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ABOUT US







The Great Commission given after Christ’s resurrection encourages the proclamation of the gospel and the creation of new disciples to carry on the work God has already put in motion (Matthew 28:18-20). Believers are called individually, not to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but to faithfully bear witness to His work in the world until His return (2 Timothy 1:6-9). While we must continue to go overseas, we should not miss the opportunities the Father is giving us to reach the nations living among us here in North America. We are compelled by Christ to love and share the good news to immigrants, refugees, and international students. As they come to know Christ, they too will share the gospel where we’ve not been able to go, literally becoming gateways for spreading the gospel into their homelands (Acts 17:26-27).

A great opportunity exists to cast vision, mobilize, and equip North American churches to not only engage people groups globally, but also fulfill the core missionary tasks among diaspora people groups who reside in our own neighborhoods. The nations are right next door! This is new initiative of the following SBC organizations to serve the local church. It is the Diaspora Missions Collective.

As Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) organizations, we intend to collaborate and work together to assist Southern Baptist churches. As SBC organizations, we seek to partner together to equip Southern Baptist churches in their awareness, understanding, and engagement of diaspora peoples as they embrace their responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission both locally and globally.





MISSION

The Diaspora Missions Collective equips Southern Baptist churches in their awareness, understanding, and engagement of diaspora peoples as they embrace their responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission both locally and globally.

VISION

Helping churches to show and share the love of Christ among Diaspora people!



OUR HISTORY

As Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) organizations, the Diaspora Missions Collective engages and works together to assist Southern Baptist churches missionally serve displaced peoples. As SBC organizations, we seek to partner together to equip Southern Baptist churches in their awareness, understanding, and engagement of diaspora peoples as they embrace their responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission both locally and globally.

OUR BRAND MARK

The design has a grass roots, ethnic style, but also resembles the pattern of a fingerprint, implying that the collective will help these displaced people groups find their identiy in Christ.

The meeting point in the center implies that the 3 main organizations are coming together (collective) to provide a point of unity, while surrounding and being in the mix with those who feel displaced (as depicted by the sections that are not connected to each other).

Steering Committee

  • IMB/NAMB

    John Barnett, Director of Diaspora Mobilization
    Ambassador Care for Refugees and Displaced People, Send Relief North America
    jbarnett@imb.org

  • Send RELIEF

    Josh Benton, Vice President of Send Relief for North American Ministry, NAMB
    jbenton@sendrelief.org

    Jason Cox, Vice President of Send Relief International, IMB
    jcox@sendrelief.org

  • WMU

    Sandy Wisdom-Martin, Executive Director-Treasurer of Woman’s Missionary Union
    swisdommartin@wmu.org

  • Seminaries

    Keelan Cook, Director of the Center for Great Commission Studies, SEBTS
    Kcook@sebts.edu

    Ian Buntain, Director of World Missions Center, SWBTS

  • SBC Executive Committee

    Peter Yanes, Associate VP of Asian Relations and Ethnic Engagement, SBC Executive Committee
    Pyanes@sbc.net

  • SBC State Conventions

    Jamie Naramore, Cross-Cultural Strategist, Arkansas Baptist State Convention
    jnaramore@absc.org

  • SBC Associations

    Todd Robertson, AMS Louisville Regional Baptist Association
    Todd@Lrba.org

    George Russ, Executive Director, Metropolitan New York Baptist Association
    Gruss@mnyba.org