Brother Danny Chandler read the report as follows:

The majority of individuals associate “missions” with one of two ideas. To some, missions are soup lines and shelters where the under privileged and outcasts of society are given services in exchange for listening to the gospel. Although these are good humanitarian activities and those laboring to provide these services should be commended, extreme caution must be exercised least the glorious gospel of eternal life through Jesus Christ be reduced to a simple exchange of food for mental agreement. To others, missions are those faraway places with exotic sounding names. They have no idea what goes on there or how it is all accomplished, but surely it must be God’s work because they keep sending money and the “mission boards” keep saying they need more money! Surely the truth lies somewhere between these extremes.

It would be impossible, within the scope of this short report, to justly represent the many diverse areas of mission work in which we are to engage. Let us be careful to recognize that ALL efforts of evangelization that are led of the Holy Spirit are indeed mission works, whether they be foreign , domestic, jail ministries, nursing homes, or home Bible study groups that reach your family and friends with the “good news” of Jesus Christ. So indeed we are ALL missionaries in one form or another as soon as we walk outside the doors of our church buildings. Some works require special financing and perhaps relocation, while others simply require willingness on our parts to do what God has laid on our hearts. Yes, God does call men to special works and they are sent and supported by their home churches. This is as it should be. Many times the result is planting of new assembly points, which we label as missions, for preaching and teaching with the hope of eventual establishment of “Churches”. Other works like jail ministries, nursing homes, Christian Schools, etc. are not intended to establish “churches”, but are nonetheless mission works and do bring truth to those who need to hear.

So with this broad definition of “Missions” and understanding that our commission is to “Go”, to whom then do we go and what can we expect to find when we get there? Tracing the journeys of the Apostle Paul, we find him preaching to three different classes of people, and truly within those three classes we will find all of those to whom we are sent. First, we will find those who have the right religion, but lack a born again experience with God through Jesus Christ (Acts 13: 14-32; 14:1; 16:11-15; 17:1-4; 17:10-12; 17:16-21; etc.). Secondly we will find those who have another religion entirely. This class obviously needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ so they can be saved; since their religion is promoting some other way to obtain a favorable after-life (Acts 17:22-34). Thirdly, we find those who have genuine salvation, but need further instruction (Acts 19:1-7). In the area and environment in which we live, the vast majority of our efforts will fall under the First and Third classes of people listed. Those who have the right religion (Christianity), but lack a personal experience with God are unquestionably the largest group. Yet, very often we find those who have truly been saved, but are caught in the midst of false churches and devastating error. These third classes of people to whom we are sent are truly “sheep” that belong to the Lord, but they need to be rescued from the error they have embraced. This too is “mission work”. Many times it is the beginning of a great harvest of lost souls as those who are rescued from error then try to rescue others that are caught in the same web of deceit.

Martin Luther once said “The greatest mission field lies within the established church”. That was true when he said it in the 1500s and it is still true today. Although at Luther’s time the Protestant Reformation was just beginning and “denominationalism” had not reached the vast extent which we see today, nonetheless Christianity as a religion had spread throughout the then know civilized world. The situation then, as now, was much the same as Judaism was during Christ’s and Paul’s ministries. There was no lack of religion that acknowledged God and taught from His word, but there was a lack of soul saving truth within that religion. We find Jesus saying of himself that his mission was “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. Yet we know that His intent was, and is, to save all who will come to him, both Jew and Gentile. We also find the Apostle Paul whenever he came into a city always went “first” to the Jewish Synagogues that he might reach those who had the right religion, but lacked a personal experience of salvation. Many of them believed and became the foundation of the churches that were established. Then after gathering out those who received the truth from among the established religion of Judaism, he turned to those of other religions.

It should be no surprise to us that every mission work that has resulted in the establishment of a sound local church in our lifetime was not started with materials from “another religion”. Instead, it has been by preaching to those who already consider themselves “Christians”. In most cases these works were not begun with “new converts” that were freshly saved, but have been accomplished by preaching and teaching truth which resulted in folks who were already saved leaving the error in which they were entangled. Then, through their efforts lost family and friends were brought to the hearing of the gospel “and the Lord added to them such as should be saved”. This has certainly been the case in most, if not all, the “foreign” mission works that have resulted in establishment of sound churches. Our beloved African brothers who continue to labor among their own people in Ghana, Kenya and Liberia were already saved when they embraced the truth they heard from Brother Bryson and others via radio. Then through their preaching many were saved and many others who were already saved left their error and joined with them.

There is assuredly a need to reach other religions, but let us not underestimate the need that exists within “Christianity”. Sometimes we forget that it is not the “preacher” or even “the church” that God uses to bring “conviction” and resultant “repentance and faith” to a lost soul. It is the TRUTH He uses, regardless of the source. That is why Paul said, “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. “(Phil 1:15-18). Many seeds have been planted by those other than Missionary Baptist. Some still lie dormant, but some have sprung to eternal life and both are perishing for lack of water. Those that are yet dormant perish to eternal destruction and those who have sprung to life are unable to bring forth fruit in the dry ground in which they are rooted. There is much need for watering.

We should NOT draw back from every opportunity that we have to go in amongst those of other denominations and unsound churches. We should look for and seize upon any opening to exalt Jesus and tell our own personal experience. Jesus said we should speak that which we know and testify to that which we have seen. We should not be combative or condescending in our approach, but speak the truth from a heart of love and demonstration of the Spirit that dwells within us. Then let GOD use that truth to convict the hearts of those who truly have a heart to know the truth. Sometimes that truth will be to the salvation of a deceived, but lost soul. Other times that truth may be to the enlightenment and eventual liberation of a true Christian from the pathway of error.

Let us therefore be engaged missionaries, and whether we plant or whether we water, let us trust God to give the increase. If we would be true to the example set by Jesus and Paul, going to “the lost sheep of the house of Christianity” will be our first and greatest opportunity for missions. But be advised, our greatest opposition will not come from other religions, our greatest opposition will come from those within Christianity. That, of course, is no different than what Jesus, Paul, and our Baptist ancestors experienced. Their greatest opposition also came from within the established religion.

Respectfully Submitted by:
Travis Garner
Tony Day
Danny Chandler - Chairman

Motion and second to adopt report. Those speaking on the report were Brother Danny Chandler, Brother Tony Day, Brother Phil Creecy, Brother Ron Spurgeon, Brother Damon Carlock, Brother Junior Moore, Brother Gayle Snoddy, Brother Jay Snoddy, and Brother Jerry Reynolds. Question and second called to end subject. Approved.