COOPERATIVE GIVING:
TAKING THE WHOLE GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE WORLD
– A MISSIONARY’S PERSPECTIVE


The Bible tells us that before the beginning of time, God planned to reveal Himself to us by sending His only Son Jesus into the world. In the face of man’s sin, disobedience, and selfishness that severed man’s relationship with God, God provided the Way back to Himself through Jesus’ death on the cross as a substitution for each of us. Then He raised Jesus from the dead. As a five-year-old child, this Gospel became personal as I recognized my disobedience and believed that Jesus died for my sin and was raised from the dead. I understood that I had to turn away from that disobedience and trust Jesus to save me from my sin and give me life with Him forever. I recall my great joy and excitement and desire to tell others what had happened to me. This is the whole Gospel.

The Bible is from beginning to end a missionary Book. God told Abraham that he and God’s chosen people were to be a blessing to all nations. The prophet Isaiah wrote that God’s servant would bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Jesus then told us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. He commissioned us to go and make disciples of all nations. He commanded us to be witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth. He sent us to teach, preach, and heal. And we are sent even as Jesus was sent from the Father. Surely this mandate is personal for each believer who follows Jesus. But it is also corporate. Jesus established His church to carry on His mission of taking salvation to the ends of the earth.

The Southern Baptist Convention was organized in 1845 with missions being one of the main motivations for its formation. Immediately two mission boards were set up, one for foreign missions and one for domestic missions. The convention structure allowed the denomination to do its work through the boards elected by and responsible to the convention. So the autonomous local churches making up the convention joined together to send missionaries and to support them financially through prayer. In 1888 the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for foreign missions was established. Then in 1925, after the successful Seventy-five Million Campaign, the Cooperative Program was established. For almost a century now, the Cooperative Program has affirmed that we as Southern Baptists work together to take the whole Gospel to the whole world. What could never be accomplished by one church is accomplished by many churches giving together.

As the teenage daughter of a Southern Baptist pastor, God called me very specifically into medical missions. From that time I planned to seek appointment as a Southern Baptist missionary. I am a Baptist, thoroughly convinced or our doctrinal position and our commitment to missions and evangelism. But also important in that choice for appointment was our denominational cooperative system of mission support that results not only in adequate financial support, but, more importantly, in support through prayer by thousands of churches and millions of individuals. My time never had to be given to raising my own support. I realized also that such a large sending agency representing so many churches included leaders with great experience and knowledge in mission strategy. Now, after more than 35 years of missionary service, I remain grateful and proud to be a Southern Baptist missionary.

Yet there are so many billions of people in our 21st century world who have not heard about Jesus. The unfinished task is great as 6,000 people groups are unreached with the Gospel. God is working mightily in many places. Doors are opening – and closing – rapidly. God continues to call laborers. The fields are white for harvest. By giving cooperatively, individuals and churches are enabled to participate directly in God’s mission around the world.

Thank you, Southern Baptists, for giving cooperatively, for praying, and for coming along side your missionary representatives as we take the whole Gospel to the whole world.

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Dr. Rebekah Naylor was born into the loving home of a pastor’s family where her relationship with the Lord was nurtured throughout her formative years. Rebekah’s call to both medicine and missions came at the tender age of thirteen. After graduating from medical school, Rebekah spent over 35 years in India serving the Lord as a surgeon and administrator at Bangalore Baptist Hospital, in addition to teaching at the nursing school that was later named in her honor. Since coming back to the United States in 2002 Rebekah has been teaching at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and Southwestern Theological Seminary, as well as traveling for various speaking engagements and enjoying the Fort Worth Symphony.

Dr. Naylor is one of the speakers for the Women’s Lifestyle Evangelism Conference in 2011. Click here for more information about the Women's Lifestyle Evangelism Conference.