Julie McGowan

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – As new International Mission Board missionaries gathered for a special commissioning service near Richmond on Dec. 7, six representatives of the Myanmar Baptist Churches USA fellowship traveled from Maryland. They were on-site to support one couple who represents a historic milestone for the Southern Baptist Convention.

La vacunación contra el COVID-19 ya no es una política general de la junta para el personal misionero ni para el personal establecido en Estados Unidos, anunciaron los líderes de la Junta de misiones internacionales este miércoles 8 de junio. El anuncio llega en respuesta a la evaluación continua realizada por los líderes de alto nivel en lo referente al impacto de la pandemia en la obra de la IMB alrededor del mundo desde inicios de 2020.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – International Mission Board trustees approved the appointment of 52 new full-time, fully funded missionaries, while also honoring the service of 80 emeritus missionaries during their Feb. 2-3 meeting.

La mesa directiva de la Junta de Misiones Internacionales aprobó el nombramiento de 36 misioneros de tiempo completo y totalmente financiados para llevar el evangelio a personas y lugares no alcanzados, durante su reunión del 29 al 30 de septiembre cerca de Richmond, Virginia.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – International Mission Board trustees approved the appointment of 36 full-time, fully funded personnel to take the Gospel to unreached people and places during their Sept. 29-30 meeting near Richmond.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)—Desiring to help its team members maintain access to unreached peoples and places and remain healthy as they seek to take the gospel to all nations, the International Mission Board announced a policy Sept. 8 for field personnel and staff members related to COVID-19 vaccinations. This policy addresses the challenges of overseas life and travel requirements for IMB missionary personnel and IMB staff members who travel overseas.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- International Mission Board senior leaders have directed IMB missionary personnel around the world to postpone hosting any ministry volunteer groups through June 30, leaders announced Wednesday (March 25). Consideration of missionaries hosting volunteer teams beyond June 30 will be reviewed on May 1. "We're instructing our personnel to postpone all volunteer efforts at this time due to the uncertainty of health and travel for those traveling internationally, and also to comply with the State Department's guidance," said IMB President Paul Chitwood. "We strongly recommend that Southern Baptist volunteer teams postpone any travel during this time, particularly overseas travel."

WHEATON, Ill. (BP) -- The International Mission Board and the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College's Rural Matters Institute have launched a five-year research project that aims to arm the rural church with resources needed to advance the Gospel within and beyond the United States. "The idea is to provide information that will benefit rural practitioners in the United States and around the world," said Jeffrey Clark, director of rural missiology and research for the IMB. "This will involve research, writing, and training for rural practitioners ... that will help [them] be more effective in reaching their field for Christ."

UPDATE: The International Mission Board released a statement to Baptist Press on Monday (Aug. 26) regarding the Aug 12 announcement, “MacDonald named IMB VP of marketing, communication.” IMB said, “After further discussion with Mark MacDonald, IMB decided that he would not be a good fit and to go in a different direction for the vice president of marketing and communication role.” The day before, MacDonald had posted on Facebook about the decision noting that "an anonymous source" had informed IMB of a past failure, following which he had undergone restoration with his church. "God is good, but this is difficult," he wrote.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Songs of worship in Swahili, a new missionary testimony in American Sign Language and Gospel presentations by missionaries in Mandarin, Hausa, Russian and Fon representing a biblical view of the church worshipping God for eternity. These were among the highlights of an International Mission Board dinner prior to the SBC annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala.