I need your help. Students are constantly asking me the best websites for Bible study and sermon preparation. I also assign them to watch videos of expository sermons, so they also need websites where they can find them. So I thought I would just throw this open and ask for your help. Could you please comment and let me know your favorite sites that you use for any of the above?
One other thing. I LOVE good humor, but I am asking for serious responses to this one. Save funny links for another post.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Exploding Myths and Accusations about IMB Missionary Attrition Rates
Last week one commenter made the charge that “whole teams of missionaries in western Europe are leaving because of the actions of John Floyd and the [Board of Trustees].” Does this charge of missionaries abandoning their calling and leaving the field due to policy changes and board issues stand up to scrutiny? Let’s lay aside all the histrionics, drama, and innuendo and examine the hard data.
The International Mission Board had 5108 missionaries active on December 31, 2006. The board added 844 during the year. Simultaneously, we lost 680 missionaries during the year. Of those, 70 were retirements and 367 were “completions,” meaning that missionaries who had signed up for a specific term of service fulfilled their obligation and their term of appointment ended. Interestingly, of those who completed their assignments, 93 had returned to active duty by the end of the year. The categories of retirement and completions comprise “expected losses.” In addition to those expected losses, we suffered 243 “unexpected” losses, also known as “attrition.” That means that by December 31, 2007, we had a net gain of 163 missionaries on the field for a total of 5,271 active missionaries.
Now let’s look at those 243 missionaries who attrited (how’s that for a great verb?). I should mention that of the 243 who attrited, 4 were terminated and one died, so we are actually talking about 238 who made an independent decision to leave the field. Our IMB staff do a great job of debriefing and learning the reasons units return through interviews and written record. They record every reason given when a unit attrits. The top five reasons for attrition are telling. The top reason missionaries left the field was to accept a stateside job. Laying aside my disdain for churches and conventions who recruit active missionary personnel, I understand that sometimes missionaries feel a kingdom pull to serve stateside and encourage others. Nearly one-third (30.5% or 74 units) listed this as their reason for leaving the field. 23.9% said they experienced a change of calling. 15.6% had MK (missionary kid) matters that required them to return to the states. 12.8%, or 31 missionaries, said their reasons were work related. 9.9%, or 24 missionaries, listed interpersonal conflict as a reason. Keep in mind that rarely is a single factor responsible for attrition. Usually a matrix of facts comes into play. Consequently missionaries often listed more than one factor for their return home.
But let’s continue looking at the remaining data. 24 missionaries (9.9%) attrited because of stateside family issues such as ailing parents. The remainder of the issues listed are as follows.
Personality and Personal Concerns--22 (9.1%)
Personal and Physical Health--15 (6.2%)
Singleness-- 15 (6.2%)
Emotional and Mental Health-- 12 (4.9%)
Unclear Reasons -- 11 (4.5%)
Spousal Issue -- 9 (3.7%)
Field Adjustment-- 8 (3.3%)
Lifestyle and Moral Issues-- 8 (3.3%)
Living Conditions -- 8 (3.3%)
Marital and Immediate Family Concerns --8 (3.3%)
IMB Organization-- 4 (1.6%)
Spiritual Life -- 2 (0.8%)
Financial-- 1 (0.4%)
Language and Cross-Cultural Communication-- 1 (0.4%)
SBC Issues 1 (0.4%)
Several things bear comment here. First of all, the IMB has an incredibly low attrition rate. Though I do not have access to the stats from counterpart mission agencies, I am assured by IMB staff that our rate is among the lowest of all evangelical mission agencies. The other glaring fact is that only one missionary listed SBC issues as his/her reason for leaving. Put another way, eight times as many IMB missionaries left the field for moral reasons as for SBC concerns. That hardly supports the accusation that whole teams are resigning and returning home.
After looking at the factors of attrition for last year, let’s take an overall look at the last fifteen. Here are the overall attrition rates for 1993-2007.
Interestingly, the attrition rate has actually declined since the IMB passed the policies on baptism and private prayer language that some people find controversial. Another way of putting it is that the attrition rate has dropped since John Floyd became chairman of the IMB. Now, do I think Dr. Floyd can or should take credit for that? Of course not. But I think it just as foolish when some critics of his or of the board simplistically blame the board or Dr. Floyd when missionaries leave.
The truth is both more complicated and more encouraging than that. Missionaries are, as a rule of thumb, hardy souls with adventurous spirits. Just this morning a dear missionary friend, Dr. John Hatcher, left our home after spending Sunday with us. His son, David, is one of my closest and dearest friends. John Hatcher has been in Brazil since 1955. He once buried an infant son in a cardboard box in the little village of Faro on the Amazon. He has planted 70 churches. He will never retire. He will most likely die in Brazil where he has planted his life. Do I think for a moment that discouragement over his mission board’s policies could bring him home? No, and neither do I think that a missionary called by God and sent by the IMB will get so dismayed by a policy that the board sets for new missionaries that he or she will forsake that calling and return.
I do not doubt that some missionaries disagree with certain board policies whether they be about private prayer languages, drinking alcohol, using tobacco, or the prohibition on having a swimming pool. Similarly, I receive email from many who tell me they appreciate those policies. I can’t speak for any of them, pro or con. But the point is this: whether they like or dislike certain policies, they don’t forsake their calling over it. They have a genuine sense of loyalty and love for the denomination that sent them and supports them with prayer and resources, and they serve like the true men and women of God that they are. Like any family, we do the best we know to do and love each other across our differences. We do not apologize for being genuinely and thoroughly Baptist. Lots of other organizations are broader in their doctrinal definitions and less careful in their policies. Missionaries who went to the field as Southern Baptists are not shocked by our commitment to send Baptist missionaries who plant Baptist churches.
Our policies are not perfect, to be sure, but they are a good faith effort to be true to our understanding of Scripture and to maintain faith with the Baptist churches who cooperate to support our great missionaries. The Board of Trustees exists to aid, encourage, and support those missionaries. God being my helper, I will be faithful to that task so that our attrition rates might drop even further and we might maintain the world’s greatest missionary force.
The International Mission Board had 5108 missionaries active on December 31, 2006. The board added 844 during the year. Simultaneously, we lost 680 missionaries during the year. Of those, 70 were retirements and 367 were “completions,” meaning that missionaries who had signed up for a specific term of service fulfilled their obligation and their term of appointment ended. Interestingly, of those who completed their assignments, 93 had returned to active duty by the end of the year. The categories of retirement and completions comprise “expected losses.” In addition to those expected losses, we suffered 243 “unexpected” losses, also known as “attrition.” That means that by December 31, 2007, we had a net gain of 163 missionaries on the field for a total of 5,271 active missionaries.
Now let’s look at those 243 missionaries who attrited (how’s that for a great verb?). I should mention that of the 243 who attrited, 4 were terminated and one died, so we are actually talking about 238 who made an independent decision to leave the field. Our IMB staff do a great job of debriefing and learning the reasons units return through interviews and written record. They record every reason given when a unit attrits. The top five reasons for attrition are telling. The top reason missionaries left the field was to accept a stateside job. Laying aside my disdain for churches and conventions who recruit active missionary personnel, I understand that sometimes missionaries feel a kingdom pull to serve stateside and encourage others. Nearly one-third (30.5% or 74 units) listed this as their reason for leaving the field. 23.9% said they experienced a change of calling. 15.6% had MK (missionary kid) matters that required them to return to the states. 12.8%, or 31 missionaries, said their reasons were work related. 9.9%, or 24 missionaries, listed interpersonal conflict as a reason. Keep in mind that rarely is a single factor responsible for attrition. Usually a matrix of facts comes into play. Consequently missionaries often listed more than one factor for their return home.
But let’s continue looking at the remaining data. 24 missionaries (9.9%) attrited because of stateside family issues such as ailing parents. The remainder of the issues listed are as follows.
Personality and Personal Concerns--22 (9.1%)
Personal and Physical Health--15 (6.2%)
Singleness-- 15 (6.2%)
Emotional and Mental Health-- 12 (4.9%)
Unclear Reasons -- 11 (4.5%)
Spousal Issue -- 9 (3.7%)
Field Adjustment-- 8 (3.3%)
Lifestyle and Moral Issues-- 8 (3.3%)
Living Conditions -- 8 (3.3%)
Marital and Immediate Family Concerns --8 (3.3%)
IMB Organization-- 4 (1.6%)
Spiritual Life -- 2 (0.8%)
Financial-- 1 (0.4%)
Language and Cross-Cultural Communication-- 1 (0.4%)
SBC Issues 1 (0.4%)
Several things bear comment here. First of all, the IMB has an incredibly low attrition rate. Though I do not have access to the stats from counterpart mission agencies, I am assured by IMB staff that our rate is among the lowest of all evangelical mission agencies. The other glaring fact is that only one missionary listed SBC issues as his/her reason for leaving. Put another way, eight times as many IMB missionaries left the field for moral reasons as for SBC concerns. That hardly supports the accusation that whole teams are resigning and returning home.
After looking at the factors of attrition for last year, let’s take an overall look at the last fifteen. Here are the overall attrition rates for 1993-2007.
1993 -- 3.7%
1994 --3.8%
1995 --4.7%
1996 --4.4%
1997 --3.8%
1998 --3.6%
1999 --5.3%
2000 --5.1%
2001 -- 5.1%
2002 --5.2%
2003 --5.2%
2004 --5.0%
2005 --5.2%
2006 --4.3%
2007 --4.4%
Interestingly, the attrition rate has actually declined since the IMB passed the policies on baptism and private prayer language that some people find controversial. Another way of putting it is that the attrition rate has dropped since John Floyd became chairman of the IMB. Now, do I think Dr. Floyd can or should take credit for that? Of course not. But I think it just as foolish when some critics of his or of the board simplistically blame the board or Dr. Floyd when missionaries leave.
The truth is both more complicated and more encouraging than that. Missionaries are, as a rule of thumb, hardy souls with adventurous spirits. Just this morning a dear missionary friend, Dr. John Hatcher, left our home after spending Sunday with us. His son, David, is one of my closest and dearest friends. John Hatcher has been in Brazil since 1955. He once buried an infant son in a cardboard box in the little village of Faro on the Amazon. He has planted 70 churches. He will never retire. He will most likely die in Brazil where he has planted his life. Do I think for a moment that discouragement over his mission board’s policies could bring him home? No, and neither do I think that a missionary called by God and sent by the IMB will get so dismayed by a policy that the board sets for new missionaries that he or she will forsake that calling and return.
I do not doubt that some missionaries disagree with certain board policies whether they be about private prayer languages, drinking alcohol, using tobacco, or the prohibition on having a swimming pool. Similarly, I receive email from many who tell me they appreciate those policies. I can’t speak for any of them, pro or con. But the point is this: whether they like or dislike certain policies, they don’t forsake their calling over it. They have a genuine sense of loyalty and love for the denomination that sent them and supports them with prayer and resources, and they serve like the true men and women of God that they are. Like any family, we do the best we know to do and love each other across our differences. We do not apologize for being genuinely and thoroughly Baptist. Lots of other organizations are broader in their doctrinal definitions and less careful in their policies. Missionaries who went to the field as Southern Baptists are not shocked by our commitment to send Baptist missionaries who plant Baptist churches.
Our policies are not perfect, to be sure, but they are a good faith effort to be true to our understanding of Scripture and to maintain faith with the Baptist churches who cooperate to support our great missionaries. The Board of Trustees exists to aid, encourage, and support those missionaries. God being my helper, I will be faithful to that task so that our attrition rates might drop even further and we might maintain the world’s greatest missionary force.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Pictures of Seth's and Candace's Wedding
A few pictures of Seth's and Candace's wedding are available on Kari McGrath's blog. I can't wait to see all of them, but I like the one of Tanya and me with our son and his bride.
My favorite, though, has to be this photo of the groomsmen just as they were being raptured.
My nephew, John Mark, barely three inches off the ground, is obviously either not as sanctified as the others, or else still feeling the effects of the parasite he picked up on his trip to India from which he had just returned less than 48 hours earlier.
My favorite, though, has to be this photo of the groomsmen just as they were being raptured.
My nephew, John Mark, barely three inches off the ground, is obviously either not as sanctified as the others, or else still feeling the effects of the parasite he picked up on his trip to India from which he had just returned less than 48 hours earlier.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Congratulations to Southern Baptists
I congratulate Southern Baptists on the election of Dr. Paul Chitwood as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Mission Board. Not only is Paul my dear friend, but he is a proven and effective leader, capable of listening to various perspectives and making good decisions. Paul had a great year as President of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and he has earned the respect of his fellow trustees and IMB staff during his years on the board. He was appropriately elected by acclamation along with Simon Tsoi as First VP, Mike Smith as Second VP, and Debbie Brunson as secretary.
This meeting concluded my first year as a trustee, but it was easily the most productive and focused so far. Absent some of the drama of the past, we appointed 92 missionaries, conducted the business of the Kingdom, heard encouraging reports from our President, Vice-Presidents, and Chairman. Committees conducted their business, always respectful in disagreement as well as unanimity.
I am excited about Southern Baptist Missions and our mission force. As outgoing chairman John Floyd stated, "Our best days are ahead."
More later.
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