November 5, 1970
1
The Foreign Mission Board held its regular monthly meeting on November 5, 1970, at
3:00 p.m. , in the Board's chapel, Richmond, Virginia, with Joseph B. Flowers, first
vice-president, presiding.
PRESENT : Local Members: Robert B. Bass, Mrs. R. B. Carter, Sr., J. Roy Clifford,
Austin W. Farley, Joseph B. Flowers, V. Allen Gaines, Mrs. Clyde V. Hickerson, John
W. Kincheloe, Jr., John L. Moran, Lucius M. Polhill, James E. Rayhorn, Meredith K.
Roberson, Edwin L. Shattuck, Mrs. Thomas Whalen.
Staff: Baker J. Cauthen, Charles W. Bryan, Louis R. Cobbs, Winston Crawley, Edna
Frances Dawkins, William K. Dawson, Everett L. Deane, Jesse C. Fletcher, Eugene L.
Hill, Stanley Nelson, Floyd H. North Norman Price, Sidney C. Reber, Fon H. Scofield,
Rogers M. Smith, Truman Smith, Richard M. Styles, Melvin Torstrick, Joseph B. Under¬
wood, E. L. Wright, Elizabeth Minshew.
The meeting was called to order.
Mr. Sidney C. Reber, the Board's director of the Management Services Division, led
the audience in the opening Hymn: "In Christ There Is No East or West."
Rev. Edwin L. Shattuck, local Board member, read a passage of Scripture and led in
prayer .
Minutes of the Board for its Annual Meeting, October 12-14, were approved (along
with an amendment to be made by the secretary, with reference to the tribute paid
to Dr. Wade Bryant, deceased, October 3, 1970.)
Mr. Flowers welcomed all who were present.
REPORTS were called for as follows:
REPORT OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY - Dr. Baker J. Cauthen gave excerpts from the following
report which was available for distribution:
The appointment of missionaries today is significant, in that it points up the wide
variety of service opportunities now being found on mission fields.
One couple is assigned for agricultural work; another for recreation and camp minis¬
tries; a third is for music ministry; and a fourth is for student work.
Advance in worldwide mission work not only means more missionaries in more places,
but it also means that they are engaged in more forms of Christian service.
This should not, however, be misinterpreted. It in no way means that there is a de¬
clining need for ordained ministers to go to the mission fields. The reverse is true.
There are more calls today for ordained ministers with experience in church leadership
than ever before, and we hope that this number may greatly increase in 1971.
As of December 1, the number of countries for which missionaries are assigned and work
is authorized, will be 76. This means that we are more widely deployed in our ser¬
vice overseas than ever before in our history.
We are greatly encouraged by the splendid reports of evangelism in East Africa. Mr.
Underwood has recently returned from his service in that part of the world with radiant
reports of the work of God's spirit in the hearts of people and the very great blessings
which have come about by those who have shared in this far-reaching ministry. We con¬
gratulate Mr. Underwood upon a task well done. It makes heavy demands upon him at the
point of travel and extended absences from home, but we are grateful for his dedication
which makes this work a reality.
The closing days of this month will mark the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Foreign
Missions to be followed by the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This is one of our most
significant years in this regard. The need for prayer is paramount. We hope that people
will be remembering missionaries in areas of distress such as Vietnam and the Middle East,
in a particular way, but will at the same time pray for missionaries in all fields, who
are engaged in their regular work, many of them separated from their children in times
when their hearts long to be together, and others serving in fields that greatly need
to be reinforced and presenting demands far beyond the resources available.
We pray that the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering will be greatly blessed. A victorious
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering will be an inspiration, not only on mission fields
throughout the world, but in all aspects of Baptist life at home. It will serve to
reaffirm the missionary convictions of Southern Baptists, and call us forward in the
great task which our Lord has commanded. We are deeply indebted to Woman's Mission¬
ary Union and to all church organizations, as well as pastors and other workers, who
