Missions

Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. Amen (Matt. 28:19-20, NKJ).

Article XI of the Baptist Faith & Message discusses the role of missions in the life of a Christian. It says...

XI. Evangelism and Missions

It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.

In 1925, the Southern Baptist Convention established the Cooperative Program. The Cooperative Program - CP Missions - enables all Southern Baptists to work together to support missions efforts world-wide.

Through the International Mission Board, Southern Baptists support 4,946 missionaries in 153 different countries. There were 451,000 new believers baptized in 2000 outside of North America.

Southern Baptist's support of CP Missions allowed the North American Mission Board to send out 5,081 missionaries in 2007 and help start over 1,700 new churches. Approximately 415,000 people were baptized in 2007 as a result of individual Southern Baptists church's like Taylor Road.