Updated Wednesday, May 28, 2008

NAMB trustees establish evangelism initiative

By Mike Ebert

Baptist Press

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - North American Mission Board (NAMB) trustees heard plans for a new national evangelism initiative and elected Tim Patterson as their new chairman during a May 20-21 meeting in Portsmouth, Va.

In a week highlighted by the commissioning of 117 new missionaries and chaplains, NAMB trustees also toured Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest Navy base, to gain a firsthand view of the work of Southern Baptist military chaplains.

The meeting took place almost a year to the day that Geoff Hammond became NAMB's new president in 2007. In his address to trustees, Hammond marveled at what God had accomplished during the year.

"Who would have thought that we as a team would have the privilege of launching an historic evangelism initiative for Southern Baptists," Hammond said. He premiered a promotional video for the initiative - titled "God's Plan for Sharing" - to the trustees and explained that in designing the initiative NAMB has worked closely with Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) President Frank Page and several evangelism leaders from state Baptist conventions.

"Our dream is to see every Southern Baptist believer sharing the gospel and every person in North America hearing it by 2020," Hammond said. "Why would we want anything less?"

Hammond also showed trustees a 30-second television commercial that promotes the ministry of Southern Baptists throughout North America and the world. The ad refers viewers to a website where they can view a gospel presentation and locate a nearby Southern Baptist church. The ad will debut in Indianapolis prior to the SBC's June 10-11 annual meeting.

In a dramatic example of the changing face of North America's spiritual climate, Hammond ended his address to trustees by introducing a church planter who is ministering to Muslims in a large metropolitan area in the United States. His voice breaking, Hammond shared about the death threats and hardships the NAMB missionary and his family have endured while he has faithfully taken the gospel to the Muslim community.

"He has won numerous Muslims to Christ," Hammond said, "and he desperately needs our prayers."