November 11, 1965
97
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session Thursday, November 11,
at 3:30 P.M. in the chapel of the Foreign Mission Board with Dr. J. Roy Clifford
presiding.
Present: T. F. Adams, Wade Bryant, J. Roy Clifford, Joseph P. Edmondson,
Curtis English, Mrs. Clyde V. Hickerson, W. Rush Loving, J. Walter Martin,
J. Leonard Moore, John L. Moran, James E. Rayhorn, Ryland 0. Reamy,
Hunter Riggins, Meredith K. Roberson, D. 0. Rose, Edwin L. Shattuck,
Dalton Ward.
Staff: Baker J. Cauthen, Joseph B. Underwood, Ralph A. Magee, E. L. Wright,
Louis R. Cobbs, Truman S. Smith, Eugene L. Hill, Fon H. Scofield,
lone Gray, G. Norman Price, Floyd H. North.
Dr. Roberson read a Scripture passage and led in prayer.
Dr. Cauthen gave the following report of the Executive Secretary:
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
During the past three weeks, Dr. J. D. Hughey and I have traveled through a good
part of the Middle East. Our journey first took us to Spain where we shared in
the opening services of the evangelistic crusade for that country which has proved
to be such a very great blessing.
We went through Morocco, visited Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran,
and Turkey.
In some of the places visited, we found communities of American people, represent¬
ing military establishments and business interests. In Tripoli, Libya, a community
of 10,000 American people is found and a strong church has been developed with 250
members. Rev. and Mrs. Harold Blankenship, appointees of our Board, are serving
there in this church.
In Ankara, Turkey, we visited a vigorous group of American people representing both
military and business, and a deep desire is found among them that we send a couple
to work with them in the cultivation of an English-speaking Baptist church.
Throughout the Islamic world, the memory of the Crusades is still very vivid. There
are many barriers to the preaching of the gospel growing out of history.
Although mission work has been conducted in many parts of the Middle East for
numbers of years, the amount of work undertaken is very small in proportion to the
vast area and the great population. There probably is less mission work in the
Middle East in proportion to area and people than in any other section of the world
where mission work is normally conducted.
In view of the resistance to the gospel of Christ occasioned by history and the
peculiarities of the Islamic religion, it is not surprising that work is difficult
and numerical results are limited. It is encouraging to keep in mind the great
changes which have come about in other parts of the world where such great
resistances were encountered when the gospel was first presented. Some of those
areas have become much more responsive to mission labors as years have passed. It
is our hope that through greater extent of Christian love to the peoples of the
Middle East and through much intercessory prayer, there can be wider opportunities
found for ministries in the Master's name.
In some countries it is not possible to locate missionaries. This is true of Libya,
Syria and perhaps Iraq. In some of these places missionaries are resident at the
present time, but the possibility of new work by mission agencies not presently
engaged in those countries is most difficult. In some places it is possible for
nationals from Lebanon and Jordan to go where missionaries could not be located.
In some respects Iran seems to be one of the most promising areas of work. It is
a country of twenty million people and apparently has its eyes turned toward the
future with the hope of cultivating a more modern land. We could hope that mis-
ionaries may be located in Iran.
While work is difficult in Morocco, there are evidences that an opening could be
found and progress can be made. There is almost no possibility of locating mis¬
sionaries in Libya other than in the English-speaking work. At present this is the
case also in Turkey, but we are hopeful that missionaries may be placed there to
work with the American community.
