Slams on NAMB?

In recent months, we have seen many changes come about for Southern Baptist entities: The announced retirement of Southern Baptist Convention executive committee president Morris Chapman; the ousting of NAMB President Geoff Hammond; and the announced retirement of International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin.
Ironically enough, just months before the mission boards’ leadership was shaken, Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt unleashed a Great Commission Resurgence task force, through which rumors have stirred of a mission-merge. Or better, a mission board makeover thus eliminating two separate boards and creating ONE board.
While many Southern Baptist “elders,” if you will, have voiced hesitation — and some, opposition — to the task force, others have risen up with nothing but support.
I cannot help but think stirring believers to a better understanding of and motivation toward the Great Commission Christ has given can be most beneficial. I even think, in some ways, the creation of one mission board through which funds are channeled and missionaries can be sent locally and globally would not be a bad idea.
However I do have huge opposition to the degrading and devaluing of a missions entity that has served as a domestic evangelism catalyst since its establishment in 1997, after three SBC agencies merged.
Recently the Associated Baptist Press reported that Duke McCall, a 95-year-old retired denominationalist (having led three SBC entities for a total of 40 years), wrote an essay included in Carl Kell’s “Against the Wind: The Moderate Voice in Baptist Life” saying NAMB is a “wasteful funding mechanism” that “has served as a pressure device to keep state conventions in line with Southern Baptist Convention programs.”
McCall expects to see NAMB’s role diminish or disappear during the 21st century.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Danny Akin has also said NAMB “is broke and has been broke for a long time,” North Carolina’s Biblical Recorder reported.
Moreover on Oct 23, a panel discussion on the Great Commission Resurgence was held at Southern Baptist Theological seminary, during which Russell D. Moore, dean of the school of theology and senior vice president for academic administration, said NAMB “doesn’t work.” He compared NAMB to the IMB saying, unlike IMB, NAMB doesn’t have a good track record for “filtering people out, saying you’re called to missions, you’re not. You’re able to do this, you’re not.”
Jon Akin, of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, added that the IMB is the only SBC entity that draws young people into the denomination.
“I talk to young people [and ask them], ‘Why is it you’re in the SBC, what do you love?’ The No. 1 answer is IMB. Another entity is not named ever,” he said. “I think we’re caught up in doing a lot of good things but need to prioritize the best things so our people will be excited about it.”
So if you are a NAMB missionary, you’re simply “caught up in doing a lot of good things,” but not good enough to be a priority?
Or if NAMB isn’t working, we are to just tell those missionaries thanks for your help, but the time you spent working for the Lord through that organization was ineffective? Oh and those lives you helped impact for the gospel? Yea, maybe all that wasn’t worth it after all? Is that what we’re saying? Is that the message we’re willing to send?
Consider families like Alabama-natives Jason, Genee and Josiah Duckett who are evangelizing and planting churches in DuBois, Pa because of their placement through NAMB. Impacts have been made and lives are being changed through their work to further the gospel. This is not to be negated.
Let us not become so high and mighty on our own horses that we end up fighting battles that we create with one another, rather than fighting toward the cause Christ put forth.