SBC Life Articles by Julie McGowan

RICHMOND, Va.(BP) -- Paul Chitwood was elected unanimously as the 13th president of the Southern Baptists' International Mission Board on Thursday, Nov. 15, during trustees' regularly scheduled meeting near Richmond, Va. Chitwood, 48, who has served as executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, took office immediately as the president of the 173-year-old entity, the largest denominational missionary-sending body among American evangelicals. More than 3,600 Southern Baptist international missionaries serve worldwide, with 42 new missionaries approved for appointment by trustees Wednesday (Nov. 14). Since September 2018, Clyde Meador, former missionary and IMB executive vice president, has served as IMB's interim president. At Chitwood's request, Meador was approved by trustees to remain in the President's Office as interim executive vice president for several months during the transition.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- The International Mission Board trustees' presidential search committee announced Tuesday (Nov. 6) that the committee will recommend Paul Chitwood, 48, to be elected as the 173-year-old entity's 13th president. The vote to elect Chitwood is scheduled for the Nov. 15 plenary session during their IMB board meeting in Richmond. A former chairman of IMB's board of trustees, Chitwood currently serves as executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, the state's largest religious organization with 750,000 members in 2,400 churches and 70 associations. He has served in the role since 2011.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- In the 100th anniversary since Southern Baptists named their global mission offering in honor of esteemed missionary Lottie Moon, churches gave $158.9 million to sustain their international missionaries worldwide -- the second-highest Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions ever received. "We praise the Lord and thank Southern Baptist churches who have again generously demonstrated their faithfulness in undergirding the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth," said Clyde Meador, interim president of the International Mission Board. With the books on the offering closing Sept. 30, the 2017-18 Lottie Moon offering neared the national goal of $160 million.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Southern Baptists celebrated the sending of 66 new international missionaries Sept. 26 at Grove Avenue Baptist Church in Richmond, Va. They shared how God has woven throughout their lives a desire to take His Gospel to people who have never heard -- and each story evidenced God's role for every church to take His Good News to every nation. "The Lord has always moved my life through stories," said Caroline Reel, who is being sent by her churches, Restoration Church in Wake Forest, N.C., and Bullard Chapel Baptist in Tishomingo, Okla., to serve among refugee peoples in Uganda. "From the missionaries' ...

RICHMOND, VA. (BP) -- International Mission Board trustees heard a final address from outgoing president David Platt and approved Clyde Meador as interim president during their Sept. 26-27 meeting near Richmond, Va. Trustees appointed 66 new fully funded personnel to take the Gospel to unreached people and places and approved a balanced budget for 2018-2019 and a recommendation about trustee representation from state conventions. Rick Dunbar, trustee chairman and a member of First Baptist Church in Madison, Miss., presided over the meeting.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- After receiving the resignation of David Platt as president of the International Mission Board, to be effective at the Sept. 27 trustee meeting, the trustees' executive committee voted in a special meeting Sept. 13 to name Clyde Meador as interim president, subject to full board approval. Platt has served as IMB president since Aug. 27, 2014. Since September of last year, he also has served as pastor/teacher of McLean Bible Church in metro Washington, D.C. On Feb. 12 of this year, Platt asked IMB trustees to begin searching for his successor. While requesting that the search for the mission board's next president begin immediately, Platt stated his intention to continue serving as president during the search process.

DALLAS (BP) -- International Mission Board trustees approved the appointment of 47 new missionaries sent by Southern Baptist churches to take the Gospel to the nations during their June 10-11 meeting in Dallas. The new missionaries were part of a Sending Celebration June 12 during the evening session of the SBC annual meeting at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Southern Baptists' contributions to support international missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering are 3.75 percent ahead of the May 2017 offering totals, according to a report by Rodney Freeman, IMB treasurer and vice president of support services. At the end of May, IMB had received $142,683,654 so far for the 2017-2018 campaign, which began Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30. This total is $5,161,874 (3.75 percent) ahead of last year's LMCO receipts to support Southern Baptists' 3,551 international missionaries.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Southern Baptists' contributions to support international missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering are 4.4 percent ahead of last year's pace, according to a report by Rodney Freeman, IMB treasurer and vice president of support services. At the end of March 2018, IMB had received $124,093,278 for the 2017-2018 campaign, which began Oct. 1 and continues through Sept. 30. The total is $5,225,589 (4.4 percent) ahead of LMCO receipts at this point last year.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- International Mission Board missionaries Randy Arnett, 62, and Kathy Arnett, 61, died March 14 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Missouri-native missionaries served as theological education strategists for Africa. IMB leaders and colleagues reflected on the Missouri-native missionaries' love for missions and the people of Africa. "Randy and Kathy Arnett in so many ways represent what is best about the IMB," ...