Missionary Appointment Service

Last night, the trustees of the IMB concluded their meetings with a wonderful commissioning service for 92 newly-appointed missionaries. My wife and I took four members of our church along on the two-hour drive to First Baptist Church in Sunnyvale to attend the service.

While showering early this morning before coming to work I realized something major. I was the unofficial chaperone on the trip to Sunnyvale, Texas to see and hear my first ever Missionary Appointment Service. I was the elder in the van. The van should have made me feel younger since it rattled as much as the yellow bird that took me to school a few years ago. I sat on the back seat again, defying anyone who thought I could not crawl over the wheel hump and through the narrow space to get there. Actually, there was room for three of us to have seats to ourselves and I knew it would be good to stretch out on the way home. Stretching out was good but the van noise and lack of insulation in the flooring and asphalt on the highway did not allow any real sleep. Pastor’s children were spending the night with substitute grandparents so I hollered out, “Are we there yet?” frequently so he and his wife would not miss them too much.

Sunnyvale First Baptist is a very beautiful church. It has everything you would need to make a bunch of Southern Baptists happy; plenty of clean restrooms, comfortable seating, visual aids and because of its arrangement, there were lots of back row seats. A friend of our pastor saved us seats on row nine in the center aisle (that never has happened to me at a Paul McCartney concert). There was a huge choir loft hanging above the lower band level. Flags of the nations where we have missionaries were hung or stood all around the pulpit area. Just pondering that was an awesome thing.

Then the choir came in, dressed in their everyday clothes; not the robes you might have expected. They looked and sounded radiant and it was contagious for everyone, even those with voices like mine, not that I heard any like mine. Our musically gifted pastor and his wife were rising on their toes as the choir and congregation sang the same beautiful songs we sing in our little church. But, there was a difference. Everyone was there for a wonderful purpose and that was to witness the appointment and dedication of these 92 special people. They marched in later as couples and singles. They were young and they were old. They were of various colors, heights and weights and walks of life. Some knew as little children that this day would come, and others testified that it had been an emotional struggle for one or both involved. When they introduced themselves in a brief few words some of them cried and some of us did, also. It was a very touching event to witness.

Throughout the evening the choir of 75-100 and we praised God for all that was happening. There were lifted hands sprinkled throughout, as well as many over hearts at special moments individually felt.

We were welcomed by Sunnyvale’s pastor, Charles Wilson, challenged by SBC President Frank Page, updated by Gordon Fort, reported to by John Floyd and charged by IMB president Jerry Rankin. I am not just name-dropping; they were there. An IMB trustee, from Texas of course, led us in a prayer of dedication for the new missionaries. When the missionary altar call was issued, those who went forward were…children and youth. At least, that is who I saw. And, isn’t that the way we should go for God, as little children? I thought of my Sunday School class and wondered if there was a missionary among them. We must pray for that now. That may be what my part is. I will look at them even closer Sunday morning. They all seem to have the loving hearts for it. Maybe someday I will go to a commissioning service for one of them. Would that I could.

After a closing prayer by Bob Dean, Executive Director of Dallas Baptist Association, we loaded back up on the TBC war wagon. I am thankful for our clean, efficient machine and would have been even more thankful 40 years ago when I was in high school. I will not mention that pastor follows less than three car lengths behind other vehicles or a few other things. He got us there and back with lots of technical help and I appreciated him very much.

He asked us what we thought of the service. I could not put all my thoughts together then. I had to wait till this morning in the shower.

Thank you for taking us, Bro. Wes. We love and appreciate you, even if that dude from California does not think so.

Sharon