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PHOENIX—Tom Elliff believes it’s time to stop talking about the estimated 3,800 unengaged and unreached people groups (UPGs), preferring instead to get the ball rolling this summer at the annual Southern Baptist Convention meeting June 14-15 in Phoenix.
Although he’s happy the staff of the International Mission Board has developed all the pieces necessary to fully engage all UPGs, the new IMB president admits “some assembly is required.”
“We’re going to put these pieces together and by the grace of God, beginning with this year’s convention, within 12 months we pray that at least 3,800 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention would cowboy up,” Elliff stated after taking office in March. He said he hopes to hear those churches say “we are going to strategize, we’re going to pray, and we’re going to do everything we can with the ultimate goal of seeing that there are boots on the ground among those people.”
Asking trustees to take a minute to ponder the possibility, Elliff said, “Should Jesus grant us the days, by the 2012 meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention we would be able to say that to the best of our knowledge every people group on this globe has some church committed to take specific steps.”
If such a partnership between SBC churches and IMB were to occur, Elliff said “God might be inclined to bring spiritual awakening to our nation that we so desperately need and ultimately that the gospel would be proclaimed to every nation, every people, and to the uttermost.”
Kevin Ezell, new president of the North American Mission Board, will lead a similar charge to reach North America when he brings his first report to the annual SBC meeting.
“My vision for the Southern Baptist Convention is that we would have a larger percentage of our churches adopting unreached people groups,” he told the Florida Baptist Witness last month. “If we can get our churches to serve locally, plant nationally, and adopt a people group internationally, we will be revitalized like never before.”
NAMB will be “very honest with Southern Baptists on where we are and where we need to be,” he told the Witness. “Defining reality has to happen in order for us to know where we are so that we know where we need to go,” he said.
NAMB’s new “Send North America” strategy will be launched during the Phoenix meeting.
SBC President Bryant Wright encouraged this year’s Committee on Order of Business to give greater prominence to a Great Commission emphasis, offering missionary commissioning services by both IMB and NAMB. He has invited Elliff and Ezell to join him at a news conference on Tuesday of the meeting to address the renewed Great Commission focus.
