CHESTER, Va. — An immigrant couple from a Slavic church in California will continue ministering in Spain, but they will return as International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries. Another couple is going overseas after a long tenure of serving Southern Baptists through multiple entities. And a young man is returning to do missions in the same country he previously served as a Journeyman.
These are a few of the 54 newly appointed missionaries who participated in a Sending Celebration on Sept. 24 at Ironbridge Baptist Church in Chester, Va.
“We are very grateful that we can partner together with Southern Baptist churches across North America to cooperatively send and support missionaries,” said Ironbridge Pastor Michael Rodriguez as he opened the event.
Southern Baptist churches across the country demonstrated their commitment to missions as 13 states were represented by missionaries at the Sending Celebration. IMB President Paul Chitwood expressed his appreciation for Ironbridge hosting the event and encouraged guests to continue supporting global work of sharing the gospel.
“Perhaps God is calling you to a deeper commitment to His work around the world through praying, giving, going or sending,” he said before introducing the new missionaries to give their testimonies.
Chitwood read some of the testimonies himself, explaining that these missionaries could not be shown or their voices heard. “These brothers and sisters are going to some difficult and hard-to-reach places,” he said. “We don’t want the broadcast of this service to compromise their ability to work among the least-reached people on earth.”
Diaspora partnership leads back to Spain
Collaborative efforts between U.S. Slavic churches and Southern Baptists have led to significant developments in missionary work. Vlad and Ella Prizhbilov, members of the Second Slavic Baptist Church in North Highlands, Calif., started serving six years ago in a Slavic Russian-speaking church in Valencia, Spain. They will continue serving in Valencia after being trained by the IMB.
According to IMB missionary Mick Stockwell, Southern Baptist work beside Slavic churches has been progressing for more than 10 years. He met Vlad and Ella in Spain and recognized that they would be strong IMB candidates. He also knew their sending church, Second Slavic, was evangelistic and “doing great mission work.”
A pivotal moment in this collaboration occurred in 2024 when the Diaspora Missions Collective was established. This collective, a joint initiative of the IMB, North American Mission Board, Send Relief and Woman’s Missionary Union, played a crucial role in unifying 19 church leaders from Slavic Christian networks to form a strategic partnership with the IMB. Their aim is to expand their outreach to Eastern Europeans both in the United States and internationally.
Vlad is from a Russian immigrant family, and Ella’s family came to the U.S. from Ukraine. Now serving in Spain, Vlad and Ella have seen atheists get involved in their church because they initially sought community. Eventually, these unbelievers became Christians and were baptized.
Vlad and Ella said they are excited about the IMB training they will receive and then getting back to the mission field. “We are looking forward to reaching more families and getting more involved with the Spanish community and not just serving in our own little bubble,” Vlad said. “It is amazing the work God is doing, helping us reach more people in Spain.”
Southern Baptist experience continues in Africa
Sean and Pam Keith are quite familiar with Southern Baptist work. Pam served 12 years as director of preschool ministries at their sending church, Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville, La.
Sean spent more than 40 years doing youth and education ministry at churches as well as serving as Sunday school/discipleship strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention and youth consultant for the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. He has also been a student ministry specialist for Lifeway Church Resources.
The Keiths say they have served “Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria,” according to Acts 1:8. “Now we’re headed to the uttermost parts of the earth,” Sean said.
God has called them to Sub-Saharan Africa to lead teams to evangelize and disciple university students. A former Journeyman, Pam is looking forward to sharing what she recently learned through evangelism training at Philadelphia Baptist. Sean intends to apply his experience in both evangelism and discipleship in their new ministry. He said that when he gets to the field, he’s also looking forward to serving with other missionaries.
“If we support and work together, encourage one another, love one another, equip one another, we can really accomplish something that none of us could even think or imagine,” Sean said.
Though they are nearing retirement, the Keiths believe that “it’s never too late” to do international missions and go make disciples.
Waiting on God to return to Peru
Drew Hawthorne will serve as a church planter in Peru, though this wasn’t a quick decision. He served as a Journeyman in Peru, and during that time his passion grew for serving Peruvians. However, Hawthorne did not know when God would have him continue doing international missions.
He finished seminary and worked with the local Baptist association and with churches, maintaining support from his sending church, Cherokee Creek Baptist in Gaffney, S.C. During this time, he relied on what he studied in the Book of Habakkuk for waiting on the Lord.
“Habakkuk talks a lot about the problems he has about not knowing what the Lord’s plans are for Israel and for him,” Hawthorne said. “I remember having that moment with God when I said to Him, ‘I know You’ve called me to the field, but I don’t know the timing of that.’”
Hawthorne attended IMB’s interview conference for missionary applicants, and that was when the Lord made it clear it was time for him to return to Peru.
“I cannot imagine doing anything else with my life other than taking the gospel to those who have never heard it,” Hawthorne said. “I realized that God could use my weakness for His glory and has given me opportunities to grow and prepare for a life of service on the field.”
Challenge and prayer
Michael Criner, senior pastor of First Rockwall, Texas, delivered a message from Jeremiah 29. He challenged missionaries to be faithful to their task. “By you being faithful to your assignment, we will be faithful to our mission.
“Not everyone has the same assignment, but we all have the same mission,” he said, speaking of Southern Baptists’ obedience to bring the gospel to the nations. “The mission has always remained the same.”
Carol Pfeiffer, IMB trustee chair, led a prayer time for the missionaries. She invited friends and family to gather around the missionaries as the event ended.
The next Sending Celebration will be Oct. 27 at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s annual meeting at Southcrest Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas.
