WOODSTOCK (BP) — Missions leaders from every level of Southern Baptist life celebrated a unified hope May 19 that every church in the convention would see itself as a worldwide mission center – developing strategies to advance the Great Commission at local, state, national and international levels.

That concept – known as “The Acts 1:8 Challenge” – sets forth a framework for a unified denominational missions strategy based in the local church.

“This could be the beginning tonight of revival around the world, for the hearts of men to be aflame with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,” said Morris H. Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee, at the opening of the celebration service at First Church in Woodstock.

Participants included trustee boards of both the North American Mission Board and International Mission Board, state convention executives, associational directors of missions and Woman’s Missionary Union leadership.

Earlier in the day IMB and NAMB trustees met together – a first in the history of the boards – to adopt a resolution affirming the Acts 1:8 challenge. Trustees also met for extended prayer.

In accepting the Acts 1:8 Challenge (www.ActsOne8.com) churches commit to embracing a comprehensive missions strategy in partnership with associational, state, national and international missions. Taken from Christ’s challenge to his disciples to take the Gospel to the nations, “Jerusalem” corresponds to the local Baptist association, “Judea” to the state convention, “Samaria” to the North American Mission Board and “the ends of the earth” to the International Mission Board.

“Our mission field is all of them ... and we need to be reminded of that,” said J. Robert White, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Convention, representing state convention leaders.

“Christ reminded us that our mission field is the ‘uttermost (parts of the earth)’ but it is also Jerusalem. It is Samaria, but it is also Judea. It is the whole of our mission field that He has called us to and that He has empowered us by the Holy Spirit to reach – not to our glory, but to His glory.”

The service included a public commitment by the first two churches to accept the Acts 1:8 Challenge – Immanuel Baptist Church in Wichita, Kan., and First Baptist Concord of Knoxville, Tenn. The “Acts 1:8 Covenant” was signed by the churches’ pastors, – Terry Fox in Kansas and Doug Sager in Tennessee – who serve as chairmen of the North American Mission Board and International Mission Board, respectively.

The covenant indicates partner churches will “be intentionally engaged in the Great Commission, awakening Christians to God’s calling to join Him on mission, and helping take the gospel to all people groups,” and committing to comprehensive missions involvement in the local community, state, continent and world.

Jerry Rankin, president of the International Mission Board, echoed the reliance on the Holy Spirit for the mammoth task of reaching the nations with the Gospel, with the Acts 1:8 Challenge helping churches develop a unified strategy for doing that.

“We have always had a vision for being obedient to the Great Commission task of our Lord,” he said.

Robert E. Reccord, president of the North American Mission Board, said he believes God is working in the hearts of young people today to take leadership of Southern Baptist mission agencies.

“I believe God has ordered our steps to give us something so critically important that I want to give them something worth having,” he said. “I want to be able to say, ‘I’m Southern Baptist, and I’m proud to be Southern Baptist.’”

Churches interested in learning more about or accepting the Acts 1:8 Challenge should visit www.ActsOne8.com or call 1-800-4ACTS18 (1-800-422-8718). There is also an opportunity for individuals to share the concept with their pastors or missions leaders.