(July 23, 2010)–This past week has been a whirlwind of activity and emotion, the culmination of a couple of months of events that have served to accent the finality of my role as IMB president. There was the final appointment of new missionaries (after 101 such services), final orientation of new personnel, final stateside conference, final staff chapel, and now the final board meeting.

People had a lot of nice things to say about my tenure as we reflected on what God has done and from where we have come. I am the first to admit that I was ill-equipped to step into a global leadership role and a position of denominational leadership after 23 years overseas. In fact, I had not even attended a Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting until the year prior to my election. My calling was overseas, and I never desired to return to the States or to a leadership role that would pull me off the field.

I was resistant at that time to allowing the search committee to even consider me, but recognized it would not have happened had God not been in the decision. It was and continued to be a steep learning curve, but the most notable impression as I look back on these 17 years is an awesome sense of God’s providence. He was at work throughout the world to fulfill His mission; He is sovereign over the nations and didn’t need Jerry Rankin. He didn’t need the IMB or Southern Baptists. We were just given the privilege of joining Him in the task of reaching the nations.

I had a vision of what we were striving for and I have sought to lead with confidence and faith; after all, we are given assurance the mission will be fulfilled when a multitude from every tribe, people, language and nation are among the redeemed. While the administrative functions were overwhelming, I have had a passion for the task and the type of personal discipline to maintain focus. But no one is more amazed than I at the growth of our missionary force and global impact that has been made in terms of people groups engaged, new believers baptized and churches planted around the world.

It is evident that this is not due to anything I have done and can claim credit for, as it is God who has worked in us, through us and in spite of us. It has been an unbelievable journey as we have seen God’s grace manifested in the health He has given, safety in travel, wisdom in decisions, and especially in the staff, missionaries and leadership team with which He has surrounded us. It has been a rare day when something doesn’t happen to remind me that there must be thousands of Southern Baptist praying for me.

It hasn’t been easy as the endless meetings, public scrutiny, constant travel, and prolific number of letters and reports to be written eliminated any illusion of having margin and a balanced life. A respected advisor once reminded me that, “These are things you have to do in order to do what you want to do.” God provided the grace for personal discipline and whatever I considered burdensome was worth it for the sake of seeing the gospel advance to the ends of the earth.

The challenges provided an environment of growth and opportunity to witness God’s faithfulness. Criticism served to keep me humble and broken, reminding me of my inadequacy and keeping me from succumbing to pride. Frequent misunderstandings reminded me to forgive as I need to be forgiven, to be more patient, communicate better and that relationships are more important than programs, issues and agendas. Being confronted with a sense of failure and disappointment always brought me to the point of restoring the compelling vision that drove me, and to a deeper walk of faith and reliance on God.

I praise Him for enabling me to hold to the three core values I wrote in my personal journal years before missionary service—purity of life, absolute integrity and unwavering obedience to God’s Word. It would be impossible to highlight the verses of Scripture God used to speak into my life over the years, but one of the most important was Job 4:6—“Is not the fear of the Lord your confidence and the integrity of your ways your hope.”

As I reflect on the journey, I praise God for the call confirmed, the disciplines acquired, the lessons learned, the victories won, the places traveled, the people met, the events witnessed, the missionaries served, the partners mobilized, the people groups engaged, and most of all the multitudes of those who now know Jesus Christ as Savior around the world.

It has all been my desire that when I came to the point of retirement, no one would be able to identify what Jerry Rankin has done. Certainly there have been organizational changes, strategic developments and global advance toward fulfillment of the Great Commission; however, it is due to God’s providence and power—I have had the privilege of filling a position and holding a title when God chose to work among us. As Isaiah 14:24 says, “The Lord of Hosts has sworn saying, ‘Surely as I have thought so it shall come to pass, and as I have purposed, so it shall stand.’”

It has also been my conviction that the mark of one’s leadership is not what happens and what is accomplished during one’s tenure, but by what the organization is positioned to do in the future. As I have seen God working in amazing ways, I had envisioned possibly coming to this time of retirement unable to identify a people group that doesn’t have access to the gospel. We are not there yet, but are closer than we would ever have dreamed 17 years ago.

I am confident God’s hand will be on the selection of a new IMB president. An outstanding leadership team is in place in Richmond and around the world. The vision and passion for the task is undiminished. I pray that not only those with the IMB, but all Southern Baptists will stay focused and be found faithful in finishing the task.

This time of retirement has clearly been led of God just as He has led in other life decisions, and I am excited in anticipation of what God is going to do in the next stage of life; I anticipate significant opportunities consistent with His calling and gifting. Yet, for 40 years my life has been one dimensional in fulfilling that call in the context of the IMB. It hurts to leave those with whom we have worked so closely. Someone has said, “If you don’t want to hurt so badly, then don’t love so deeply.” We have chosen to love, so we will accept the hurt of bringing closure to the relationship and role that has brought such joy and blessing.

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