Sue Sprenkle

Throughout history, the good news of Jesus Christ has been communicated using tools such as letters, the printing press, radio, television, email and social media. Now, there is virtual reality.

CLEARWATER, Fla. – A piece of toast. Kermit. A purple anime ninja. Avatar skins flashed across the screen like a late-night meme scroll, each one more absurd than the last.

For more than 30 years, International Mission Board missionaries were absent from Liberia. Civil war and unrest tore through the small West African nation, forcing missionaries to evacuate and leave churches without the support they once knew.

It took weeks of research, both online and in person, to come up with a guess on where the Sys people lived in South Asia. Even then, the information contradicted itself. One finding listed 300 people among the group while another had 230,000. There was not even a digital footprint for International Mission Board missionary John Pratt to follow in his search for this unengaged, unreached people group.

Larry McCallon is 86 years old, but don’t tell the group of 13-year-old boys clustered around his table. Sure, they see him as an adult; after all, they respectfully call him “Mr. Larry.” But deep down, he’s one of them and so much more — friend, spiritual mentor, confidant, co-conspirator and jokester.

RICHMOND, Va. -- The IMB invited its global partners to its training facilities outside of Richmond to share knowledge between the three mission sending agencies. Jacob Boss, IMB vice president of Global Engagement, thanked the six representatives for being an example of collaboration and partnership among global Baptists.

MIDDLE EAST – The phone buzzed, flashing an unrecognized number. The Middle Eastern pastor deliberated before accepting the call. It wasn’t spam but a voice from the past. 

ATHENS, Greece – Peppy music blared from the neon flashing speaker as members of the local Greek evangelical church walked up the cobblestone road, waving. They called to residents sitting on their balconies to meet them at the park in this Athens neighborhood.

Children aren’t the church of tomorrow, International Mission Board missionary Kathy Shafto contends. They are the church of today!

All the small Illinois church wanted to do was be involved in missions. They prayed about it and prayed some more. Then, they sent two of their own to investigate partnerships with the International Mission Board.