Missionary, Keegan Cullen, who has been collecting winter-themed LEGO village sets since 2009, was enthused to share his collection with others while in the states to rest and rejuvenate before returning to the mission field in 2026. 

“Having an open house for church members was a great opportunity to talk with them and share what we have been doing overseas,” said Cullen. Keegan and his wife, Karmen, shared prayer cards with those who stopped by and had a fun contest for children to search for 10 Star Wars minifigures hidden in the display. The prize for finding all 10 characters being a Christmas-time favorite, a candy cane. 

Also on display was ceramic pottery made by Karmen, something she learned to do in high school and developed a passion for later in college. Her pottery items were works of art with practicality, and included toothbrush holders, spoon rests and travel cups for hot tea or coffee. 

Having been back in the states for six months, the Cullens have enjoyed spending time with family and friends, a welcome opportunity to recover from the homesickness and loneliness that can result from serving in long-term international missions. They have also engaged with the local community by volunteering weekly in the Baptist Collegiate Ministries at the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College. 

As they prepare to return to the mission field, they look forward to “starting fresh with a new set of people who have never heard the gospel,” said Cullen. Going to a city in Spain where around 30,000 unreached college students reside, the Cullens are excited to serve alongside a church plant, where students will have access to a local congregation where they can grow in faith and be discipled. 

Hillcrest Baptist Church already has plans to send summer interns and a mission team to help launch the new college ministry in 2026. “While we expect language barriers and other challenges along the way, we are looking forward to having a great church partnership while we serve on mission in Spain,” said Cullen. 

The Redmons returned to their Florida roots to begin their 13^th church plant, Primera Iglesia Bautista de Panama City, which celebrated 12 years of ministry this fall.

“The Northwest Coast Baptist Association has a great relationship with the church. The anniversary celebration is a culmination of a lot of prayer and hard work, especially by the Redmons, but by the church as a whole,” said Troy Varnum, Northwest Coast’s associational mission strategist.

The celebration, attended by more than 350 people, included a Latin-style service that is typical of a Sunday morning at Primera Iglesia Bautista de Panama City. Church services tend to be longer than a traditional service at First Baptist Church of Panama City and incorporate Latin music and rhythms.

Through the years, the church has strengthened relationships in the Hispanic community, particularly through English as a Second Language courses, which average 200 to 300 participants who are able to hear the gospel as they learn English and get plugged into the Hispanic ministry.

Additionally, the congregation has a clothing closet to help immigrants get on their feet and hear the gospel while settling into their new home.

“The Hispanic campus has been a great blessing to our church as we have been able to reach across a language barrier and become a multicultural church,” said Craig Conner, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Panama City. “It has been a joy to see this ministry blossom into a thriving congregation.”

The Hispanic congregation’s reach goes beyond the local community. Pastor Hugh Redmon said, “Missions is the DNA of our campus.” The church partners with other Hispanic congregations in Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil and Southern Italy.

Looking ahead, the church plans to add an associate pastor and continue to grow and thrive in the mission of sharing the gospel with Hispanic residents in the local community and throughout the world.

Tommy Green, Florida Baptists’ executive director-treasurer, welcomed attendees, saying, “We are ‘all in’ in Florida for missions.”

He backed up his claim with facts. Currently, 289 Florida Baptists are serving as active missionaries through the IMB, including the McDowells who participated in a Sending Celebration in June and are now serving in Poland as well as three other Florida Baptist couples who participated in a Sending Celebration in September and are now serving in secure locations throughout the world. Florida is home to 797 retired IMB missionaries.

Generous giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® and the Cooperative Program is the financial channel to send and support IMB missionaries.

Over the past 25 years, Florida Baptist churches have given $143 million to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering®. Since 1925, Florida Baptist churches have given $1,321,056,055 to the Cooperative Program.

IMB President Paul Chitwood expressed appreciation to Idlewild Baptist Church for hosting the Sending Celebration and thanked Florida Baptists for their continued support. Already this year, large donations have gotten the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® season off to a robust start.

“Our goal this year is $200 million, and I believe we can reach that,” Chitwood said.

The Sending Celebration included stories of how God called His missionaries to serve overseas, a challenge from Chitwood and prayer for the missionaries as they are readying to be sent to the nations.

‘Go and tell’

Referencing, 2 Kings 7, Chitwood shared the account of the four lepers who, after witnessing the deliverance of God said, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king’s household.”

Chitwood said, “God expects that we tell others what He has done. Our world is full of people who don’t know the enemy has been defeated.”

As the Israelites faced a grave problem in the lepers’ day, the world faces the greatest problem, lostness, now. Chitwood reminded attendees that believers know the solution – the gospel.

“Like them,” he said, referencing the lepers, “let us determine that we will go and tell the good news.”

He added to the crowd in the sanctuary, “If God is calling any of you to go, the IMB is hiring!”

As the Sending Celebration closed, Jeff Ginn, IMB’s vice president of mobilization, led attendees in prayer. He asked them to “hold the ropes” as William Carey, the father of modern missions, requested of the church in his day. Gathering around the newly commissioned missionaries, friends, family and Florida Baptists prayed for the new missionaries who are going to tell the nations about what God has done.

Partnership with state conventions

The IMB has been conducting Sending Celebrations in conjunction with state convention annual meetings since 2019, including Oklahoma in 2019; Alabama in 2020, cancelled because of COVID; South Carolina in 2021, and Georgia in 2022. Plans to continue to do so are set forth through 2027.

“When IMB joins with state conventions for a Sending Celebration during the annual meetings, it clearly represents God working throughout every element of Southern Baptists’ cooperative efforts to engage missions from local neighborhoods to the most isolated locations on earth. Churches experience the joy of living out the Great Commission by celebrating God’s incredible plan of evangelizing, discipling and equipping individuals to be sent into ministry service through partnership with the IMB,” said Chris Martin, IMB’s director of convention, associations and network partnerships.

With reporting by Myriah Snyder, International Mission Board.

Evènman sa ki sot fèt samdi 30 septanm nan, e ki te yon kolaborasyon ant Konvansyon Batis Florid ak IMB, li te dewoule an de (2) pati. Te gen yon sesyon nan maten, ki te fèt nan kreyòl fransize, ki te òganize nan Legliz Evanjelik Batis Bethel nan Miami, alòske sesyon apremidi a, ki te fèt an espanyòl, te fèt nan Florida Baptists’ Southeast Regional Center nan Hialeah. Chak konferans yo te gen yon kantite apeprè 300 patisipan. Sesyon espanyòl la te gen ladanl reprezantan ki soti nan plis pase 60 legliz Batis Ispanik nan Eta Florid la.

Prezidan IMB nan, Paul Chitwood te pote yon mesaj ki soti nan Labib bay tou de gwoup yo. Li mete aksan sou wòl esansyèl chak legliz ak chak moun kapab jwe pou avansman levanjil la atravè lemond.  Mesaj la jwenn rasinn li nan Apokalips 7 vèsè 9, kote Reveran Chitwood te souliye ke travay pou pwopaje levanjil la, li poko fini paske vizyon Apot Jan te pale de li nan liv Apokalips la an poko finn reyalize.

Nan menm masaj li a, Pastor Chitwood di: “Jan te wè syèl la jan li pral gen poul ye yon jou… Li te wè moun ki soti nan tout nasyon ak tout lang.”  Dapre li “Nou poko rive la paske gen anpil lòt nasyon ki pale anpil lòt lang ki poko tande pawòl la nan lang pa yo”.

Estatistik ki soti nan IMB a revele ke gen plis pase 3,000 gwoup moun kap viv sou late ki poko janm tande levanjil. Reveran Chitwood di patisipan yo, “Pi gwo pwoblèm lemond se kantite moun sa yo ki pèdi. Se yon pwoblèm inivèsèl. Se sèl pwoblèm ki pa disparèt lè w mouri, e nou pa ka kenbe bòn nouvèl la pou tèt nou sèlman.”

Konferans lan te gen ladanl tou divès kalite sesyon an gwoup separe, ke misyonè IMB yo kap sèvi nan divès kwen nan mond lan tap dirije. Chak sesyon yo te diskite de diferan aspè sou fason legliz yo ak moun yo ka patisipe aktivman nan misyon mondyal yo epi kolabore ak IMB.

Myles Dowdy, ki se youn nan lidè kap fè lyezon pou misyon Florida Batis yo esplike anvi li gen nan kè li poul ta wè  legliz lokal bay tèt yo zouti pou mache al jwenn moun ki nan vwazinaj yo, oswa moun toupatou nan lemond nan bon jan kolaborasyon ak IMB kòm yon patnè yo ka fè konfyans.

Pawòl Dowdy yo te jwenn eko nan vwa Al Fernandez ki li menm se reskonsab ki fè lyezon pou Florida Batis nan rejyon Sidès Eta Florid la. Fernandez panse konferans sa yo ta sipoze sèvi kom komansman yon kolaborasyon ant IMB ak legliz ki nan Sid Florid yo, kòm premye chwa yo lè yap chache sipò pou aktivite ki gen awè ak misyon entènasyonal. Li mete aksan sou enpòtans pou ta bati bon jan relasyon ki kapab dire lontan ant legliz lokal yo ak IMB pou ka kenbe inite nan fè misyon ki pou al jwenn sa yo ke levanjil la poke janm rive sou yo.

Jaime ak Myrna Pagan, yon koup misyonè IMB nan kap milite nan peyi Meksik, te pataje eksperyans pèsonèl yo epi ankouraje pastè ak lidè yo pou yo reponn si yo santi nan kè yo ke Bondye rele yo tout bon vre pou antre nan aktivite misyonè.

Te genyen tou plizyè misyonè kap sèvi nan peyi Kolonbi ki te pale pou di ke gen plis pase 200 gwoup moun nan kontinan Ameriken an ke pawòl la poko janm rive jwenn yo. Misyonè sa yo te raple pastè yo ak lòt lidè yo ke “Gen espas toujou pou plis misyonè.”

Reveran John Voltaire, ki se Reskonsab lyezon ant legliz Ayisyen yo ak FBC, te pale tou. Li di: “Legliz ak pastè ayisyen yo kounye a gen plis motivasyon pou ede sèvi epi pote levanjil la nan chak kwen nan lemonn.”

Te genyen tou Emanuel Roque, ki se reskonsab lyezon pou legliz  Ispanik Batis Florid yo, ki te afime wòl Batis Ispanik Laflorid yo nan travay pou fè wayòm Bondye avanse nan lemonn. Li te ankouraje chak moun ki te prezan pou yo chèche ki sa  Bondye ap mande yo epi reponn apèl li avèk kouraj ak detèminasyon.

Roque ajoute pou di: “Bondye ap fè wayòm li an avanse nan tout mond lan, epi Batis Ispanik Florid yo se yon pyon enpòtan nan travay Bondye a”.

El evento del 30 de septiembre, una colaboración entre la Convención Bautista de Florida y la IMB, se desarrolló en dos partes. La sesión de la mañana, realizada en creole, tuvo lugar en la Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church en Miami, mientras que la sesión de la tarde, en español, se llevó a cabo en el Centro Regional del Sureste de los Bautistas de Florida en Hialeah. Cada conferencia contó con una asistencia de aproximadamente 300 participantes, y la sesión en español recibió representantes de más de 60 iglesias hispanas bautistas de Florida.

Paul Chitwood, presidente de la IMB, pronunció un mensaje bíblico para ambos grupos, enfatizando el papel fundamental de cada iglesia y de cada persona en la difusión del evangelio en todo el mundo. Basando su mensaje en Apocalipsis 7:9, Chitwood destacó que la obra de evangelismo aún no está terminada porque la visión presentada por el Apóstol Juan en Apocalipsis aún no se ha realizado completamente.

“Juan vio el cielo como será algún día… Vio gente de todas las naciones y lenguas… Todavía no estamos allí”, dijo Chitwood.

Las estadísticas de la IMB revelan que más de 3,000 grupos étnicos aún no han escuchado el evangelio. Chitwood les dijo a los asistentes: “La perdición es el mayor problema del mundo. Es un problema universal. Es el único problema que no desaparece cuando mueres, y no podemos guardar las buenas noticias para nosotros mismos”.

La conferencia también presentó una amplia gama de sesiones paralelas, diseñadas y dirigidas por misioneros de la IMB que están sirviendo activamente en diferentes rincones del mundo. Cada sesión exploró diferentes aspectos de cómo las iglesias y las personas pueden participar activamente en las misiones globales y colaborar con la IMB.

Myles Dowdy, líder catalizador de misiones y ministerios de los Bautistas de Florida, expresó el sincero deseo de empoderar a las iglesias locales para alcanzar a personas en la misma calle al igual que alrededor del mundo, con la IMB como su confiable socio de misiones internacionales.

“Dios está trayendo a las naciones a Florida para preparar a los Bautistas de Florida para llevar el evangelio a las naciones”, dijo Dowdy.

La perspectiva de Dowdy fue compartida por Al Fernández, catalizador regional del sureste de los Bautistas de Florida. Fernández visualizó la conferencia como el inicio de que las iglesias del sur de Florida se asocien con la IMB como su primera opción para el apoyo de misiones internacionales. Él enfatizó la importancia de construir relaciones duraderas entre las congregaciones locales y la IMB, fomentando un sentido de unidad en la misión de llegar a los no alcanzados.

Jaime y Myrna Pagan, misioneros de la IMB en México, compartieron su viaje personal y alentaron a los pastores y líderes a responder al llamado de Dios a las misiones a través de la oración sincera.

“El campo de misión está abierto; te necesitamos”, dijo Myrna Pagan.

Los misioneros que sirven en Colombia enfatizaron que más de 200 grupos étnicos no alcanzados aún permanecen en las Américas. Recordaron a los pastores y líderes: “Hay espacio para más misioneros”.

John Voltaire, catalizador del Ministerio Haitiano para FBC, compartió su perspectiva, diciendo: “Nuestras iglesias y pastores haitianos están ahora más motivados para ayudar a servir y llevar el evangelio a cada rincón del mundo”.

Emanuel Roque, catalizador de ministerios hispanos de los Bautistas de Florida, afirmó el papel de los Bautistas de Florida hispanos en el avance del reino de Dios a nivel global. Animó a cada persona presente a buscar la voluntad de Dios y responder a Su llamado con valentía y determinación.

“Dios está avanzando Su reino en todo el mundo, y los Bautistas de Florida hispanos son una parte vital del trabajo de Dios”, dijo Roque.

The Sept. 30 event, a collaboration between the Florida Baptist Convention and IMB, unfolded in two parts. The morning session, conducted in French Creole, was hosted at Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church in Miami, while the afternoon session, conducted in Spanish, took place at Florida Baptists’ Southeast Regional Center in Hialeah. Each conference boasted an attendance of approximately 300 participants, and the Spanish session welcomed representatives from more than 60 Hispanic Florida Baptist churches.

Paul Chitwood, IMB president, delivered a biblical message to both groups, emphasizing each church’s and each person’s pivotal role in advancing the gospel worldwide. Grounding his message in Revelation 7:9, Chitwood underscored that the work of evangelism remains unfinished because the vision presented by the Apostle John in Revelation has yet to be fully realized.

“John saw heaven as it will someday be … He saw people from every nation and tongue. … We are not there yet,” Chitwood said.

Statistics from the IMB reveal that more than 3,000 people groups have yet to hear the gospel. Chitwood told attendees, “Lostness is the world’s greatest problem. It’s a universal problem. It is the only problem that doesn’t disappear when you die, and we cannot keep the good news to ourselves.”

The conference also featured a diverse range of breakout sessions, designed and led by IMB missionaries who are actively serving in various corners of the world. Each session delved into different facets of how churches and individuals can actively engage in global missions and collaborate with the IMB.

Myles Dowdy, Florida Baptists’ missions and ministries lead catalyst, expressed the heartfelt desire to empower local churches to reach across the street and around the world, with the IMB as their trusted international missions partner.

“God is bringing the nations to Florida to prepare Florida Baptists to take the gospel to the nations,” Dowdy said.

Dowdy’s perspective was echoed by Al Fernandez, Florida Baptists’ Southeast regional catalyst. Fernandez envisioned the conference as the inception of South Florida churches partnering with the IMB as their first choice for international missions support. He emphasized the significance of building lasting relationships between local congregations and the IMB, fostering a sense of unity in the mission to reach the unreached.

Jaime and Myrna Pagan, IMB missionaries in Mexico, shared their personal journey and encouraged pastors and leaders to respond to God’s call to missions through heartfelt prayer.

“The mission field is open; we need you to come,” said Myrna Pagan.

Missionaries serving in Colombia emphasized that more than 200 unreached people groups remain in the Americas alone. They reminded pastors and leaders, “There is space for more missionaries.”

John Voltaire, Haitian Ministry Catalyst for FBC, shared his perspective, saying, “Our Haitian churches and pastors are now more motivated to help serve and take the gospel to every corner of the globe.”

Emanuel Roque, Florida Baptists’ Hispanic ministries catalyst, affirmed the role of Hispanic Florida Baptists in advancing God’s kingdom globally. He encouraged each person present to seek God’s will and answer His call with courage and determination.

“God is advancing His kingdom all over the world, and Hispanic Florida Baptists are a vital part of God’s work,” Roque said.

The church’s summer 2018 mission trips were outlined in the bulletin.

“I pointed to one and told my wife that I was feeling led to go on the short-term mission trip to Albania,” recalled Dan Biles, then serving as county administrator for Pasco County.

Months later, during that trip, Biles began to sense God telling him that his relationship with Albania would be long-term, although, he said, “I wasn’t sure if that meant full-time missionary service or short-term mission trips over the following years.”

Since his first 2018 mission trip to Albania, Biles has returned to Albania once each year on subsequent mission trips.

“After the 2019 trip, I really started to sense that God was calling us to full-time ministry there through the International Mission Board after our youngest child graduated from college,” he said.

In 2020 and 2021 Biles’ wife served alongside him in Albania. A team from Idlewild’s missions committee traveled to Albania in 2020 as part of a vision trip to initiate long-term relationships between Idlewild and IMB missionaries already serving there.

Through the mission trips to Albania, prayer and discussions with his family and Edgar Aponte, global missions minister at Idlewild Baptist Church, Biles said that God’s calling of him and his wife to serve as full-time missionaries in Albania “has been confirmed.”

Fast-forward to June 2022 and the couple were among 58 individuals recognized by the International Mission Board at the Sending Celebration held June 14 in conjunction with the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California. Two other Florida Baptist couples also participated in the Sending Celebration and will soon begin their international missionary service, but their names and places of service cannot be published because of security concerns.

Now officially appointed as IMB missionaries, the Biles will head to the IMB’s International Learning Center in Richmond, Virginia, for field personnel orientation before leaving for Albania in early October.

There, they will join another IMB missionary couple already serving in Tirana, Albania, and they will work with local church leaders and pastors to reach residents in the predominantly Muslim country with the gospel of Jesus Christ. They will also disciple and train leaders in the young churches that have been established there.

For at least a couple of years the Biles will focus on learning the Albanian language and culture, which is a matter of prayer for the couple.

“Our biggest prayer need is that we will learn Albanian quickly so that we can minister to the people in their heart language,” Biles said.

The Biles have four young adult children and five grandchildren.

“While they are excited, there is a little apprehension for them about the unknown,” Biles said, who acknowledged, “FaceTime will be an important way for us to maintain the close relationships we have with our kids and grandkids even though we can’t see them in person as often as we have been able to in the past.”

Biles is grateful for the support from his home church as he and his wife answered God’s call to missions and are beginning the transition.

“The pastoral staff and other church leaders have been very supportive and provided much needed guidance as we worked through the process. The vision trip last summer was another way our church has shown a commitment to us as missionaries and to the work being done in Albania. We are looking forward to frequent short-term mission teams from Idlewild coming to help,” he said.

For now, the couple’s bags are packed; their prayers are intense, and their hope is strong.

“It is our hope that we will be instrumental in helping the Albanian Christians build their churches in order to reach this predominantly Muslim country for Christ,” Biles said.