June 30, 2005

DENVER, Colo. – The board of directors of International Ministries (IM) made new commitments to mission partnership and missionary sending at its meeting here this week.

In recent years, IM staff have been developing a mission partnership with leaders of the Baptist Convention of Zambia and with American Baptists who have become directly involved in the life and work of Zambian Baptists. The American Baptist Churches of the South (ABCOTS), under the leadership of Dr. Walter Parrish II, has played a vital role in the development of this partnership, and has established its own Sister Convention relationship with the Zambian convention. The Rev. Eleazar Ziherambere, IM's area director for Africa, said, "It has been a special privilege to help sisters and brothers from Zambia and ABCOTS as they have worked together for the cause of Christ in Africa. I am also very excited to see International Ministries and the Baptist Convention of Zambia deepen and formalize the mission partnership we have been developing for years."

The board of directors also authorized staff of IM to begin screening new candidates for missionary service throughout the world. After a two-year freeze on appointing new missionaries, and after American Baptists' amazing response to the 2004 World Mission Offering, the board expressed its faith that God will continue to move churches to provide the resources needed to move ahead in mission. Charles Jones, IM's acting executive director, noted that all new missionary appointments would function within the Missionary Partnership Networks approach to missionary support that IM began to introduce in 2003. Jones added, "The board and staff of IM are fully committed both to responsible stewardship, and to abound in hope (Romans 15:13), trusting in the Lord who calls us to glorify God in all the earth, by crossing cultural boundaries to make disciples of Jesus Christ."

American Baptist News Service