SALT LAKE CITY (BP)–Members of the Southern Baptist Canadian Task Force met June 9 to sign an agreement partnering the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board with the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists.
The signing took place in Salt Lake City during the Southern Baptist Convention’s June 9-11 annual meeting.
The agreement, called the Canada Strategy Transition, is designed to assist the churches of Canada to reach their nation with the gospel of Jesus Christ while recognizing the autonomy of the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists.
Under the terms of the agreement, the IMB will “second” or release missionary personnel currently serving in Canada with the responsibility for personnel-related expenses remaining with IMB. NAMB will work with the CCSB to clarify and define the assignments and ongoing supervision of all missionary personnel.
Additionally, the agreement creates the Canadian Task Force consisting of six members from NAMB, and three each from the IMB and CCSB.
The Canada Strategy Transition agreement was signed by Bob Reccord, president of NAMB, Jerry Rankin, president of IMB, and Allen Schmidt, executive director-treasurer of CCSB.
“This partnership reflects the synergy between the two mission boards that goes beyond what the architects of the (SBC) restructuring ever dreamed of,” said Rankin, of the SBC’s “Covenant for a New Century.” Reccord added, “I think Canada is one of the most unique opportunities for our agency.”
“Our convention enthusiastically endorsed this agreement,” Schmidt said. “We believe God has done something here.” Earlier in the week, NAMB entered a partnership with Second Baptist Church, Houston, to build a flagship church in Toronto.
