DALLAS — The legacy of Minh Ha Nguyen was honored at the 2025 Ethnic Leaders Breakfast June 10 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, the early morning of the first day of the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting in the same location.

At least 50 people from a dozen or more ethnic groups heard of Nguyen’s “amazing ability to turn complex ideas into actionable plans,” his supervisor Chris Kennedy said to those gathered at tables for a buffet breakfast.

Nguyen, 57 when he died in a drowning accident last July, was director of gift care and data stewardship for the International Mission Board’s (IMB) Ministry Advancement Team.

His work was to provide statistics and research for the IMB, and he took it upon himself to also look into the growth of ethnic ministry in the Southern Baptist Convention. His work can be seen at baptistresearch.com.

Nearly one-quarter of Southern Baptists — 22.7% — are non-Anglo, according to Nguyen’s accumulated research. More than 100 languages are spoken in SBC-affiliated churches. “Yet 50% of the people groups in the U.S. are unreached,” according to the website, “and hundreds of language groups do not have a sustained gospel presence.”

Before the business of the seventh annual event began, Asian, Hispanic, Black, Messianic and Slavic ethnic leaders gathered in many small groups at the Ethnic Leaders Breakfast, often merging in and out as they spotted someone else they knew.

Jeff Iorg, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee (EC), brought a short message that described how he and Charles Grant, vice president of convention partnerships, focus together on the various ethnicities across the SBC.

“We meet nearly every week to talk about the work we’re doing together and to make sure I’m hearing about what’s happening,” Iorg said. “Know that this is a priority for us.

“The multicultural and multinational nature of the Southern Baptist Convention today is a testimony to our missional imperative in the past,” Iorg continued. “It is an example of what happens when a people decide the gospel is for everyone, to get the gospel to as many people as possible. That’s looking back.

“But fellowships are also important as we look forward because they are a means of partnership for us. … One of the things Charles and I have been working on this last year is ways to enhance our partnerships by raising the level of leadership development and the leaders who come from among you to serve in the SBC.”

Iorg in five minutes walked the ethnic leaders through strategic steps needed to gain “a seat at the table” of Southern Baptist life:

• Be consistent givers to missions through Cooperative Program giving
• Adhere to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000
• Identify and nurture lay leaders — professionals such as attorneys, accountants, financiers, investment specialists, human resource specialists, technology specialists and the like — who have the professional competence to be able to give two weeks or more a year to SBC trustee meetings
• Be strategic about the future and how to raise up leaders

“Leadership matters in partnership, and voices at the table will make a difference,” Iorg said. “Keep working with the processes and keep elevating not only pastors but people you know who understand our work and have a professional contribution to make to our boards and to our entities. That’s what I want to see happen.

“I think Southern Baptists are missionary people,” Iorg said. “And look what has resulted.” He stretched out his arm to include the ethnicities present. “And I also think Southern Baptists are a partnership people. We work better together.”

Grant spoke next about the opportunity of celebrating “the solidarity that we have as we work together on common and shared goals.

“I do want to take a moment for us to recognize and honor our dear brother who went home to the Lord,” Grant continued. “We want to take a moment to share some special news about some developments and celebrating them and remembering Minh Ha Nguyen’s work he’s done with ethnic research.”

Grant called Carter Tan, Chris Kennedy and Brent Waldrep to speak about Nguyen and plans to honor the contribution he made to Southern Baptists as a whole and to the ethnic groups that make up nearly a quarter of SBC membership.

Kennedy was Nguyen’s supervisor; Waldrep was Nguyen’s co-worker; and Tan is president of the Ethnic Research Network started by Nguyen that utilized Nguyen’s work.

“I met with Minh Ha in Richmond,” Waldrep said. “We were looking at data structures and how he set all this stuff up. I said, ‘Man, I don’t understand. How did you arrange all the data on the back end to get this chart, this simple looking chart? He’s like, ‘Dude, I don’t have time to explain it to you.’”

Laughter flowed across the room.

“I so much admired Minh Ha, not only for his data and his ability and what God had given him ability-wise, but just his character, who he was actually,” Waldrep continued.

“I didn’t understand half of what he said at the beginning,” Kennedy said. “Just like Brent said, he’s operating way up here” — he motioned high above his head — “but at the end he showed me lots of cool pictures.

“Minh Ha has this ability to translate complexity into an amazing actionable plan,” Kennedy continued. “He truly believed that God had an incredible plan for the SBC through this group right here.” Kennedy waved his arm to include the entire room filled with ethnic leaders.

The IMB training facility for newly appointed missionaries is being renovated, and the Minh Ha Nguyen Fund has been established “to continue his work of advancing the Gospel by encouraging innovation through research that reflects the beauty and diversity of the body of Christ,” according to a website about the fund: imb.org/give/project/honoring-minh-ha/.

Plans for how Nguyen is remembered at the site are in process. Funds given in excess of the need will be turned over to the Ethnic Research Network.

“The International Mission Board is honored to establish the Minh Ha Nguyen Fund for Innovation through Research, celebrating the life and legacy of a man whose work transformed how we see and support ethnic churches,” the website says.

To contribute to the fund, go here.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Karen L. Willoughby is a national correspondent for Baptist Press.)