International Mission Board
The International Mission Board is the Southern Baptist Convention's global missionary-sending and support organization.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The International Mission Board (IMB) is a Baptist Christian missionary organization affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Based in Richmond, Virginia, it works with Southern Baptist churches to recruit, train, appoint, send, and support missionaries serving outside the United States. Its work includes evangelism, church planting, theological and leadership development, humanitarian assistance, member care, disaster response, and support for locally led Christian movements. The organization was established on May 10, 1845, the same day the Southern Baptist Convention was formed. Its original name was the Board of Foreign Missions, and its creation reflected an effort by Southern Baptist churches to pool resources for overseas missionary work. China was selected as the first mission field, and Samuel C. Clopton and George Pearcy were appointed as the first missionaries on September 1, 1845. The board's early structure was cooperative: individual churches contributed through the convention rather than operating an entirely separate missionary system. Communication with supporters has long been part of the board's work. In 1849 it began publishing The Commission, a periodical intended to report on missionary activity and encourage financial and prayer support. The publication later developed into a primarily online magazine. The board also became closely associated with the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, an annual fundraising effort launched by the Woman's Missionary Union in 1888 and named for Charlotte D. "Lottie" Moon, the prominent missionary appointed to China in 1873. The board expanded its sending models during the twentieth century. Its Journeyman Program, launched in 1964, created two-year overseas assignments for younger single missionaries and later married couples. In 1989 it introduced the International Service Corps to support shorter assignments, generally lasting several months to several years. In 1997 the organization adopted its current name, International Mission Board, to reflect a broader global identity rather than the older terminology of foreign missions. The IMB is funded primarily through Southern Baptist cooperative giving, designated offerings, and other donor support. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is one of the most visible channels associated with its missionary work. The organization reported 3,552 missionaries in 2022. Its contemporary work is conducted through personnel and partnerships across numerous regions and countries, with an emphasis on establishing and strengthening indigenous or locally led churches and Christian networks. The board's history is also connected to controversies involving slavery, financial controls, missionary statistics, trustee governance, dissent, and the handling of sexual-abuse allegations. Its founding occurred amid sectional conflict among Baptists over whether slaveholders could be appointed as missionaries, a dispute that contributed to the creation of the Southern Baptist Convention. In the twenty-first century, criticism focused particularly on alleged failures to disclose abuse allegations and on institutional policies. Following public reporting in 2018 and 2019, the IMB apologized in a prominent abuse case and commissioned an external review. The organization said it would implement recommendations from that review, although transparency about the report remained contested.
History
The International Mission Board traces its origin to the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845. On May 10 of that year, Southern Baptist representatives established a foreign-missions board in Richmond, Virginia, to coordinate the overseas work of churches that were individually small but could accomplish more through common funding and administration. China became the board's first mission field, and Samuel C. Clopton and George Pearcy were appointed on September 1, 1845. The board's creation was shaped by an earlier dispute among Baptists over slavery and missionary appointments. The Baptist Board for Foreign Missions had declined to approve James E. Reeve, a proposed missionary who was a slaveholder, while maintaining that slavery should not determine appointments. Southern Baptist leaders objected to that position and demanded greater assurance that slaveholders could be considered. The resulting sectional dispute contributed to the withdrawal of churches from the Triennial Convention and the establishment of the Southern Baptist Convention. The new convention's foreign-missions agency became the predecessor of the modern IMB. In 1849 the board began publishing The Commission, a periodical that reported missionary activity to supporters. Circulation reached thousands in its early years, and the publication eventually became primarily digital. The board's communication and fundraising system was later reinforced by the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, begun by the Woman's Missionary Union in 1888. The offering honors Charlotte D. "Lottie" Moon, who was appointed to China in 1873 and became one of the best-known figures in Southern Baptist missionary history. The organization grew through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as Southern Baptist churches expanded their financial cooperation and overseas sending. In 1950 it appointed 111 missionaries, described in the historical record as a record for that year. In 1964 it launched the Journeyman Program, which offered two-year assignments to younger personnel, initially emphasizing single missionaries. The program later included married couples and became a continuing route into overseas service. In 1989 the International Service Corps was introduced for shorter-term work, with assignments generally ranging from four to twenty-four months and the possibility of an extension. The former Foreign Mission Board voted in 1997 to adopt the name International Mission Board. The change reflected the organization's worldwide scope and avoided language that could imply a simple division between domestic and foreign work. Its responsibilities have included missionary appointment, field supervision, language and cultural preparation, pastoral and member care, church planting, evangelism, leadership development, relief activity, and communication with supporting churches. The board's modern history includes debates about accountability and institutional authority. In 2005 it obtained a judgment arising from embezzlement by an accountant in Turkey. That year also brought criticism of the way baptism statistics were compiled and presented. In 2006 trustee Wade Burleson challenged policies concerning baptism, speaking in tongues, and the ability of minority trustees to dissent publicly. The internal dispute ended with the withdrawal of a recommendation to remove him, alongside guidelines concerning trustee communications. The most serious recent controversy involved the handling of sexual-abuse allegations. In 2018 Anne Marie Miller publicly described allegations concerning former missionary Mark Edwin Aderholt and said the IMB had previously concluded that abuse was more likely than not but permitted his resignation without informing later employers. Following public reporting and Aderholt's arrest, the organization apologized and commissioned an external review. Reporting in 2019 described substantial concerns identified by Gray Plant Mooty regarding past case handling and the adequacy of the board's policies. The IMB stated that it would implement the review's recommendations. The matter also generated a dispute at the Southern Baptist Convention over whether the review should be made public. The IMB celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2020 and reported 3,552 missionaries in 2022. It remains an active Southern Baptist agency headquartered in Richmond, operating internationally through missionaries, local partners, churches, and support programs.
- 2020
175th anniversary
[1]The IMB marked 175 years of international missionary activity.
- 1997
Foreign Mission Board renamed International Mission Board
[1]The organization adopted its current name to emphasize its worldwide mission.
- 1989
International Service Corps introduced
[1]A short-term service program was created for assignments lasting several months to several years.
- 1964
Journeyman Program launched
[1]The board began a program sending younger missionaries on two-year international assignments.
- 1888
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering introduced
[1]The Woman's Missionary Union sponsored the annual offering that became a major fundraising channel associated with international missions.
- 1873
Lottie Moon appointed to China
[1]Charlotte D. Moon began the China missionary service for which she became a central figure in Southern Baptist missions history.
- 1849
The Commission begins publication
[1]The board launched a periodical to report missionary work to Southern Baptist supporters.
- 1845
Foreign-missions board established
[1]The Southern Baptist Convention established the predecessor of the International Mission Board in Richmond, Virginia, on May 10.
- 1845
First missionaries appointed
[1]Samuel C. Clopton and George Pearcy were appointed for service in China on September 1.
Products and positioning
A denominational, church-funded global missions agency that mobilizes Southern Baptist churches and personnel for international Christian mission work.
Missionary deployment program · 1964
Journeyman Program
A term-based missionary pathway introduced in 1964. It initially focused on single missionaries under 30 serving for two years and later included married couples. Participants serve in international ministry roles supported through the IMB's field structure and Southern Baptist church network.
Short-term missionary program · 1989
International Service Corps
A program introduced in 1989 to facilitate international service assignments lasting approximately four to twenty-four months, with a possible extension. It provides a shorter-term route for people undertaking ministry, service, and project-based work overseas.
Mission fundraising campaign · 1888
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering
An annual Southern Baptist fundraising effort for international missions. Begun by the Woman's Missionary Union in 1888 and named for missionary Charlotte D. Moon, the offering connects churches and individual donors with the financial support of overseas missionary activity.
Mission publication · 1849
The Commission
A communications publication begun in 1849 to inform supporters about missionary work. It evolved from a periodical with substantial print circulation into a primarily online magazine with occasional print issues.
Controversies
2019
External review of abuse-case policies
A review by Gray Plant Mooty identified significant concerns with historical case handling and said the organization's policies and procedures fell short of contemporary best practices. The IMB said it would implement the recommendations, while a proposal to release the report publicly was not adopted.
2018
Handling of abuse allegations involving Mark Edwin Aderholt
Public reporting alleged that the IMB had concluded abuse by former missionary Mark Edwin Aderholt was more likely than not, yet allowed him to resign without notifying future employers. After the allegations became public and Aderholt was arrested, the IMB apologized and commissioned an external examination.
2006
Trustee dissent and governance controversy
Trustee Wade Burleson challenged board policies and alleged suppression of minority trustee dissent. A proposal to remove him was later rescinded under an internal arrangement governing trustee communications.
2005
Embezzlement by former accountant
The IMB obtained a judgment against Benton Gray Harvey over embezzlement connected with his accounting work for the organization in Istanbul, Turkey.
2005
Dispute over baptism statistics
Critics alleged that the IMB's presentation of baptism totals overstated the direct role of its missionaries by failing to distinguish local preachers and churches involved in the reported activity.
Marketing campaigns
- 1888Lottie Moon Christmas Offering
United States
The Woman's Missionary Union created an annual Christmas fundraising effort to support Southern Baptist international missions. It became one of the most recognizable public fundraising initiatives associated with the IMB.
Outcome. The offering continues as a major channel for mission giving.
Brand decisions
2018
Commission external examination of abuse casesOtherBackground
Public allegations raised questions about the board's historical handling of missionary sexual-abuse reports.
Action taken
The IMB apologized in the prominent case and commissioned an external review of that matter and other sexual-abuse cases.
Aftermath
The subsequent review identified significant concerns, and the organization said it would implement its recommendations.
1997
Adopt the International Mission Board nameStrategyBackground
The former Foreign Mission Board operated across a broad range of regions and sought a name that better represented its worldwide scope.
Action taken
The board voted to change its name to International Mission Board.
Aftermath
The current name became the organization's principal public identity.
1989
Introduce International Service CorpsStrategyBackground
Not all prospective personnel could commit to the board's longer-term missionary pathways.
Action taken
The IMB created a shorter-term service model for assignments of approximately four to twenty-four months, with a possible extension.
Aftermath
The organization broadened its participation model beyond conventional long-term appointments.
1964
Launch the Journeyman ProgramStrategyBackground
The board sought a structured way to expand participation by younger Southern Baptists.
Action taken
It introduced two-year assignments for younger single missionaries, later extending participation to married couples.
Aftermath
The program became a continuing route into overseas missionary service.
1845
Create a cooperative Southern Baptist foreign-missions agencyStrategyBackground
Southern Baptist churches sought a common organization that could combine financial and administrative resources for overseas missions.
Action taken
The Board of Foreign Missions was established alongside the Southern Baptist Convention and began appointing missionaries.
Aftermath
The board became the principal overseas missionary agency of the Southern Baptist Convention.
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