wfn.org | ABCUSA: International Ministries Advances in Mission

["CHANDLER, David" <David.Chandler@abc-usa.org>]

American Baptist News Service (Denver, Colo. 6/30/05)--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: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA
x2077 / (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org

05ABN70