Chapter 2
The Potential

In World War II the entire nation was mobilized for the war effort as industry, government and every family participated in some way to support the soldiers who actually went to the front lines. What could happen if we developed a similar strategy of mobilization and if all of us saw our task as multiplying our potential through all the resources God has made available within our denomination?

When the alarm sounds in a volunteer fire department, the person on duty doesn’t try to go and put out the fire; his first responsibility is to mobilize the community to respond to the crisis. Missionaries must see their role not as limited to their field assignments—diligently doing all one can do personally—but as one of mobilizing the resources and potential of all Southern Baptists and other Great Commission partners in reaching a lost world.

A MOBILIZATION PARADIGM

Based on the potential resources
of the entire denomination

rather than the organizational limitations of the IMB

Accelerates a transformational
impact on a lost world

rather than incremental statistical growth

A God-sized vision

rather than man-sized goals

The results of a “mobilization paradigm” would be based on the potential resources of the entire denomination and other Great Commission partners rather than the organizational limitations and resources of the IMB. It would accelerate making a transformational impact on a lost world rather than being content with incremental statistical growth. It would be a God-sized vision rather than one driven by man-sized goals.

Arbitrary goals are not the point, as goals could not contain the potential results of a fully mobilized denomination. What could this mean? What if all Southern Baptists and every denominational entity would have God’s heart for the nations and become truly committed to fulfilling the Great Commission as we enter the 21st century?

It would not be unrealistic that 0.1 of 1 percent of Southern Baptists could respond to God’s call to go as missionaries—that would be 16,000 missionaries! It is not unrealistic that 10 percent of financial resources could be allocated to global evangelism—that would mean a budget of approximately $750 million. If an average of only five volunteers from each church were enlisted each year, there would be 200,000 Southern Baptists exposed to the needs of a lost world and reinforcing the efforts of missionaries and national churches. The result would be every church interceding for the nations and calling out the laborers to get the job done.

Arbitrary Goals are NOT the Point—
The Impact of a Fully Mobilized Denomination IS!

It can happen but not by continuing traditional approaches of promotion and strategies. We must not be driven to reach certain goals but by faith seek to be obedient to God and all that He wants to do through His people. The results will far exceed what we could possibly imagine.

The IMB must cease being a funnel and become a facilitator. Each missionary, instead of asking, “What can I do in my assignment?” must ask, “What will it take?” We must be driven by a passionate vision that does not look at the challenges, the problems, the risks and the obstacles saying “Why bother?” but one that looks with a heart for God that says “Why not?”

We already are experiencing a groundswell of mobilization and involvement. There is greater awareness of how God is at work around the world and an increased priority being given to missions among churches and throughout the denomination. Responding to the interest and desire of individuals and churches to get involved is already stretching our staff in Richmond.

No one else is going to do it. If our denomination is to be mobilized, we must catch the vision and make the effort; it is no one else’s primary agenda or priority among Southern Baptists. The International Mission Board must focus on practical strategies that will capitalize on this momentum to involve all Southern Baptists and channel the resources into our missions task.

God’s heart and desire is that all the peoples of the world would know His salvation and worship Him. Our task is to reach the whole world and give all people an opportunity to hear, understand and respond to the gospel in their own cultural contexts. That includes reaching 1 billion Muslims, over 800 million Hindus, Buddhists, animists and secular humanists, as well as multitudes of cultural Catholics and other nominal Christians who have never experienced God’s saving grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

The challenge of the Great Commission includes 238 nations and 12,862 people groups, 2,161 in World A which had not even had access to the gospel a few years ago. Our target is a world of 6 billion people (1.7 billion in World A) and more than 8,600 languages. How many missionaries would be required, working with overseas Baptist partners and other Great Commission Christians, to get the job done?

Our current ratio is one missionary unit for approximately 2.8 million people. What could happen if our strategies went beyond our own limitations and included a vision for mobilizing Southern Baptists and the potential resources of our denomination? Could the number of missionaries be tripled to over 15,000 and financial resources multiplied?

Could channels of involvement be provided for thousands of churches and volunteers who would assume responsibility for segments of our world and partner with our mission teams? What would happen if Southern Baptists became knowledgeable of the peoples of the world, responsive to be on mission with God and fully involved in our Great Commission task?

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