Right now I am asking myself, “What am I thinking?” I’m confident I will soon be asking, “What have I gotten myself into?” I have been intrigued with the evolution of social networking, but it is not something in which I have aspired to become involved. For someone who is up to his ears in time-consuming demands, I just don’t have the luxury of sharing inane comments with multitudes of people I don’t really know.

My platform as president of imb enables me to speak to issues from a very public profile. I learned early on that I no longer had a personal opinion. Whatever I say in whatever context represents the International Mission Board whether it is meant to or not. The credibility and support of a denominational entity is closely tied to the credibility of its leader. Not all leaders choose to take this stance, but for 17 years I have had to be circumspect in what I say lest it be interpreted as an official position and jeopardize support of our personnel and our global enterprise.

However, as I approach retirement this position of influence is rapidly drawing to a close. I will always be a passionate advocate for the work of imb connecting and an unequivocal supporter of my successor, whoever that might be. But I approach this transition with the burden of undelivered messages! I have seldom taken time to peruse the infinite blogs relative to Southern Baptist issues and even those that contribute valuable insights into our mission task. However, I have had staff to keep me apprised of all the scuttlebutt being circulated, especially with reference to me or our strategy.

One staff member, pleading with me to jump into the blogosphere and social networking reasoned that I needed to assume the “elder statesman” role in our denomination. But unintentionally he said, “elderly statesman.” I don’t know if I have the respect or following to serve as an elder statesman, but elderly—no way! However, I do have something to say.

I am a one-dimensional person. My calling to missions and heart for reaching a lost world grew out of my salvation experience. I have known nothing else but missions. I never aspired to be in a leadership role; in fact, I dragged my feet with regard leaving my calling on the field to return to the states. I have tried to lead with vision and integrity out of obedience, recognizing God placed me where I am. Being thrust into the inner sanctums of denominational leadership has given me a lot of insight about where we are and where we need to go.

The initiatives being taken for a Great Commission Resurgence give me optimism and hope I have never had before for the future of our denomination. I do have a few opinions about a refocus on the Great Commission and decisions that will potentially reverse some disturbing trends. I don’t know if this is the appropriate medium or not, but these blogs will give me an outlet, not just for voicing one-way communication, but for engaging in dialogue on these issues. I relish the opportunity to hear from you.

I have been incredibly blessed by widespread support and affirmation through my years of leadership. God has blessed imb with growth and phenomenal impact on a lost world, far beyond what anyone could have envisioned a few years ago. However, there are many detractors and those who continue to take issue with our strategy and organizational changes. I anticipate speaking to these issues and other current developments in the months ahead. Perhaps I will discover this is a valid platform for continuing influence well into the future.

I look forward to opening my normally introverted world of thoughts and am committed to stay logged in to respond to your reactions and comments as much as possible. If you are on Twitter, you can follow me @RankinOnMission and stay in touch with these posts at RankinConnecting.com. I’ll be updating this site in the coming days to include information about my speaking engagements and travel schedule. I’m looking forward to the journey!

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