum effectiveness and
ministry.
Across the years the Foreign Mission Board has depended upon meetings of Missions
in annual sessions to make reports to the Board concerning their needs and recom¬
mendations. All Missions have committees responsible for many aspects of their
work. In addition to meeting of the Missions, there are also meetings of national
conventions which every year grow stronger and more effective in their service.
The recommendations which emerge from these basic meetings provide the material
for specific plans to be laid.
During recent years a number of other developments have come about which have
greatly strengthened our processes of planning and strategy making.
First, area secretaries have been enabled to visit their field with increasing
frequency. Early it was necessary for area secretaries to make one trip at some
time during the year and undertake to cover the entire area at that point. While
much good was accomplished, it was of necessity greatly limited in effectiveness.
During more recent years, area secretaries have gone to their fields much more
frequently. Many times they visit their fields only to give attention to a parti¬
cular section of it or to attend important meetings.