Georgia serves as launching pad for new missionaries being deployed around the world

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Nearly 1,000 people gathered at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta on Sunday for a send-off for 26 new international missionaries, many of whom are going into countries that are hostile to the gospel.

The large turnout isn’t surprising in a state that has long been an ardent supporter of the International Mission Board.

Georgia Baptist Mission Board Executive Director Thomas Hammond said churches in the state have given $91 million in just the past five years through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon offering to support missionaries serving overseas.

Hammond said 294 of IMB’s current missionaries are from Georgia and that another 37 more are in the pipeline to become missionaries.

A Georgia woman who couldn’t be photographed or identified by name because of security concerns was among the IMB’s latest crop of missionaries. She tearfully thanked Georgia Baptists for introducing her to Christ and for sending her out as an international missionary.

“I came to faith while I was in college through Baptist Collegiate Ministries and also while serving at Camp Pinnacle, a missions-minded camp for girls in north Georgia,” she said.

Of the latest group of IMB missionaries, the identifies of 16 had to be withheld because they will be traveling to countries where proclaiming the gospel is forbidden.

“We know we’ve been called to take the gospel to every nation, all tribes people and languages,” IMB President Paul Chitwood said. “So, we’re having to be more creative and more careful regarding how we get missionaries into places and protect them while they’re there. That requires us not to be as public about their names, their homes churches, and where they’re from because of the sensitivities and the risks that they might be thrown out of the country. If they’re thrown out, there’s nobody there to preach the gospel.”

Sunday’s send-off was held in conjunction with the Georgia Baptist Convention’s annual meeting, which runs through Tuesday.

In addition to the Georgia woman, new missionaries whose identities were withheld were from Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

The new missionaries who were identified are Caleb and Trish Spacht from Happy Valley Church in Glendale, Ariz., who will serve in Europe, Jeremiah and Anna Brown from Immanuel Baptist Church in Corbin, Ky., who will serve in Europe, Daniel and Heather Bates of North Wake Church in Wake Forest, N.C., who will serve in Europe; Luke and Leslie Montgomery of Harvey Baptist Church in Stephenville, Texas, who will serve in sub-Saharan Africa, and Clay and Lydia Steelman of Cross City North Church in Trophy Club, Texas, who will serve in sub-Saharan Africa.