IMB President Paul Chitwood gave a report from the IMB to more than 11,000 messengers at the 2023 SBC annual meeting in New Orleans. Chitwood asked messengers to think of IMB missionaries “as your own.” IMB Photo

Paul Chitwood speaks with newly appointed missionaries, Tyler and Rachel English. Along with their daughters, Asher (5), Graycen (3), and Wrenley (1), they will serve as missionaries in Guatemala. Tyler grew up on the mission field, and Rachel’s uncles (D.Ray and Daren Davis) serve with the IMB. IMB Photo

Terry Pedigo, IMB staff and a fellow church member of Tyler and Rachel English, prays over the newly appointed missionary couple during a backstage prayer time led by IMB President Paul Chitwood after the Sending Celebration. IMB Photo

A fifth-generation missionary stands with her husband, sharing the testimony of how they were called to South Asia as missionaries. These missionaries’ identities are obscured because some missionaries are called to people groups that may be hostile toward the gospel. For their safety and those they serve among, they are not publicly connected with IMB. In their countries of service, they are generally known by their real names or sometimes by a nickname given to them by local friends. IMB Photo

In college, Natalie Nation realized that God could use her skills and passion for swimming to impact places where few are choosing to follow Christ. She is headed to Yokohama to serve Japanese college students as a swim coach. IMB Photo

Alba Mosquera is fulfilling a call she felt from the Lord in 2008. The former teacher will be using the cross-cultural experience her job and church have given her to share the gospel with Europeans. IMB Photo

“Our hearts ache for the Japanese people, my people,” Hiromi Price said. She and her husband, Rick, are headed back to Japan, this time as missionaries, “so that Heaven will be more crowded with Japanese,” they said. IMB Photo

Saleem and Sue Ellen Bhayani are being appointed as missionaries to France. The Bhayanis are sent by Sugar Land Baptist Church in Sugar Land, Texas. IMB Photo

Tyler and Rachel English, along with their daughters, Asher (5), Graycen (3), and Wrenley (1), will serve as missionaries in Guatemala. Tyler grew up on the mission field, and Rachel’s uncles (D.Ray and Daren Davis) serve with the IMB. IMB Photo

Tyler and Rachel English, along with their daughters, Asher (5), Graycen (3), and Wrenley (1), will serve as missionaries in Guatemala. Tyler grew up on the mission field, and Rachel’s uncles (D.Ray and Daren Davis) serve with the IMB. IMB Photo

The worship team performs as messengers pray for all 52 newly appointed missionaries during a Sending Celebration June 14 at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. IMB Photo

“Every day, 157,690 people will die apart from Christ and spend eternity in hell,” IMB President Paul Chitwood told messengers to the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting June 14. “It’s daunting – maybe even entirely overwhelming to absorb the reality of lostness. The reality of that number is heartbreaking and almost paralyzing. …
Thankfully we do not shoulder that number by ourselves. What we do, we do together, or we do not do it at all.” IMB Photo

Backdropped by a newly revealed International Mission Board logo, IMB President Paul Chitwood addresses messengers to the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif., June 14. IMB Photo

“Every day, 157,690 people will die apart from Christ and spend eternity in hell,” IMB President Paul Chitwood told messengers to the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting June 14. “It’s daunting – maybe even entirely overwhelming to absorb the reality of lostness. The reality of that number is heartbreaking and almost paralyzing. …
Thankfully we do not shoulder that number by ourselves. What we do, we do together, or we do not do it at all.” IMB Photo

Backdropped by a newly revealed International Mission Board logo, IMB President Paul Chitwood addresses messengers to the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif., June 14. IMB Photo

Jonathan and Bethany Derbyshire are headed to Thailand to serve in student ministry. Jonathan grew up as a missionary kid, and his parents are still active missionaries. IMB Photo

Bobby and Brittany Spinks served as short-term missionaries in Hungary. They are returning as career missionaries to a different city in the same country. IMB Photo

Lindsey Ward always knew she was called to missions. For years, she patiently prayed for God to move in the heart of her family and call them to the nations as well. She and her husband, Ben, are headed to Santiago, Chile, taking the gospel to the nations. IMB Photo

Missionaries heading to global areas where security is a concern were shown behind a screen. More than 90 percent of IMB missionary teams actively engage unreached people groups, many in hard-to-reach places where safety and security are daily considerations. IMB President Paul Chitwood speaks in their behalf to messengers at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting. IMB Photo

Megan Brown (front), along with thousands of other messengers to the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting, took the time to pray over the new missionaries during the Sending Celebration before singing a song of blessing over them. IMB Photo