Lives Given, Not Taken: 21st Century Southern Baptist Martyrs

Immediately following the deaths of Southern Baptist workers in Yemen, Iraq, and other places, the International Mission Board received an outpouring of support and consolation. But it did not take long for the questions to come. ?Why do missionaries go to dangerous places? ?How can the IMB be so irresponsible to send missionaries to places where their lives will be endangered? There were demands to bring the missionaries home. Some reflected that this loss of life was such a waste and could have been avoided. Apparently the top priority in the minds of many was the safety of missionaries.Yet, those who died gave their lives as a witness to their faith and testimony to their obedience and devotion to their Lord. They died because they were willing to be in a place where their lives were vulnerable'because offering eternal life to others was more important than maintaining their own earthly lives.These were individuals whose lives were given, not taken.Jerry Rankin is the author of 'Lives Given, Not Taken: 21st Century Southern Baptist Martyrs' with ISBN 9780976764533 and ISBN 0976764539.