Being Faithful in the Task

As we draw close to the month of September and an exciting fall season of ministry, I have taken a few days for prayer, reflection and rest. I’m thankful for the opportunity to recharge and recalibrate before busy, and hopefully productive months ahead. I’ll be back after Labor Day. 

In the midst of reflection about my role in ministry and the work ahead, I received news that Keith Parks passed away earlier this week. Parks was the ninth president of the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board (now the IMB) from 1980 to 1992. He invested 45 years of his life in international missions. He was a member of First Baptist Church, Richardson.

I answered God’s call to vocational ministry during the time of Keith Parks' FMB presidency. At that time, Southern Baptists promoted the Bold Mission Thrust emphasis. The goal was for Southern Baptists to complete the task of sharing the gospel with all nations by the year 2000.

As a student, I learned about SBC entities and those who led them as figures to be admired, for whom to pray, but yet individuals far removed from where I was in the local church and pursuing my call. The vision of Bold Mission Thrust captured my imagination as a young man and played a role in my answering God’s call.

I started serving in pastoral roles in the mid-1980s while controversies and conflict unfolded at the SBC level and eventually at the state convention level in Texas. By the time the year 2000 arrived, I lamented that we were more preoccupied with Y2K and other matters that distracted us from finishing the Great Commission.

Nevertheless, as I pastored churches, I worked to cast a vision for reaching the nations. Eventually, my doctoral research led me in the same direction. I was also honored to serve on the board of BGCT’s WorldconneX, where Keith Parks’ son, Stan, was on staff. His passion and dedication to the mission endeavor were refreshing.

In 2009, I had the privilege of attending a world missions conference in Bogota, Colombia. People from all over the world gathered to get an update on mission advance around the globe and to cast vision for the future.

One afternoon, as I stood outside my hotel to catch a taxi toward the conference venue, I noticed a man close by who was attempting to hail a taxi. I recognized him as Keith Parks. I offered to help with the language, and we ended up riding together to the conference.

Parks was the keynote speaker that evening. As he shared his story, he fanned the missionary fire in conference attendees, including me. The next day, I met his son Kent at the lunch table and learned of his great work.

Needless to say, Keith Parks left a great legacy through his leadership of the FMB, his missiological contributions, his family’s dedication to the Great Commission task and his investment in the mission field.

Since his presidency of the FMB, much has changed in the SBC, in state conventions and in the world. What has not changed is the need for a faithful, consistent, strategic, holistic gospel witness to the nations. We must finish the task!

Several of the missiological concepts that Parks advanced are still relevant today. The focus beyond geopolitical countries to people groups; the concept of mobilizing missionaries from other nations; and the utilization of believers’ professions such as teachers, doctors, businessmen and humanitarian workers in gospel work around the world need to remain part of our strategy today.

As we honor the legacy of mission leaders who have come before us, may Texas Baptists be found faithful in the task the Lord Jesus has given us! That’s why I signed up y’all!