DALLAS — Southern Baptists united to celebrate 58 newly appointed International Mission Board missionaries, during the June 10 opening session of the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas. Church messengers watched as missionaries took the stage to share their calling and thank those who are supporting their Great Commission task.
“It’s so good to be with you today as we gather, together, to do many important things,” IMB President Paul Chitwood said. “But perhaps none so important as this – to send 58 new IMB missionaries to pursue lostness around the world.”
Missionaries, he said, are sent and supported, first and foremost, by their local churches, “but make no mistake – they are also sent by us, here in Dallas, Texas.”
Chitwood continued, “This is a moment where we have the privilege to celebrate their going, commission them to join God in His mission, and commit to support them in every way.”
To illustrate the vital importance of Southern Baptist support of missionaries, Chitwood shared three recent examples. The first was a young missionary mother whose cancer treatments in Houston begin this week. Her medical needs are covered by generous giving through the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
Just four days ago, a missionary family wrote with thankfulness for training that protected them when 12 men with machetes entered and robbed their home. Thankfully, they remained calm and felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. Southern Baptists provided that vital security and safety training for the missionaries and their five children.
Earlier this year, a volunteer group was jailed in a restricted access country and detained for two days. Through God’s protection, the group was released and arrived home safely. Because of Southern Baptist support, the IMB has resources for a highly trained incident response team ready to move on behalf of missionaries and volunteers at a moment’s notice.
“Southern Baptists, we’re not just sending missionaries but preparing them to endure the difficulties they face on the field,” Chitwood said.
The new appointees are joining more than 3,500 IMB missionaries and their families currently serving in 155 countries. Those heading to regions hostile to the Gospel or missionary presence appeared behind a screen for the public event to protect their identities. Four couples spoke in their first languages of Italian and Korean, while English translations ran on the screens. Missionaries were united in their gratefulness for the prayers and generosity of Southern Baptists.
Veteran Journeymen among newly appointed missionaries, mindful of church support
Among the 58 missionaries participating in the Sending Celebration, 11 were former Journeymen. The IMB recently recognized the 60th anniversary of the program, which has become a strategic pipeline for career missionary service. The program was created for young Southern Baptists between the ages of 21 and 29 to serve two-year missionary terms. More than 6,500 young adults have served in the Journeyman program in the past six decades.
Lauren Ulmer, Zack and Courtney Newsome and Bridget Davis were among the missionaries in Dallas who served as Journeymen before making long-term commitments to service overseas.
Ulmer knew she was called to missions after she went on a volunteer trip to Costa Rica with Southside Baptist Church in Live Oak, Florida, which is also her sending church. She wasn’t sure where she would go until a semester position with IMB in Quebec opened for her the winter of 2019.
The Florida native didn’t have any winter clothing, but her Southside Baptist family came through for her.
“They rallied around me, gave me a winter coat and helped me raise funds for all the winter things that I would need,” Ulmer said. “Two months later in January 2019, I’m showing up to Quebec, in the midst of the coldest months, ready to do university ministry and hospitality ministry.”
After her short-term service, Ulmer returned to Quebec as a Journeyman, serving from 2019-21. She said these were challenging years, but she relied on the Lord, her ministry team in Quebec and the consistent support from Southside. In those hard days, Ulmer appreciated the emails and letters she received from Southside.
“Someone would send the verse I needed to read or a prayer voice message I needed to hear,” she said. “My church inspired me and reminded me I wasn’t serving alone.”
Zack and Courtney Newsome served as a Journeymen couple before answering the call to long-term service. They served as Journeymen from 2017-19, and through the two-year term, they realized they were called to be full-time missionaries.
“As Journeymen, we were able to see a church planted and see this church grow and reach Muslims,” Zack said. They look forward to serving with the IMB in Panama.
The Newsomes met while attending Murray State University and were influenced by Hardin Baptist Church in Hardin, Kentucky.
“It was in this church, under the leadership of my college pastor, Chris Lawrence, that I bore the most fruit,” Zack said.
The Newsomes are also grateful for their sending church, NorthWoods Church in Evansville, Indiana, where Zack served as student pastor.
“NorthWoods gave us that encouragement of, ‘Hey, we’ll support you!’” Courtney said. “Serving internationally, it means so much to have the support of a church, knowing they love us.”
Bridget Davis said the two years of her Journeyman experience went by faster than she thought it would go. “It sounds like a long time, but it’s not,” she said.
She served in Sub-Saharan Africa with IMB missionary Kathy Shafto who had a big influence on her life. “Kathy taught me about seeing opportunities to speak the truth of God’s Word into the people’s lives and how to be strong and gentle at the same time.”
Bridget and her husband Jude will be serving in Germany with a missionary team with whom they have already made connections. Through their sending church, First Baptist Church of Rogers, Arkansas, the Davises took a short-term mission trip to Germany to serve with current IMB missionaries of whom FBC Rogers has a partnership.
“We are going there because we got to see what it was like as a family to live there and serve there,” Bridget said. “I’m really thankful for the opportunities that our sending church has given us. They have been so supportive and have helped us work through our calling to missions.”
Jude said he also appreciates the support of FBC Rogers, as well as the church he attended when he was in college, College Heights Baptist Church in Plainview, Texas.
He said College Heights “gave me a great foundation, encouraged my pursuit of doing mission work, which was the beginning of when I realized God was calling me. This church helped me realize that missions isn’t just something you do; it’s who you are.”
Messengers participate in praying and sending
Heather Huggins, who will serve in South America with her husband Caleb, challenged churches with a spoken word presentation titled “Missionary Prayer.”
“You make new; Only You; Holy You; God, thank You; Dark to light; Death to life; You, unchanged; Me, transformed. A multitude. Every. All. Me,” Heather said, concluding the recited prayer.
Chitwood closed the celebration by urging continued commitment to send more missionaries to the nations. During a time of responsive reading, attendees voiced their commitment.
“We pray for you, that God would open doors to share the mystery of the Gospel with those who have never heard,” said the nearly 10,000 church messengers in attendance. The Sending Celebration ended with a time of prayer, during which Chitwood invited messengers to gather around missionaries.
The next Sending Celebration will be Oct. 27, 2025, at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention in Lubbock, Texas.
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