Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Questionable (Cartoon: Preacher’s Kids) Group hug fears (Cartoon: Fletch) Prayer thoughts (Cartoon: Joe McKeever)
  • John 3:16
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Archive
  • Cartoons
    • Joe McKeever
    • Beyond the Ark
    • Church of the Covered Dish
    • Fletch
    • Preacher’s Kids
  • Contact
  • Louisiana
  • U.S. & Intl
  • Facts & Finds
  • Culture & Society
  • Editorial

IMB: 1,200 missionary candidates in pipeline

March 27, 2023

By Will Hall, Baptist Baptist Message executive editor

RICHMOND, Va. — The SBC International Mission Board reported that its pipeline for missionary candidates has 1,200 trainees. This is a significant milestone for Southern Baptists, as the number of missionary candidates in 2019 was 300, according to the IMB press release.

The goal is to always have more than 1,500 applicants in the pipeline. [This is the number of candidates in line prior to the 2016 drawdown (which focused on eliminating 50-year-old missionaries with five years of field experience) under former IMB President David Platt.]

The announcement comes as IMB has suffered an ongoing decline in overseas missionaries for more than two decades, with a significant slide since 2010. IMB reported having 3,527 deployed missionaries (including 126 unpaid “team associates”) on February 28, the lowest number of missionaries on the field since 1983 (3,386), counting only paid personnel (3,401) , or 1984 (3,432) if the 126 “team associates” are counted. In 1985, there were 3,597 missionaries on the field.

Southern Baptists have given generously to abate the shrinking missionary force, donating record amounts to the last three completed Lottie Moon Christmas Offerings: $203.7 million (2021-2022), $177.6 million (2020–21) and $159.5 million (2019–20).

Comments

Editorial

FIRST PERSON: As goes the family, so goes the culture

By Gene Mills, Louisiana Family Forum president BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Public policy matters, especially regarding the health and growth of families, the basic building block of any flourishing society. As we have seen throughout history, as goes the family, so goes the culture. Unfortunately, for too long … Read More

Search

  • Trending
  • Recent
  • Must Read

Recent

PEW study: Thirty percent of Americans consult astrology, tarot cards or fortune tellers

Kay Arthur, Christian author and Bible teacher, dies at 91

PAKISTAN: Bill to curb child marriages passes parliament

Must Read

Foundation Executive Director
Jeffrey Steed to retire

Speaker Johnson to Calvary students:

Live to make an ‘impact’

FIRST PERSON: Silent Saturday

Copyright © 2025 · News Pro Theme 2.1 On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in