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FIRST-PERSON: Why am I Southern Baptist?


Revised 1:57 p.m. Jan. 4, 2007.

BILLINGS, Mont. (BP)–One of the unusual distinctions of being executive director/treasurer for Montana Southern Baptists is that I have the opportunity to fly on a regular basis. Every plane that I have flown in Montana has been small. It doesn’t matter which airport I have used, none of the planes have been comfortable for a man of my size. I have flown from airports in and out of Billings, Kalispell, Butte, Missoula and Great Falls, but each time I have stepped into one of these half-sized tubes, I felt like a sardine.

I must admit that modern planes are a technological marvel to me. They are designed for efficiency. For example, the seating system is designed for maximum effectiveness. The size and placement of each seat makes the greatest use of all available space. Each time I squeeze into a seat, I realize that no space is wasted. Invariably, I am placed next to a person even larger than I am. The two of us sit uncomfortably side by side, tilted away from one another in an attempt to have some personal space.

Another example of airline efficiency is the amount of fuel that each plane carries. The other day someone recounted the story of a plane that was delayed because it had too much fuel on board. The passengers had to wait for the plane to be de-fueled. It seems that carrying too much fuel decreases the plane’s usefulness. The airline system would rather delay the flight than lower the efficiency of the aircraft.

Recently, Treasure State Association here in Montana sponsored a weekend event in which Southern Baptist missionaries from across the country and around the world came to speak in each of the churches in the association. They shared how God is working in their respective areas. Hearing the stories from these missionaries reminded me once again just how efficient Southern Baptists are when it comes to supporting missions.

As a denomination, we are very well-organized in getting missionaries on the field with the supplies needed to get the job done. Currently, we have more than 5,000 missionaries serving in North America and more than 5,000 serving around the world. With the exception of Mission Service Corps missionaries, the missionaries do not have to raise their own support. Each time you give to your church’s general offering, a certain percentage, designated by your church, goes straight to the Cooperative Program. This money is used to sustain our missionaries, our seminaries and many other vital ministries here in North America and around the world. When you participate in the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions, 100 percent of this money goes straight to mission work on the field.

Most mission-sending organizations require missionary candidates to raise their own support. Typically, this is a two-year process of traveling the United States, speaking to numerous congregations, and hoping for large love offerings. While these missionaries are spending precious time raising support, Southern Baptist missionaries are already on the field reaching people with the Gospel of Christ.

Self-funded missionaries are often at the mercy of a few churches. When one of these churches hires a new pastor or encounters internal conflict, the missionary’s funding is in jeopardy. Many self-funded missionaries have been forced to leave the field to come back home because of financial support issues.

Because we cooperate to support missions, our missionaries do not suffer this fate. With more than 40,000 Southern Baptist churches pooling their resources, no missionary returns home if one church quits giving. Our missionaries can rest assured that Southern Baptists across the nation will provide the needed resources for their ministries. Our missionaries can focus their efforts on serving in their particular mission setting.

The Cooperative Program is the most efficient method for deploying missionaries. For years it has assisted missionaries around the world in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus.
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To learn more about the Cooperative Program, visit www.sbc.net.
Jason Carson* is executive director of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention. Re-printed with permission from the Montana Baptist, newsjournal of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention.

*Name changed for security concerns.

    About the Author

  • Jason Carson*