The IMB's future according to Rankin

OK, so Jerry Rankin says he doesn't "have the ability to discern the future" in his latest blog, Trends, Trials and Triumph, but he does offer some insight into the IMB's, and missions in general, future.

Cuba will become more open to the world, at which time outside Christian entities will flow into the country claiming a piece of the action and destroy, through patronizing subsidy, one of the most spiritual, authentic movements to Christ we have seen in this generation.

You cannot travel to Central America without bumping into numerous short term mission groups in entry airports. When Cuba opens up, everyone will want to be there. It’s close, cheap, and great PR for mission entities. I’d say Rankin will be right on this and we will ruin it all.

The nature of missions will radically change. There will be increasing and widespread hostility toward a Christian witness. More sophisticated governments are recognizing Americans who venture overseas with presumed humanitarian motives have unwelcome evangelistic agendas. The future missionary must come out of a marketplace ministry; credible global platforms for medical work, education, technology and business consultation must become the channels for sharing the gospel and planting churches.

I’m not sure exactly what this means for the IMB, who does a lot of platform stuff overseas.

The IMB will move from being a missionary-sending agency that screens and vets those worthy of sharing the gospel overseas to become a facilitator for mobilizing the vast resources and potential of Southern Baptists to reach a lost world. The adoption of recommendations for a Great Commission Resurgence is just the beginning of new incentive for a changing denominational structure and revised priorities in the future. Churches will have a heart and commitment for missions as never before; we must serve them and assist them as they send out missionaries and engage the world or be marginalized in our relevance.

I’m not sure what this means either. Rankin blogged earlier about the IMB turning down missionary candidates for various reasons, often angering churches in the process. While I know that the IMB does partner with some large and megachurches on specific projects under certain circumstances, it’s hard for me to envision the IMB moving away from being a sending agency. I’d like to know more.

Will the IMB be in for "radical" change? I don't know.

Jerry Rankin is a hero of mine

I've posted my thoughts about IMB head Jerry Rankin's blogs elsewhere but I'd say again that I believe him to be one of the SBC's outstanding figures of the last 25 years. I certainly believe he has the right perspective on SBC funding matters, the Cooperative Program, lostness and priorities.

Rankin's blog

Concerning the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, he says today:

The recommendations contain very little that will make a difference in the SBC being able to send and support more missionaries and engage the many unreached people groups around the world with the gospel. The recommended shift of 1 percent in CP allocations is a nod in that direction, but speaks as much to the Executive Committee eliminating ministry assignments and return to a basic administrative role on behalf of the Convention.