SCBO Catalysts Josh Remy, Reagan Wagoner, Matt Pardi, Chad Keck, NAMB President Kevin Ezell, Ryan Strother, SCBO director of convention support, and Catalysts Stephen Owens, and Rick Williams at the North American Mission Board. May 2026 | 5
By Ryan Strother, director of convention support SCBO Regional Catalysts Visit NAMB, IMB
Last month, I had the privilege of taking our six SCBO Re- gional Catalysts to visit both of our SBC mission boards: the North American Mission Board (NAMB) in Alpharet- ta, Georgia, and the International Mission Board (IMB) in Richmond, Virginia. I’ve led trips like this with pastors be- fore, and the reaction is almost always the same. People walk away saying, “I didn’t know we did all of this.” That was true again for our team. There is a lot of noise online about our SBC entities. Much of it is exaggerated, and some of it is simply not true. I believe the best response to that noise is to go see for yourself because relationships trump ignorance. Our team toured the buildings of both boards, sat with NAMB President Kevin Ezell, attended the IMB’s weekly staff worship service, and heard directly from the people doing the work. What they found did not match the criti- cism they had seen online. Reagan Wagoner, southwest catalyst, came away with a clear picture of where giving actually goes. “Every dollar given through CP to NAMB now goes directly to min- istry,” he said. He was also moved by the scale of the NAMB support: “We not only support over 3,500 mis- sionaries through CP, but also their children.” Stephen Owens, northeast catalyst, reflected on what care for missionaries actually looks like up close. “I found the level of care and consideration for our missionaries by NAMB and IMB to be inspiring. As local churches, we can help in caring for our missionaries as they take the gospel across the globe, as we give to the CP and mis- sions’ offerings.” Rick Williams, central catalyst, put it this way: “Through our cooperative efforts, churches of every size and con - text are able to send missionaries, plant churches, and engage lostness both across North America and around
the world. This is not just a strategy—it is a conviction rooted deeply in our commitment to the Great Commis- sion.” In Ohio, 50% of every CP dollar stays right here to serve Ohio churches. The remaining 50% goes to the SBC; currently, 50.41% goes to the IMB and 22.79% to NAMB. When your church gives generously through the Co- operative Program, it truly makes a difference in Ohio, our country, and the world. If you have questions about where your giving goes, I’d love to talk. Reach out to your SCBO Regional Catalyst, or contact me directly at rstrother@scbo.org. Author’s Note: For the last two years, no CP dollars or An- nie Armstrong dollars were used to cover administrative costs, per NAMB.
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