December 8, 1999

COMMENTARY:
Look outward, Texas
___By Jerry Rankin
___A lot of emphasis is given to the autonomy of Baptist churches, but a balancing characteristic of this self-governing, independent identity is cooperation. Southern Baptist churches voluntarily relate to others for the sake of cooperatively serving God and advancing his kingdom.
___ Just as voluntary cooperation is the only thing that holds the Southern Baptist Convention together as a denomination, it is what relates local churches to each other as an association or state convention. There is no coercion, no control, just the desire to do more together than one could do alone.
___ God blesses a local church when it looks beyond its own city or community to recognize it has been called to a missions task that is much larger. So it is with associations and state conventions. It is unfortunate, and actually debilitating, when any Baptist entity becomes self-centered and neglects its role in mobilizing the people of God to reach a lost world.
___ For years, state conventions have been linking with new-work states in order to accelerate and strengthen our Baptist witness and growth in pioneer areas of the United States. Many conventions, associations and churches also have entered into overseas partnerships to add volunteer resources to the work of International Mission Board personnel. Texas Baptists' partnerships in Estonia, Brazil and Germany are excellent examples of such relationships, as are the partnerships that individual Texas Baptist churches have in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Siberia, Brazil, Bulgaria and Belize.
___ While these partnerships are usually for three years, it is hard to bring them to closure because relationships are established, and the needs of the overseas churches are deeply implanted in the stateside partner. State Baptist papers, like the Baptist Standard, keep missions before their readers as they profile volunteer teams and projects and, in so doing, promote the Great Commission and the work of your missionaries.
___It would be impossible for the IMB to enlist the thousands of volunteer teams that are participating in evangelism crusades, relief and ministry projects, sports outreach, construction, medical work and a multitude of other areas of witness around the world. But state conventions have set up mission partnership offices and staff to assist in this task, to mobilize volunteers, provide orientation and training, and vastly increase the potential of Southern Baptists being on mission with God.
___It was the readiness of Kentucky Baptists in their partnership with Russia that facilitated an early response to the open door in that country before many IMB personnel could be deployed and put in place. On recent trips to Eastern Europe and Africa, I was shown seminary buildings in the Ukraine and Poland built by North Carolina volunteers on successive partnerships and then met teams from the Tarheel state in South Africa participating in their current partnership.
___Many states, such as Tennessee, Virginia and Texas, have adopted simultaneous, multiple partnerships--sending teams to different parts of the world, expanding their global vision and infusing their churches with a missions heart that enhances their local growth and outreach. Others have added prayer partnerships to mobilize a concerted focus of intercession to break down the strongholds of Satan that keep some countries inaccessible to a gospel witness.
___A state convention that gives exclusive priority to the needs and programs within their own state would encourage churches and individuals to look inward by their example. I'm thankful our state conventions truly reflect the mandate of our Lord in Acts 1:8 to not only be witnesses in their Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria but to the uttermost ends of the earth.
___The work of the International Mission Board is more effective, the global harvest is accelerated and a lost world is being reached because state conventions are our partners in mission.

___Jerry Rankin is president of the SBC International Mission Board

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