Quintell Hill, IMB African American church mobilization strategist, uses Luke 8:26-39 to remind listeners to remember the presence, power and plan of God when doing missions.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Amid a flurry of activity across the state ranging from students on spring break to basketball fans enjoying local teams participating in the Final Four, many N.C. Baptists carved out time to attend the annual N.C. Baptist Missions Conference over the weekend.
Baptists on Mission hosted its annual missions conference on April 5-6 at Hickory Grove Baptist Church encouraging attendees to be on mission wherever they live with the theme “Living Sent: Every Christian is a Missionary.”
More than 1,500 attendees participated in worship led by Laura Story, attended some of the nearly 60 different breakout session offerings, heard testimonies by missionaries from all over the world and were encouraged by speakers to live on mission right where they are.
“Every Christian is called to be a missionary and every Christian has a mission field,” said Richard Brunson, Baptists on Mission’s executive director-treasurer. “Wherever you are, you’re at a place that needs to know the love of Jesus.”
This year’s theme was inspired by the book, “Love Where You Live: How to Live Sent in the Place You Call Home” by Shauna Pilgreen. The author took the stage telling the crowd stories from her life of how the Lord has led her to “live sent” in her home city of San Francisco.
“We’re not adding those moments to our day, they’re already happening,” Pilgreen said. “What you and I are trying to figure out is how to join Jesus in those moments in our day. Living sent gives us ongoing investment and highly relational moments.”
Taylor Field, missionary with Send Relief in Black Mountain, N.C., primed the audience for the weekend by using the stories of Jesus feeding the 5,000 and Jesus with the woman at the well to share how living on mission looks different depending on who you are and who you are ministering to. Field said everyone has something to give and to receive.
“There is need and heartbreak in the shadow of every steeple in North Carolina,” Field said.
The Saturday morning plenary session included a testimony from Rebekah Naylor, former International Mission Board (IMB) missionary surgeon, where she shared how living sent has impacted her life.
“There is great joy that can come only in obedience to God’s direction in your life,” Naylor said.
The main speakers for the session were Tom Richter, pastor of First Baptist Church in Cullman, Alabama, and Jeff Iorg, president of Gateway Seminary and president-elect of the SBC Executive Committee.
Richter shared how all sin can be traced back to doubt and that believing on who God really is makes living on mission the most obvious, logical course of action that every Christian will be compelled to take.
“We don’t have a lack of missions problem, we have an obedience problem,” Richter said.
During Iorg’s message, he shared four steps to live like a missionary. They were: accept people as they are; reach people where they are; meet the needs of people as you find them; and share the gospel.
“Living like a missionary means you take to action just like God did to intentionally reach lost people,” Iorg said.
An offering was taken throughout the weekend that will support building a new mobile dental unit and a new health screening unit. Attendees had an opportunity to tour the current units during lunch and breakout sessions. Other breakout sessions featured a chance to see where there are needs and opportunities to “live sent” with Baptists on Mission in the state and around the world.
The conference’s final session included testimonies from Alicia Jones, missionary in Hungary; Mark Richt, former University of Georgia head football coach; and Todd Unzicker, N.C. Baptist executive director-treasurer.
Quintell Hill, IMB African American church mobilization strategist, closed the conference with a message on how believers can live sent because God has already prepared the way for us.
“Because of His presence, because of His power and because of His plan, we as God’s people, truly can be confident as we live sent that He is going to accomplish the work,” Hill said.
Next year’s missions conference will be held March 14-15 at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. To learn more about opportunities to serve with Baptists on Mission, visit baptistsonmission.org.
