Friday, May 16, 2003

Fired missionaries had long tenures with IMB

From staff and wire reports

All 13 missionaries fired by the International Mission Board (IMB) on May 7 began their missions service before current IMB President Jerry Rankin became head of the organization.

The IMB has declined to name the missionaries, but Associated Baptist Press confirmed their identities. They were terminated because they refused to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M).

The 13 missionaries, including two N.C. natives, collectively have about 246 years of service.

Rankin, who first "requested" the missionaries to affirm the BF&M, then later told them they'd be fired if they didn't sign, became IMB president in 1993.

Seven holdouts were given a May 5 deadline to sign an affirmation of the document but declined. Their names, places and terms of service are:

Ted and Frances York, Ivory Coast and Benin, 1982-2003, serving 21 years. Ted York also served as a journeyman from 1974-76. He was born and raised in Ramseur. Frances York was born and raised in Greensboro. Before going to the mission field, they served at Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.

Larry and Sarah Ballew, Macao, 1985-87 as journeymen and 1996-2003 as career missionaries, serving a total of 10 years.

David and Susie Dixon, Spain, 1988-2003, serving 15 years.

Mary Katherine Campbell, Philippines, Liberia and Togo, 1968-70 and 1989-2003, serving 16 years.

Six were terminated without the option of signing the document:

Rick and Nancy Dill, Germany, 1981-2003, serving 22 years.

Leon and Kathy Johnson, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, 1982-2003, serving 21 years. Leon Johnson also served as a journeyman from 1970-72.

Ron Hankins and Lydia Barrow-Hankins, Japan, 1975-77 as journeymen and 1981-2003 as career missionaries, serving a total of 24 years.

Another 30 veteran missionaries resigned or took early retirement in recent days rather than sign the affirmation. They join 34 missionaries who resigned in protest last year.

Not counted among the 13 IMB missionaries terminated May 7 were Chris and Karen Harbin. The Harbins were fired last year for allegedly not teaching in accordance with the "Baptist Faith and Message." They served two years as journeymen, 1992-94, and as career missionaries from 1996-2002, for a total of nine years.

The firings climaxed a series of events that began in February 2002 when Rankin, in response to suspicions he said anonymous sources had raised about IMB missionaries' doctrinal integrity, asked missionaries to endorse the doctrinal statement. They later were given a May 5 deadline to decide.

(EDITOR'S NOTE - Robert O'Brien and Mark Wingfield contributed to this story.)

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