Georgia natives Nate and Lindsey Platto were among the 101 Southern Baptist missionaries appointed May 20 at Riverside Baptist Church in Denver. They will serve in Tanzania. (Photo courtesy of IMB)
International (MNN) ― Hundreds of people are responding to God's call to long-term missions, but economic conditions are making it more difficult to come up with the necessary financial support. The International Mission Board has made the "very difficult decision" that it cannot commission as many new long-term missionaries this year as it has in the past, said spokesperson Wendy Norvelle.
"It's a heartbreaking situation because there are still...about 1.6 billion people who still don't even have access to the Gospel," she said. "And there are people here who have said, 'God has called and I want to go,' and yet the funds just won't allow us to be able to send and support them at this time. So it really means that the Gospel will be delayed in getting to some people who have never heard the name of Jesus."
Last year, the IMB sent 1,088 new missionaries to the mission field. This year's number will be significantly smaller.
"Just last week we had an appointment service and appointed 101 new long-term missionaries to go join our folks overseas," Norvelle explained. "But in the rest of this year, we're only going to be able to send probably fewer than a hundred more long-term workers."
A "phenomenal" amount of interest in foreign missions has been manifest in recent years, Norvelle said. But now, when so many people are responding to the call to the mission field, there is no money to send them.
The economic difficulties have impacted not only long-term missions, but also short-term missions. Assignments to serve overseas for two or three years through the International Service Corps and Masters Programs had to be completely suspended. Short-term missionaries who have already begun their assignments will finish, but no new missionaries can be appointed.
Missionaries with the IMB do not have to raise their own support because they are supported through the Southern Baptist Convention's cooperative program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. In 2008, Southern Baptists gave over $150 million to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. The 2009 offering will probably be smaller.
"There's been a slight decrease in the offering that's come through the regular church budget and then...there's a decrease in the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which we anticipate," Norvelle explained. "Another source of our funding, though, that has been hard-hit just like everyone else, is investment income."
Christians can pray "that those who are called out will be sent, and that the Lord of the harvest will continue to call out those who want to go and take the Gospel to a lost and dying world," Norvelle said. If you would like to support IMB missionaries financially, click here.
