IMB President Paul Chitwood honors Gayle Stanley, his administrative assistant who is retiring from IMB with 43 years of service, during trustees’ meeting near Richmond, Va., as trustee chair Carol Pfeiffer looks on. – IMB Photo
CHESTER, Va.—International Mission Board trustees approved 54 fully funded missionaries for appointment during their Sept. 24-25 meeting near Richmond, Virginia. The missionaries approved for appointment were recognized during a Sending Celebration on Wednesday evening at Ironbridge Baptist Church in Chester, Virginia.
Willie Smith, second vice chair, opened Thursday’s plenary session in prayer. This meeting concluded the two-day gathering of trustees during which the board appointed missionaries, remembered the lives of former missionaries and staff who died in 2024, and welcomed new trustees. Carol Pfeiffer, elected chair of the board in May, presided over the meeting.
The plenary session included the approval of a total balanced budget for 2025-26 of $314,066,700.
New IMB trustee Robert Watson and his wife, Dianne, from Mississippi, talk with Charlotte Madison, trustee from Alabama, during the IMB board meeting held near Richmond, Virginia, Sept. 24-25. – IMB Photo
New IMB trustees, who were elected at the SBC annual meeting in June, participated in orientation at IMB’s home office. Trustees beginning their terms of service and representing their states or regional conventions include: Gerald Franks, Colorado; Robin Frick, Northwest; Dan Spencer, Tennessee; Glenn Steen, South Carolina; Rondie Taylor, Wyoming; and Robert Watson, Mississippi.
President’s Report
IMB President Paul Chitwood began his report to the trustees by acknowledging the 54 newly appointed missionaries and affirming growth in leadership development. He recognized new affinity group leaders, as well as vice presidents Jacob Boss and Jim Madison, who were selected to new roles this year. Leadership development has been a major goal for the IMB since Chitwood became president.
“That all these men were already serving with the IMB gives evidence to the leadership pipeline that is quickly developing within our organization,” Chitwood said. He also noted that with an organization like the IMB, continued efforts to strengthen leadership “requires a lifetime of honing skills, making sacrifices, and growing in wisdom.”
Chitwood asked trustees to join him in celebrating the service of Gayle Stanley, who is retiring after 43 years of service with the IMB. Stanley has served as Chitwood’s administrative assistant since he became IMB president seven years ago. She has also served as assistant recording secretary of the board.
“In my 32 years of ministry, she has been the most knowledgeable, conscientious, intuitive, and dedicated administrative assistant I’ve known,” he said before addressing Stanley. “Thank you for not just caring about your job and this organization, thank you for caring about me.” Trustees expressed gratitude through a standing ovation.
Chitwood turned his report to positive financial news for the IMB.
Ikaika Higa, IMB trustee from Hawaii, sings the hymn “He Leadeth Me” in his heart language with a ukulele for the trustees’ Sept. 25 plenary session near Richmond, Virginia. – IMB Photo
“As we wrap up the current fiscal year early next week,” he said, “I’m pleased to be able to report to you that the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® for International Missions just this week crossed $200 million for only the third time in IMB history. Despite market swings, economic uncertainties, and a presidential election, Southern Baptists have been faithful to support the nearly 3,600 missionaries and 3,000 missionary kids in the IMB family, and I’m grateful.”
The total 2024-25 Lottie Moon offering total will be available mid-October.
The number of missionary applicants continues to rise, Chitwood told trustees, with 1,627 applicants in the pipeline. This number represents the dedication of pastors and churches calling out those called to the mission field. The increase of applicants also represents the challenge for Southern Baptists to give even more generously toward missionary support through gifts to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
Chitwood addressed the threat of the decline in Cooperative Program giving.
“Let me bring to focus the extent of that reality,” he said. “In 2016, CP receipts to IMB were almost $99 million. That $99 million is worth approximately $130 million in today’s dollars. This year, CP receipts are estimated to be approximately $93 million. So, when accounting for inflation, our CP receipts have declined almost $40 million, a loss of 30%.”
Chitwood then listed three reasons why he is able to make the case that IMB is actually in a stronger financial position today, than it was in 2016:
• modest growth in the Lottie Moon offering;
• significant efforts and innovations to increase efficiencies and stretch every dollar; and
• IMB’s strategy to leverage total resources.
“But even IMB resources have their limits, a dollar can only be stretched so far, and Lottie must grow faster,” he said. “So, again, the challenge is for Southern Baptists to even more generously support their overseas missionaries through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions.”
He continued his report by highlighting significant money-saving and mission-advancing innovations. Chitwood referenced IMB’s Innovation Team as being on the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence into mission work, leveraging it to multiply impact, reduce costs, and free missionaries for the work that matters most — engaging lostness.
“We developed Faithbot.io, a tool that always responds with biblical insights, and engagelostness.faithbot.io, which helps believers practice sharing the gospel across diverse worldviews with coaching and feedback,” Chitwood reported. “We are also harnessing AI for large-scale translation. Beyond tools and translation, we have implemented AI-driven automations that relieve missionaries from repetitive administrative burdens, allowing more focus on frontline ministry.”
Chitwood referenced more complex innovative tools that could positively affect the daily and long-term work of the IMB. “Simply put, across the board, technology is allowing us to do more of all we do in our mission to get the gospel to the lost, and to do it faster, more efficiently, and with greater effectiveness,” he said.
“The need for more resources for a growing mission force means the IMB must capitalize on opportunity amidst competition,” Chitwood emphasized.
He acknowledged that Southern Baptists are giving large amounts of money to non-SBC relief organizations, compassion ministries, missionary sending organizations, and church networks.
“While there is no way to accurately measure the IMB’s loss of market share, we can readily observe three things: 1) Southern Baptists aren’t broke; 2) Southern Baptists have not lost their heart for the nations and their desire to make a difference in the world; 3) Southern Baptist pastors and churches want to feel like they are valued by their partners. All of that, along with the fact that the IMB is still here and is the best missionary sending organization in existence, is why I am incredibly optimistic about our future.”
Chitwood closed by expressing his gratefulness to Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg, who made two commitments at last week’s SBC Executive Committee meeting in Nashville. Iorg reiterated that the $3 million priority CP allocation for the Executive Committee’s legal expenses will only be used after the $3 million loan for the same purpose is exhausted and if the SBC building has not sold. Chitwood said that since more than half of that $3 million is designated to the IMB, he was grateful for that reassurance.
Iorg also indicated his intent to raise the IMB’s CP allocation in the 2026-27 budget to 51%. Southern Baptist Convention messengers voted in 2010 for IMB’s percentage of CP to grow to 51%, but the percentage has not gone above 50.41%.
In Memoriam
Todd Lafferty, IMB executive vice president, honors 111 former staff and emeritus missionaries, who died in 2024. Here, he recognizes Shirley Clark, who, at 105, was the oldest emeritus recognized during the plenary session of IMB trustees. – IMB Photo
IMB Executive Vice President Todd Lafferty led a time of remembrance for the lives of 111 emeritus and active colleagues who died in 2024. One active staff member, Minh Ha Nguyen, was honored for his life of faithfulness and service. Nguyen worked in global research and was director of gift care and data stewardship at the time of his death. He served the IMB for 23 years.
Ninety-two emeritus missionaries were remembered in the tribute. Their years of service totaled 2,718 years, for an average of 29 years of service. Their average age at time of death was 94 years.
Among others who served faithfully, the following were recognized as having terms of service for 35 or more years: Joyce Wright, age 96, served 35 years in Thailand; Wayne Emanuel, age 94, served 37 years in Japan; Bobby Spear, age 95, served 38 years in Thailand; Joe Tarry, age 88, served 36 years in Brazil; Bradley Brown, age 88, served 35 years in Liberia; Anita Roper, age 96, served 38 years in Nigeria; Rebecca McKinley, age 94, served 36 years in Zimbabwe; Brenda Ringer, age 75, served 35 years in Thailand; Donna Bobby, age 75, served 35 years in Chile; and Ted Lindwall, age 93, served 36 years in Guatemala and Panama.
Retired staff whose lives were remembered, among others, included: Clyde Meador, who served as a field missionary and on staff for more than 45 years, was IMB executive vice president for 12 years, and twice served as interim IMB president; Leland Webb who served for 30 years as editor and department director of The COMMISSION magazine; Annie Edwards, who served for 38 years in media services; Elinor Dark, who served 31 years as a medical specialist; Lewis Myers, who served as a field missionary and on staff for 38 years, retiring as an IMB vice president; and Marilyn Glazebrook, who served for 38 years in customer service.
Sacha Hasenyager, recording secretary, closed the meeting in prayer.
The next trustee meeting will be Feb. 4-5, 2026, at First Baptist Church, Rogers, Arkansas.
