Paul Chitwood - One Mission

Dr. Rick Lance discusses life, calling, IMB, and more with Dr. Paul Chitwood, president of the International Mission Board (IMB).

Hear from Dr. Chitwood in a way you might not have before as he discusses his personal testimony of coming to faith in Christ, his calling to full-time ministry, and the background that uniquely gifts him to his current role as President of the International Mission Board. His personal story is God's calling of a timid personality to serve the Lord in ever-growing responsibility culminating in a special role as IMB's president.  The highlights: 18 years as pastor, passion, and experience of overseas missions, and Executive Director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.

Dr. Chitwood also shares surprises when he assumed the role, the vision God is leading him to implement for the future of the IMB, and some updates and reflections on the work in Ukraine.

Dr. Lance also shares some practical elements of what he's learned in their shared position of Executive Director and what that might mean for your own personal ministry.

Celebrations:

• 1,129 missionaries in the pipeline
• 15 million dollars given to the ministries in Ukraine
• Alabama Baptist Contributions to Ukraine and the larger work of the International Mission Board

Prayer Requests from Dr. Chitwood:

• Wisdom. Dr. Paul Chitwood asks you to pray for God's guidance as he and his team attempt to steer the work of God through IMB, a work much greater than the people can do alone at IMB.
• More Missionaries. The work of God around the world to combat lostness continues to be so great and workers are still needed.
• Current Missionaries. Dr. Chitwood asks that you pray for God's protection and continued health (mental, physical, and spiritual) of His missionaries around the world as He uses them in the contexts they've been called to. 

Links:
Rick Lance - https://ricklance.com/
Paul Chitwood - https://www.imb.org/leadership/
International Mission Board - https://www.imb.org/

The One Mission Podcast is a production of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.

Transcript

Rick Lance (00:05):
Hello. I'm Rick Lance, state Missionary of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, and welcome to one mission in the podcast. This is an opportunity for us to be able to discuss ministries through the local church with church leaders and also leaders beyond the local church who focus on the Great Commission. And today we're delighted to have a dear friend and a premier leader, our President of the International Mission Board. And as I say, he is a friend, but he's also the kind of statesmanlike leader we need at this particular time. He's a once in a generation type leader, and I've been able to see through the years, leaders come and go. But we're so glad that Paul Chitwood is the president of the International Mission Board. Paul, welcome to one mission of the podcast.

Paul Chitwood (00:56):
Well, thank you Dr. Lance. Great to be on with you. I appreciate those incredibly kind comments and, and, and even more appreciate your friendship. You've been just a tremendous source of encouragement to me for many, many years. Uh, whatever role I was in, uh, you, you've been a dear friend and a great encourager to me. Uh, I'm thankful for you, thankful for Alabama Baptist, for the incredible generosity, uh, that, uh, that we're able and, and blessed to receive, uh, and, uh, your advocacy of the work of the IMB, uh, across Alabama. And I know you have deep experience with the IMB as a former board member, uh, and, uh, a-in-a-nd, and have just really championed the work of what God is doing around the world through Southern Baptist, through the IMB. And we are grateful.

Rick Lance (01:45):
Well, thank you, Paul. And really what we try to do in this podcast is informal and casual. We're not doing a, what you would call a formal interview, but our listeners would like to know about our leaders, and this is an opportunity for them, perhaps to hear, learn more about you. And let's, let's begin basically where we all like to begin. Tell us something about your conversion experience, your call to ministry, and then we'll follow up some other questions that will help us have a better reflection of who Dr. Paul Chitwood is.

Paul Chitwood (02:18):
Well, thank you for that opportunity that the Lord's kindness and all of our lives is beyond measure. And it's certainly true, uh, in my life. I say often, uh, no matter where you are, the Lord can finds you if he wants to. And he found, uh, me, uh, in, uh, a rental house at two 10 Province Street and a little town in the mountains on the Tennessee Kentucky line. Uh, when, uh, I was a boy being raised by a single dead, uh, had a couple brothers. Uh, our our father had raised us since, uh, I guess we were ages one, two, and four had raised us on his own. And, and, uh, I was the two year old, the middle son. But about, uh, um, I guess 1978, 1979, uh, there was, well, let me back up from there, but about 1974, there was a knock on our door in that little rental house, and it was a couple of deacons from, uh, the little First Baptist church there in the town of Geico, Tennessee, who were out door to door visiting and buying people to church.

(03:18):
And they invited dad to church. Uh, he took us and we began to, uh, go consistently, uh, there at the little church and, and found a church that was welcoming to us. Uh, then fast forward, 1978, 1979, another knock at that door, uh, where we were still, uh, renting. And, and it was our pastor, uh, Dr. Allen Herd, uh, who incidentally just passed away recently, uh, after, uh, the long and faithful life of pastoral ministry. Uh, but at the time, he was a young pastor. And, uh, dad had invited our young pastor to come and talk to my older brother who had been asking questions about the gospel. And so my brother Allen came in, sat in the green chair in the corner of our living room, and I shared the gospel with my older brother, uh, my younger brother. And I listened in and, uh, soon the three of us had made our professional faith and we were baptized together, uh, there at, uh, the First Baptist Church in Angelico. And just again, the Le Lord finding us and our situation, uh, the church that had reached out to us, that welcomed us, loved us, looking back on it, helped to raise us <laugh> in just about every way. Uh, his kindness is, is just, uh, hard to even fathoms as I reflect upon it.

Rick Lance (04:31):
That's great. You're call to ministry. Let's hear a little bit about that.

Paul Chitwood (04:35):
Well, uh, there again, at, uh, First Baptist Church, I was, uh, attending a revival service. Uh, and, uh, our pastor, I guess I was probably 18 years old, our pastor, uh, had asked if I would, uh, uh, read the Bible passage that the visiting evangelist was gonna be preaching from that night, just a weeknight revival service. Uh, it was a former pastor, uh, who was there, uh, as the evangelist. When our current pastor asked me to do that, I said, no, I, I, I, I can't do that. And the reason I couldn't is because my, my greatest challenge in life at that time was any sort of public, uh, <laugh> attention recognition, certainly public speaking. Uh, I would've panic attacks, just go to pieces, very self-conscious. And, uh, I didn't want to embarrass myself cause I typically did in a situation like that. But our pastor was very persuasive, <laugh>.

(05:31):
And, and, uh, he eventually got me to agree to do it. Uh, and I did it. Uh, I was attending church that night, one of my best friends, and we'd grown up together, uh, most of our classes through school been together. He knew about my, uh, my, uh, uh, uh, challenges, uh, in, in just reading out loud in Sunday school or high school literature class. And, and, uh, so when I sat back down, uh, and I had, uh, read the passage without missing a beat, without my voice cracking and, and, uh, losing my breath, he looked at me. He said, uh, wow. How did you do that? And, uh, I had, uh, uh, uh, just asked the Lord, help me to get, to survive this, uh, to get through it. But as I sat there and the preacher preached, the Lord spoke very clearly to me.

(06:19):
Uh, it wasn't an audible voice as, uh, Dr. Rogers used to say. It was much louder than that. That's right. But the Lord spoke to me very clearly as I was sitting there watching, uh, the preacher preach that, that, uh, Paul, that's what I want you to do. I want to use you, uh, to share my word, uh, with others. Had no idea what, you know, what that would look like, uh, if I would be a, a pastor, professor or youth minister or missionary. I just had no idea. Uh, but I did tell the Lord, uh, Lord, if you want to use me, I'm willing to be used. Uh, and over time, the Lord gave clarity to the different roles that he wanted me in, and even to the role I'm currently in.

Rick Lance (06:58):
Well, that's outstanding. And Paul, I want to commend you on sharing that it humanizes our leaders, because sometimes I'm afraid, those who are in the grassroots, Alabama Baptist lives, the larger Southern Baptist family, they almost see us like ai, artificial intelligence, or auto automatons. We're just kinda wired to get up and do what we do. Of course, I know that much, I know that far differently in your case and others, because you have really been, the hand of God has been upon you. The divine sculpture has shaped your life. To bring you to such a time as this, as we often say in leadership at the International Mission Board, your past experience is very broad in a sense. And from my perspective, you've been not only an outstanding student in terms of educational pursuits. You've been one who's been a faithful pastor and, uh, known you as a colleague in state convention life as you served as the Executive Director for Kentucky Baptist. And prior to that president of the State Convention, therefore, you had executive experience, uh, leading something and pastoral experience, educational experience. You have been very missional in your life in terms of serving on the International Mission Board. And furthermore, you've been hands-on, engaged in mission opportunities around the world. So from that standpoint, I, I see you as one who has a wealth of experience. How has that helped you as you have taken the helms of leadership at the International Mission Board?

Paul Chitwood (08:32):
Well, it, it, it is been a tremendous help. I look back and just see the Lord's kindness in the different, uh, places. He directed me over the course of my life and, and, uh, opportunities He gave me other leaders who poured into me and gave me an opportunity to lead in different roles, uh, for the most part before I was ready for them. Uh, but as, even as a young man stretching me, growing me, uh, teaching me humility, uh, uh, to whatever degree I've learned it, teaching me to depend upon him, to listen to the wise counsel of others. Uh, but, but those roles, th this role, this role was so far beyond me, my capacity. I think it's beyond the capacity of any human being. Uh, but, but I do look back and see just the very specific ways God was preparing me and me being totally unaware of that preparation at the time, or certainly what, uh, he would ultimately want to do with that.

(09:26):
Uh, but, but looking back and being able to see, uh, how much my 18 years as a pastor helps me do the job, uh, that I, I do at the IMB every day, how much my time as IMB trustee and and board chairman, uh, helps me do, uh, my job that I do every day, that mission experiences overseas, uh, state convention life, uh, just no way to, to, uh, uh, calculate, uh, how important that has been and what that meant for molding me and shaping me as a leader and preparing me, uh, to lead. Certainly that executive level of leadership stretched me greatly. Uh, I learned so much from it. And, and, uh, this one continues to do that. But where it not for those, you know, seven, eight years and state conventional, I have no way I would be prepared, uh, have been in any way prepared, uh, to, uh, lead at, at the International Mission Board, so that along as you reference educational experiences, I just see so many who poured into me so many opportunities God gave me, uh, that brought me to this point, that opportunities that sometimes, uh, come along that, that we're not ready for, and we ought not, uh, even consider, uh, even if the opportunity were in front of us.

(10:42):
Cause we just simply have no preparation. But as experiences build, uh, and, and learning builds over the course of, of, uh, years in life and ministry, we do have the preparation we need always being stretched. Uh, but the preparation we need to a assume a greater responsibility and greater stewardship. And, and I see that so clearly, so clearly as I look back over the course of my life and the way that, that God has guided it, and those who have, who have given me opportunities to serve and to lead along the way.

Rick Lance (11:15):
Yes, we always have people who pour their lives into us, and sometimes they don't even know it oftentimes. That's right. It is intentional. But I, I can sense as you've been the beneficiary of that and the Lord is blessed, I also realize that as you have taken upon this role, there had to be maybe some welcome surprises and some maybe not as much. Tell us something that maybe surprised you as you assumed the leadership of the presidency at the International Mission Board.

Paul Chitwood (11:48):
You know, not to be in any way negative, but, but I had a question asked of, of me from a long tenured leader at the IMB, who's been a, a, a great help to me in my role. Uh, I was, was in the role, you know, five, six months. And he asked me the question, he asked, he said, what is the greatest surprise, uh, Paul, that that has come your way, uh, at this point in, in your leadership? And, and, uh, I answered him very candidly, and I said, I said, uh, sir, it's the death of the dysfunction of this organization at this point in time. I have no idea. I, I've been trustee from 2002 to 2010, chair of the board, uh, for a couple of years. And, and, uh, uh, then had sort of stepped away. Obviously, you roll off the board, your involvement, right.

(12:36):
We, we continue to have partnerships with the Im b and do some unique things, uh, in our relationship at Kentucky Baptist Convention with International Mission Board. But you're, I'm part of the internal workings or in any, any, any way, you know, aware of most of what's going on in an organization, uh, but certainly having a picture of the organization back then, uh, and then seeing the organization that I came back to, uh, when I began the role in 2018, late 2018, uh, it, it was shocking, uh, the way the organization had changed the struggles organization, uh, was, was facing. Uh, and so that, that, that really was my biggest surprise. I was surprised at how low things were, you know, from missionary morale to missionary headcount, uh, to, uh, to revenue streams, uh, systems broken down. It, it was, it was a bit shocking. However, uh, also see how God used that, uh, God used that to position the organization, uh, to, uh, began to dream again, began to move forward, to rebuild.

(13:45):
A lot of those broken down systems and systems have been removed, really, uh, essentially cleared the way right, uh, cleared the way to, to rebuild and, and, and without having to make a lot of changes just to, uh, uh, or, or let me put it this way, without having to move the old outta the way because the old had already been moved outta the way, but there was almost a clean slate to start from. Right. So it, it, it was, it turned out to be a blessing in so many ways, uh, giving us clean slate to build from, uh, to restart from. And the Lord has been so kind and, and, and helping us get reestablished, uh, giving us momentum, giving us support, renewing relationships. Uh, it's, uh, uh, we, we were just so grateful for where he has us today, and really just feel like we were only scratching the surface of where, of where, uh, we can be as, uh, uh, the sending the missionary sending arm of Southern Baptist churches.

Rick Lance (14:45):
Well, that's a good segue into the future. What do you see the vision for the International Mission Board as you look to the future? I know you're a visionary in your own way, and in fact, um, all of us have to be some of that, but some are blessed more than others than you are in that, that point of blessing. So give us an idea of how, not trying to be Iron Cloud about it, but just a general abbreviated vision of what you see for the future.

Paul Chitwood (15:12):
Yeah. So we, we certainly, the bigger vision for the organization is the vision God has given to his church, uh, that someday, uh, those who belong to Christ will be gathered around the throne, standing before the throne and the lamb. And we'll see that great multitude from every nation, amen. From all tribes and peoples and languages. So that, that literally is our vision statement as organization, that's what drives the organization every day. We're working towards that vision, helping Southern Baptists as they work towards the fulfillment of that vision. Uh, our mission as an organization, mission statement, which we rewrote after I became president, is to serve Southern Baptist and carrying out the great commission to make the samples of all nations. So we have tried to, uh, reposition the organization as, as a servant of the local church, a servant of our mission partners, like Alabama Baptist Convention, other state conventions, local associations, uh, and, and, and, and individual Southern Babs.

(16:14):
We want to serve as each person and each other, uh, entity or board, uh, seeks to steward. They're part of great commission work. Uh, so for us that, that, that mission and vision always in front of us, keeps us focused on the work that God has set before us. Uh, you know, some of, in very practical ways, some of the ways this is playing out for us as an organization is a significant focus on relationships with pastors and churches and other missions partners. Uh, the IMB, uh, can, can, uh, sometimes tend to exist as kind of its own entity doing its own thing, uh, and expecting the funding to come, uh, from generous Southern Baptist to that end. Uh, but that's not, uh, healthy. I don't think that's a, uh, I don't even think that's a biblical missiology. Uh, it's certainly not where we want to be.

(17:13):
So we, we are investing heavily in, uh, serving local church, rebuilding those relationships, and we're gonna continue to do that. As we've been doing that, uh, what we've seen is that our revenues have skyrocketed. Uh, we've seen our sending pipeline, uh, uh, began to grow again. When I came into my role that we talk about sending pipeline, those are missionary candidates who have applied and are working through the system towards appointment. When I came into my role, we had about 300, uh, who were, who were, uh, applicants in the pipeline. As of today, they're 1,129.

Rick Lance (17:51):
Amen. Good. Yes.

Paul Chitwood (17:52):
Yes. So we're very excited about, about those things. Uh, but, uh, for us, it always comes back to keeping the, as you've said, the vision in front of us, keeping, uh, uh, clarity in, in terms of our mission, our commitment to that mission, and okay, what does it mean to live that out on a daily basis as an organization? We've got to be connected to local churches. We have to have our missionaries connecting and reconnecting and rebuilding relationships with local churches. Uh, cause that, that is our role is to serve Southern Baptists.

Rick Lance (18:22):
Oh, that's so eloquent and so comprehensive. Even in a brief statement, I'd like to just make a couple of observations that I think just are highlighted from what you said recently. I was thinking about Unity in terms of trying to keep churches unified, because they're not unified. They're not going to be on mission, mission organizations, including state board missions here in Alabama, whether we're talking about the North American Mission Board or International Mission Board, or any other kind of faith oriented gospel sharing organization. There is a little statement I came up with, and it's probably not anything but a practical statement, but I keep telling myself this, if you have clarity in what you're supposed to do, it can lead the stability. And if you have clarity and stability, you can have unity. It's not promised necessarily, but there's hardly any, any other way to get there without unity, which brings stability.

(19:21):
That gives you an opportunity to have unity. You've done that well at the International Mission Board. And may your tribe increase as we, uh, Southern Baptist tried to work together, Paul, in our remaining time. Uh, let me, uh, simply say something that is a bit on the personal side. You, you talk about my tenure at the International Mission Board, and there have been other times of which the International Mission Board wasn't fully functional. And, um, I, during my tenure, we had some ups and downs, some bumps in the road. But there's one thing I've noticed at the hand of God, if we're pliable and dependable, depending upon him, the hand of God uses us, despite ourselves. And I often describe Southern Baptist this way and times of difficulty. We may be in a, a room with the lights out looking for the light switch, but we finally find it.

(20:14):
We come out at the right place. And it is people like you who help us to find a light switch and come out at the right way. If we can understand that the great commission is our mission, if you wanna put it just biblically and state it very simply, if we all can come together and coce around that, then the primary matters are be, are settled, and the secondary and tertiary matters become secondary and tertiary. So I, I appreciate you as being that kind of leader, discerning leader. One other quick thing, and I know we don't have much time to dwell on it. I have, during the, well, early part of the two thousands, spent a lot of time in Ukraine. I've been all over the country, and, uh, my heart has been hurting and bleeding over the fact that we have seen so many innocent people killed, and a nation totally disrupted.

(21:06):
And I realize no nation's perfect. There was corruption there, but they had an opportunity in, uh, previous days, and I think perhaps with this president to have had democracy work much more effectively. But now with the war, we don't know how that's going to come out. But I want to say thank you to the International Mission Board for helping so much in this rescue of people who, and relief of people who are, in a sense, refugees from their country, Alabama Baptists were a small part of that, and our disaster relief areas. And it just shows how that all the moving parts of our SBC family can come together at a time of need. Yes. And see how we can give a cup of cold water in Jesus' name. And I wanna thank you for that.

Paul Chitwood (21:57):
Well, that's kind. Alabama Baptist have been no small part of that. The generosity of Alabama Baptists and the hands-on involvement in many of the projects that, uh, that, uh, we've undertaken there, uh, have is just such a blessing. And Southern Baptist in general, we we're now, uh, as a recent update, o over 15 million has been given to the relief efforts, uh, in and around Ukraine. And that's allowed us to do tremendous, uh, work. Uh, you know, you, you're talking about different times of life of organizations. This organization is, is about to begin its hundred 78th year. Amen. And there's been ups and downs, but God's grace has guided us through it. One of the things that, that, that, that history allows us to do in a situation like Ukraine, you talked about your involvement there. Alabama Baptist involvement. Over the course of decades, Southern Baptist Baptists have been investing in gospel advance in Ukraine.

(22:52):
So right now, uh, when we want to deliver, uh, uh, food or blankets or generators, uh, we know where to take them to, who to give them to. We have trusted partners there. We help start a seminary there. Uh, we have, uh, lots of, uh, church planters. We've discipled over the years. We have trusted partners there, uh, to ensure that, you know, in a lot of relief situations, you throw money or goods at a situation with is a hope and a prayer that it's gonna get beyond the corruption and down to people who need it. Uh, well, cause of the investment of, of, of Alabama Baptist and Southern Baptist over these decades in Ukraine, we know that what is being provided and great generosity is getting to where it needs to go to the people who need it most. And so it's, it's been a beautiful thing to see, and God is using it. It this is such a travesty, such a travesty, but God is using it. We're hearing such great reports of gospel advance, people coming to faith, uh, even new churches, uh, being started, uh, in the midst of, uh, war zones. And so the Lord is using, uh, these times for his glory, even in Ukraine.

Rick Lance (24:04):
Well, Paul, I want to tell you as one Alabama Baptist and one Southern Baptist, that I have always appreciated the International Mission Board, and I do appreciate even more of what you're doing. And I'm glad to have been able to walk alongside you as a colleague and state convention leadership. And I'll have to tell you, the first time I met you years ago, I said to myself, there is someone that's going to be not only a good state convention leader, but a national leader. And I'm not a a talent hunter or someone like that for God. But I want you to know that I had my eyes upon you as being a person who could have ascend, that the Lord could use and choose to be used in the way you are. And for that, I'm grateful. And I also want to always ask anyone who's on with us as we just ask how we can pray for you, because we know the burden is big.

(25:00):
You're a globe trotter right now. The International Mission Board is everywhere, the footprint's wide, the da we live, we have some people in some dangerous spots around the world. Yes, we, uh, our people are growing and their understanding of how challenging that is, we, we just want to know how we can pray for you, not only the International Mission Board as a mission organization, but for you as the leader. Because leaders are lonely at the top, and only with the presence of the power of the god's, the God we know who comes in the Holy Spirit to give us direction, can we really feel at home? So how can we pray for us Alabama Baptist, looking to you?

Paul Chitwood (25:40):
I thank you for asking it. It, it's a blessing and an honor. Uh, I'd mentioned three things very quickly and specifically, uh, uh, Dr. Lance pray for wisdom, uh, leading the IMB is beyond me. It's beyond, we have great leadership team God has given us. That's beyond any of those team members or that team as a whole. We need the Lord's wisdom, uh, to do, uh, the Lord's work. So, so pray on our behalf that God will, will give us his wisdom. Uh, secondly, uh, one of their greatest needs right now, uh, are more missionaries and more missionary candidates. That pipeline has grown. It's not where we want it to be yet. Uh, and, uh, in the generosity of Southern Baptist giving, the funds are there to send more missionaries. The, the, the need of those missionaries is greater than ever before in the history of the world.

(26:26):
There is greater lostness today in our world than at any time in human history. Uh, and we're here together addressing the world, addressing the world's greatest problem. That problem of lostness. Uh, God has given us a solution. He's given us the gospel. How does the gospel get to the loss through a missionary presence? And so we wanna see more missionaries go, uh, pray with us, that the Lord would call, uh, out, and that Southern Baptist pastors and preachers will be faithful to call out the called, and that, those called, many of them would come to serve through the International Mission Board. Then third, uh, do remember our missionaries around the world. Indeed, uh, just getting back from a trip to South Asia and seeing the circumstances many of them live and minister in, it's incredibly, incredibly hard, uh, spiritual warfare is, is, uh, real every second of every day. Uh, so I ask that, uh, Southern Baptist, pray for missionaries that God will keep 'em healthy, spiritually, physically, emotionally, and God will give them fruit. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> that they, and have the joy of seeing many come to faith as the Lord uses them. And I appreciate, again, the faithfulness of, uh, the prayers of Alabama Baba Baptist. And thank you for your kind words and your prayers, Dr. Lance.

Rick Lance (27:34):
Oh. It is been a delight to be able to have you today. We're blessed listeners to be able to hear the heart of our leader at the International Mission Board, Dr. Paul Chitwood. Now, when you pray, pray for him. Pray for his family, pray that he'll have the wisdom and discernment. Pray also, that our missionaries around the world will know they're not alone, that we're in this together. Thank you Alabama Baptist for being huge supporters of missions and all of aspects of Southern America's life, but especially as we think about today through the Ministry of the International Mission Board. Thank you Dr. Chitwood for being with us today. And listen again out in the future. We will have another podcast with an opportunity to talk to God's servant.