THE INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD
of the
Southern Baptist Convention

MISSION

The International Mission Board exists to assist the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention to be on mission with God in penetrating the unevangelized world outside the United States and Canada with the gospel and making Christ known among all people.

MINISTRIES

1.   Assist churches by evangelizing persons, planting Baptist churches, and nurturing church planting movements among all people groups outside the United States and Canada; and, provide specialized, defined and agreed upon assistance to the North American Mission Board in assisting churches to reach unreached and underserved people groups within the United States and Canada.
Develop and maintain a systematic strategy for gospel proclamation and planting churches that will result in the rapid reproduction and multiplication of local indigenous congregations that will make the gospel accessible to all persons among every ethno-linguistic people group; assist national conventions and unions in providing programs of discipleship and leadership training; develop and distribute relevant electronic and print media that support evangelism and church planting, and facilitate the translation and distribution of the Bible, Scripture portions, and other materials in indigenous languages.

2.   Assist churches in sending and supporting Southern Baptist missionaries and volunteers by enlisting, equipping, and enabling them to fulfill their calling.
Enlist, appoint, equip, and provide support for God-called Southern Baptist missionaries to serve in long-term and short-term channels of service who give evidence of piety, zeal for their Master’s kingdom, conviction of truth as held by Southern Baptists and giftedness for cross-cultural witness; inform, promote, and provide opportunities for Southern Baptist volunteers to assist in the ministries of the International Mission Board through projects of various duration, and provide resources and materials for training and equipping these volunteers.

3.   Assist churches and partners to mobilize Southern Baptists to be involved in international missions through praying, giving, and going.
Inform, challenge, and work in partnership with local churches, associations, state conventions, and other SBC entities to enable Southern Baptists to fulfill the Great Commission overseas by facilitating involvement in prayer strategies, encouraging generous and sacrificial giving to missions through the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and promoting channels for volunteer and missionary service.

4.   Assist churches in fulfilling their international missions task by developing global strategies, including human needs based ministries, and providing leadership, administrative support, and financial accountability for implementation of these strategies.
Provide and maintain an organizational structure and support staff with appropriate leadership and financial management that are designed to implement a comprehensive program to reach the whole world with the gospel through direct evangelism and creative access platform ministries; utilize hospitals, clinics, community health, agricultural, and other development programs, hunger relief and disaster response to meet human needs and share the gospel.

RELATIONSHIPS

The International Mission Board will work within the Southern Baptist Convention entity relationship guidelines approved by the Great Commission Council and the Executive Committee and printed in the Organization Manual of the Southern Baptist Convention.

First ministry statement approved by the Southern Baptist Convention June 20, 1995. See SBC Annual 1995, p. 46 and pp. 165-173. Amended June 17, 2003.  See SBC Annual 2003, pp.50-51. Amended June 14, 2011.  See SBC Annual 2011, pp. 62-64.

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