FORT WORTH, Texas--President Paige Patterson called for more funding for international evangelism during a live radio broadcast from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. According to Baptist Press, Patterson said the American church will suffer if it doesn't begin directing more of its resources to fulfilling the Great Commission.
The KCBI Christian Radio broadcast centered on the topic of "Dying for the faith: Is the Great Commission in jeopardy?"
"The church has been very generous and great numbers of people have gone ... but it is always wrong and will never be right that 95 percent of the world's resources are spent on 5 percent of the world's population," Patterson said. The church's failure to expend the appropriate resources on international evangelism is "something for which God will judge us," Patterson said.
Patterson discussed martyrdom as a deterrent to missions. Seven Southern Baptist personnel were killed in Yemen, Iraq and the Philippines recently.
"God doesn't make any wimps," Patterson replied. "The worst thing that can happen is for a Christian to be engulfed by fear. Fear is the work of the devil. Of the many ways to die, I can't think of any better way to die than to give one's life for Christ."
Patterson said Iraq and Afghanistan were safer than Washington D.C., which has one of the highest murder rates in the country.
"There is no higher calling than to go to people who have not heard the gospel," Patterson said.
He encouraged listeners to persist in spreading the gospel even in anti-American countries, because the message is about another, eternal kingdom.
He also advocated Bible smuggling and proclaiming the gospel even in areas where it is illegal to do so.
"Any law that legislates against religious liberty is an unjust law," Patterson said. But he also said Christians should prepare to suffer the consequences of their boldness, which may include death.
The consequences of not acting on the Great Commission are worse, Patterson said.
"I want to be able to say that I had given my all to share the gospel of Christ," he said.
