Minutes of the October 12-14, 1964 Foreign Mission Board Conventionwide Meeting

Richmond, Virginia October 12-14, 1964 99 The Foreign Mission Board met in Conventionwide session on Tuesday, October 13, 1964 at 7:30 P.M. in the chapel of the Board with Dr. Lindsay presiding. Rev. Blake Woolbright read a Scripture passage and led in prayer. Dr.' Lindsay recognized the following guests: Mrs. Charles E. Maddry, widow of Dr. Charles E. Maddry, former Executive Secretary of the Foreign Mission Board. Mr. George Euting, Program Development Director of the Brotherhood Commission. Mrs. Rudolph Listrom, mother of Mrs. Gerald Harvey, missionary to Southern Rhodesia, and Mr. Don Listrom of the Foreign Mission Board staff. Dr. Cauthen gave the following report of the Executive Secretary. REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY We have come to a very significant meeting of the Foreign Mission Board. Twenty new missionaries are to be appointed and the Board will be asked to consider a budget for 1965 totaling nearly $23,000,000. We look back thirty years ago to the time when this Board was heavily burdened with debt, missionaries were being recalled, work was being closed in many parts of the world and the total income of the Board was only $600,000 for an entire year. The fact that we did not experience bankruptcy, but emerged from those dark days into a period of remarkable advance has been evidence of the grace and power of God . As Mrs. Cauthen and I journeyed during the summer through the missions of the Orient, our hearts were made to rejoice as we saw the evidence of God's leader¬ ship. The entire Orient work was disrupted by World War II, followed by the disasters of the Communist rise to power in China and the war in Korea. Out of all these emergencies there has come a strong new mission development in the lands of Asia. A visit to those fields where one is impressed with multiplying churches, strong Christian leaders, valuable institutions and a spirit of dedication, and one is convinced that the Lord has been in our midst. We are encouraged because the recent New Program of Advance calling for a new thrust in world missions has been so warmly received by Southern Baptists. It has brought encouragement both at home and on the mission fields. I am happy also to share with you the gratitude being felt by missionaries throughout the world for the recent provision made by the Board, whereby mis¬ sionary children during their years of college study in America will be privileged to have one trip back home to visit their parents. Nothing we have ever done has touched the hearts of the missionaries with more appreciation. At this point it is helpful for us to consider some of the essential factors needed for sustained advance in this enterprise. We may become weary of talking about advance, but in the light of what is happening in the world of our day, we will be remiss if we fail to keep marching forward and calling Southern Baptists to our maximum possibilities. 1. We must strengthen our communication of missionary information and educa¬ tion. Many Southern Baptists are well informed about missions. Others do not have the information they need to quicken their concern. We must keep in mind a continued growth in our church membership and these new people must be given adequate information. It is encouraging to note that the educational agencies of the Southern Baptist Convention are opening their channels of information to the cause of missions. Our friends from the Sunday School Board have urged that we give to them as much information as possible that they may channel it into all the materials being used by Southern Baptists in the educational program of their churches. We must not fail to take whatever steps are necessary to bring Southern Baptists to be well informed about the mission task and our stewardship at the Foreign Mission Board. 2. We must develop even closer collaboration with all agencies and entities of Baptist life in sharing concern for world missions.