A Virtual Missionary

On March 1, 2007, Roger Stacy became the Director of Missions for the Gibson Baptist Association. Having previously served as a missionary with IMB to Brazil and Ukraine, he brought a passion and desire to see that nation of Brazil evangelized.

As a part of developing a strategy for reaching a population segment which includes the Slavic speaking people group, Roger met with Terry Sharp, State and Association Relations Director, International Mission Board. Terry shared the vision and concept of becoming a virtual missionary association (strategy coordinator association). From that conversation and with Terry’s help, Roger shared the vision with his mission team and with the Executive Board of the association. At the annual meeting of the association in October 2007, the association officially voted to become a virtual missionary association.

Roger began working with Phil Kesler, mission strategist for Brazil. A team traveled to Brazil in November of 2007 to do research and practice the principles of a virtual missionary. Phil Kesler visited the Gibson Baptist Association in December and trained volunteers in how to be virtual missionaries and work within the Churches Multiplying Churches strategy for Brazil.

The Association has developed a Masterplan for simple church starts in the southern part of Brazil in the state of Paraná. Their critical path has been presented and approved as well. According to Phil Kesler, the Gibson Baptist Association is the first group to submit a volunteer request in all of Brazil for the new Churches Multiplying Churches strategy for Brazil.

Terry W. Sharp
Director, State and Association Relations
International Mission Board,SBC
(804) 219-1939
http://dom.imb.org/