New Leadership
International Ministries has called the Reverend Sharon T. Koh as Executive Director to begin at the end of August when IM Executive Director Dr. Reid Trulson retires. Reverend Koh now serves as senior associate pastor of the Evergreen Baptist Church in Los Angeles where she has served since 2004. Koh was born to missionary parents in Singapore where her parents worked with Campus Crusade; she has also lived in the Philippines, Korea, and the United States. She received degrees at Westmont College and Fuller Seminary. In her current position, Koh provides leadership, especially in the area of cross-cultural mission outreach, both locally and globally, and nurtures the congregation’s growth in discipleship through small groups and teaching ministries. According to Dr. Trulson, ”Sharon Koh brings a love of Jesus, a sensitivity to the Spirit, and a knowledgeable commitment to the mission of God that will enable her to give wise and creative guidance to IM in the years ahead.”
The Home Mission Society called Dr. Jeffrey Haggray as Executive Director to work with national and regional American Baptist-related organizations to provide a clear vision of mission, cultivate relationships, and develop resources for transformational ministry with congregations, communities, and regions across the United States and Puerto Rico. For twenty years, Dr. Haggray served as pastor to congregations in New Jersey, Washington D.C., and Georgia including leading the Washington D.C. Baptist Convention for nearly a decade, which has provided him with a broad perspective about ministry. “The USA is a strategic mission field for proclaiming the Christian gospel, developing Christian disciples, promoting justice, and collaborating and networking for ministry…..As we impact America for Christ, we impact the world, ….as American Baptists develop strategies, resources and leaders for discipleship, evangelism, mission engagement, community-building, and justice-making here (in the USA), we also strengthen the Christian witness globally,” he said. His wife, the Rev. Shelby Martin Haggray, is also an ordained American Baptist minister.
Recognition to Ramesh Kumar of Balasore Technical School
The treasurer of IM, Paul Vick, attended the India Property Committee and ABFM Legacy Trust Board Meeting in India in April. Recognition plaques were presented to the Reverend Imo Aier of Northeast India and Ramesh Kumar, Principal of Balasore Technical School, for their “tremendous contributions on property settlement and reviving churches in India.” Income from the property settlement, related to properties formerly belonging to ABFMS, has provided significant financial support to the ministries of our partner conventions in India and to the important ministries on religious liberty, anti-human trafficking, youth and women issues and leadership development in India, according to Reverend Ben Chan, IM Area Director for East Asia, China, and India.
“Partner conventions” in India include the Telegu churches in South India, the BOBBCA (Bengal Orissa Bihar Baptist Churches Association), and the CBCNEI (Council of Baptist Churches of North East India). Ramesh Kumar along with Imo Aier (who also served as a “missionary” in BOBBCA) provided many hours of work on behalf of IM, settling these property matters in the courts.
World Mission Conference
This year’s World Mission Conference will be held:
July 4 – 9, 2016
Green Lake Convention Center
Greenlake, Wisconsin
Registration for the conference opened on March 10th. For more information, see:
http://www.internationalministries.org/read/60276-2016-world-mission-conference-dates