Richmond, Virginia
May 9, 1968
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session on Thursday, May 9, 1968, at
3:00 p.m., in the Chapel of the Foreign Mission Board, with Mr. Hunter Riggins pre¬
siding.
PRESENT: State Members : Milton Collum, Charles Lassiter, Mrs. W. K. McGee, Mrs. A. J.
Smith, Ralph M. G. Smith, Mary Essie Stephens.
Local Members: Wade Bryant, Mrs. R. B. Carter, Sr., J. Roy Clifford, Curtis English,
Joseph B. Flowers, V. Allen Gaines, David S. Hammock, John W. Kincheloe, Jr., J. Leonard
Moore, Lucius M. Polhill, James E. Rayhorn, Hunter Riggins, Meredith K. Roberson, D. 0.
Rose, Edwin L. Shattuck, Dalton Ward, John C. Williams.
Board Staff : Baker J. Cauthen, Harold Basden, Louis Cobbs, Winston Crawley, Edna
Frances Dawkins, William K. Dawson, Everett L. Deane, Samuel A. DeBord, Cornell Goerner,
lone Gray, Genevieve Greer, J. D. Hughey, William W. Marshall, Frank K. Means, Floyd
North, Norman Price, Claude H. Rhea, Fon H. Scofield, Rogers Smith, Truman Smith,
Elbert L. Wright, Elizabeth Minshew.
VISITORS: Rev. M. E. Williams, Columbus Avenue Baptist Church, Waco, Texas, a guest
of Rev. Dalton Ward and Col. and Mrs. Hager, Colonial Heights, Virginia, son-in-law
and daughter of Mr. Williams.
Mr. Hunter Riggins called the meeting to order.
The meeting opened with Hymn 168 (Baptist Hymnal) : "The Holy Ghost Is Here"
Mrs. A. J. Smith read a passage of Scripture from Psalm 103 and led in an opening
prayer.
The Board's minutes for the month of April, 1968 were approved.
Report of the Executive Secretary - Dr. Baker J. Cauthen
It is with great joy we report the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering has reached a final
total of $14,664,679.30. This amount is $904,532.50 more than the grand total a year
ago.
While these figures are impressive, they become much more understandable when we think
of them in terms of missionaries under appointment for sixty-nine countries, the task
of evangelism and church development moving forward, the ministry of schools and stu¬
dent work, medical missions, publications and benevolences all being reinforced by
this great outflow of missionary concern. In addition, we keep in mind that these
funds make possible the erection of vitally important buildings, including missionary
residences, churches, schools, hospitals, publishing houses, goodwill centers and
other necessary structures on mission fields.
Most of this money has already been appropriated by the Board at the October meeting
and at the April meeting. The sum of $642,096.50 will be appropriated at the meet¬
ing of the Board at Ridgecrest in June.
The Foreign Mission Board expresses its deepest appreciation to Woman's Missionary
Union and to all others who have had a share in this great love offering. It repre¬
sents the prayers, concern, giving and love of people across the entire Southern
Baptist Convention.
The resources for foreign missions come through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie
Moon Christmas Offering. God calls his servants to go. He moves the hearts of his
people to make their going possible through giving, praying and love. The Cooperative
Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering have grown in parallel line during the
twenty years of advance that we have experienced. If either had failed to grow, the
advance would have been seriously retarded.
We are grateful to our Lord that we have been able to continue appointing the mis¬
sionaries whom he has brought to us for service overseas. As we all know, we have
had to let wait many requests from mission fields in their ministries of work and
in their needs for buildings. We always operate upon the basis of a much greater
need than we have resources to supply.
At the April meeting of the Board, the Overseas Division was established, with Dr.
Crawley named as director. That division is now functioning. Dr. Crawley has re¬
turned from a journey to the Orient.
It is our hope to be able at the June meeting of the Board to present recommendations
for the places to be filled by the subdivision of the Orient into two areas and Latin
