Richmond, Virginia
November 9, 1967
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session on Thursday, November 9,
1967 at 3 p.m. in the chapel of the Foreign Mission Board with Mr. J. Leonard Moore
presiding.
Present: Wade Bryant, Mrs. R, B. Carter, Sr., Curtis English, Joseph B. Flowers,
V. Allen Gaines, John Kincheloe, Jr., Robert T. Marsh, Jr., J. Leonard Moore, John
L. Moran, Lucius M. Polhill, James E. Rayhorn, Hunter Riggins, M. K. Roberson,
E. L. Shattuck, Dalton Ward. Staff: Baker J. Cauthen, Rogers M. Smith, Frank K.
Means, Cornell Goerner, E. L. Deane, Franklin Fowler, E. L. Wright, W. K. Dawson,
Louis R. Cobbs, Truman S. Smith, Samuel A. DeBord, E. L. Hill, Fon H. Scofield, Jr.,
lone Gray, G. Norman Price, Emily Lenz.
Mr. Gaines led in the devotional period.
The minutes were approved as previously printed and mailed to Board members.
Dr. Cauthen gave the following report of the Executive Secretary:
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Since the last meeting of the Board, Dr. Hughey and I have made a rapid trip to the
Middle East. He will be returning in the next few days, although I came back earlier
to speak in meetings in state conventions.
Of particular significance was the conference in Ankara, Turkey attended by repre¬
sentatives of mission work in Morocco, Libya, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.
We regretted that Dr. Young of Yemen was not able to be there, although we had good
report from him indicating that the hospital is nearing completion, and they are
hoping to have the dedication of it in February.
The missionaries felt that the conference in Ankara was of particular significance.
The troubled situation in the Middle East has kept them from having close communi¬
cations because of the barriers that prevail. It was a joy to watch them as they
were able to catch points of view from each other and to come to know of their mutual
concerns for the furtherance of the Gospel among the people they serve.
They were particularly interested in exploring all possible ways for continuing
ministries to the people on the west bank of Jordan and in Jerusalem since those
sections are now in territory occupied by Israel.
One of the most serious situations to be faced is in Gaza where the national nursing
staff at the hospital no longer is available. The entire group of fifteen staff and
student nurses from Lebanon have left and the six Egyptian staff nurses will be gone
by the end of December. The hospital will be left with only one national staff nurse,
one missionary nurse, one journeyman, and one nurse formerly under appointment, but
now married to a national Christian who may be leaving a little later with her husband
for another assignment.
The nursing situation is in a crisis condition. Efforts are being made to find solu¬
tion to the problem in several ways. First, Dr. Fowler is contacting some of the
former missionary nurses of our Board together with some who have been on leaves of
absence to see if some may be available to go to Gaza for a period of two years.
In addition, Miss Dawkins is exploring the possibility of finding some nurses with
the R.N. who can go to Gaza for a two-year period.
If these measures are not successful in producing enough reinforcement for the hos¬
pital, we may find other steps will be indicated concerning which Dr. Fowler is now
giving some exploratory consideration.
We particularly appeal to the members of the Board and to Southern Baptists at large
to join us in prayer that nurses may be found for the Gaza hospital immediately. This
crisis must be met as early as possible, as it is evident that by the first of January
the hospital will not be able to carry on its work on anything like its present dimen¬
sions unless nurses are available. We urgently call for nurses with R.N. training
who will respond to this need in Gaza.
We are also glad to report that the outlook for work in Italy is more encouraging than
it has been in many years. Dr. Hughey and I stopped in Rome for meetings with Italian
Baptist leaders as well as conferences with missionaries. On every hand there were
reports of improved working relationships, more open doors for evangelism, and greater
response to the efforts being made. I came away with a warm feeling of encouragement
concerning the work in that land.
