Saturday, May 09, 2009

Should NAMB merge with IMB?


Should the North American Mission Board (NAMB) merge with the International Mission Board (IMB)? In a surprise statement, Tim Patterson, chairman of NAMB, said yes. Read the article here.
He may be right, but I'm not sure. NAMB is a very different animal from IMB. IMB has a simple focus: sending missionaries to other nations and people groups around the world. NAMB is much more diverse, including production of training materials and literature for Men's Ministry and RA's. Also, NAMB coordinates most of its work with local state conventions and associations, jointly funding work with them, whereas IMB sends its missionaries itself, without joint funding (although it cooperates with local national conventions.)
It seems to me that Chairman Patterson should have explored this idea with NAMB president Geoff Hammond and with the other trustees of NAMB before making a public statement such as this. My understanding is that he did not talk to them about his statement, which caught them by surprise. I know that as a pastor, I would not want my chairman of deacons publicly stating that my church should merge with another church, without even talking to me about it first. If I were still a trustee, I would call him on the carpet for making this statement the way he did.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ask him also how much it cost to fly the former presidential search committee and himself to a 2 year anniversary party for the President that only select levels at NAMB were even invited to attend (and contribute for a gift for him).

Anonymous said...

amen to anonymous, Patterson has been part of the problem at NAMB for “overly bureaucratic and bloated agency. Would someone please answer why NAMB is spending over 25 thousand on a video with Mandisa from American Idol. Geoff Hammond and His "Boys" have been unchecked for 2 years now.

Concerned Annie Armstrong supporter