Welcome to the defender podcast, a resource to help mobilize and equip the body of Christ to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children. This podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children Services, and I'm your host, Herbie Newell.

Hey there. It is September 23, 2023. Today is Wednesday as always, and I'm Rick Morton, and this is the Defender Podcast. Well, welcome again back to another edition of the Defender Podcast. We've got a fun episode for you today.

Hopefully, we have fun in a lot of them, but today is really gonna be, something special treat, really enjoyable. Herbie and I had the opportunity back, during the Southern Baptist Convention in June to sit down with a really great friend of ours, Josh Benton. Josh is the national vice president for Send Relief. Send Relief is a collaboration unified platform that Southern Baptist have to offer hope to the most vulnerable people around the world. And so Josh is, is squarely in the the lane of ministry that, that that we in inhabit.

He is also a member of our national board, and so we're, incredibly thankful to have that kind of relationship with Josh that he helps provide accountability and, and advice and direction to this ministry. He leads Send Relief's North American Ministry efforts, which includes ministry centers all across the United States, partnering with Southern Baptist in disaster relief and crisis ministry. That also in involves the adoption and foster care portion of this the ministry, the Southern Baptist Convention. Josh, before he came to send relief, was in economic and workforce development, with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, served in a variety of roles including on the on the governor's cabinet, in education and workforce development. He, He, has been a bivocational student pastor.

He's a graduate of Cumberland College and, holds master's degrees in both public administration and Christian missions. He and his wife, Emily, and their 4 kids are, just a precious gift. They're a family who has grown through adoption, and, and we just we love the fact that Josh is part of us. And that really comes out in this interview today because we have a lot of fun with him. As we talk about some pretty serious things about what Southern Baptists are doing in the area of, ministry to the vulnerable, ministry to vulnerable kids, and vulnerable families.

Just kind of all the things that they do and, and some pretty particular things about how we work together with, Lifeline and Sin Relief. But before we get there, we want to talk about Orphan Sunday. Orphan Sunday is coming up really soon. In the 1st part of November. It's going to be November 9th, I believe.

Not looking at the calendar. Ain't that terrible? November 10th is orphan Sunday. So, you can you can get ready and make sure on you get a good night's rest on November 9th so that you can show up church ready for Orphan Sunday on November 10th but seriously, if your church is is planning an orphan Sunday observation sometime during the course of the next several weeks, months. Lifeline has some resources that we'd love to be able to share with you.

If your church is not and you want to try to engage your church leadership about doing something for your church to pray for and to plan for how you're engaging vulnerable children and vulnerable families with the gospel. Orphan Sunday is a great way to do that. You can go to lifelinechild.org backslash orphan, lifelinechild.org backslash orphan, or you can just check-in the show notes. You can go there to our resource page. All kinds of helps and things that are there: bulletin inserts and slides and and videos and all kinds of things that can help you, to be able to to commemorate Orphan Sunday in your church.

And so as I said, just a really great time, back in June that Herbie and I had as we sat down with Josh Benton, and, and so just sit back, relax, listen. Thanks for joining us. We're glad that you're here and that, as always, you're a part of the Defender podcast with us. And so, here we go. We're sitting here with our friend, Josh Benton, who is the vice president at Send Relief, leads the effort for missions, for Southern Baptist in North America, aggregating the forces of Southern Baptist Churches together to be engaged in mercy ministry.

He also happens to sit on our national board and is now apparently one of the most patient people that I know because we get to have to have this conversation over again because, yours truly didn't hit the record button. It had. We're we're here in the exhibit hall live in the Southern Baptist Convention. And and I'm gonna tell you, there's no fear. There's no, like, shutter that comes over that when your when your boss puts a text in front of you that says, hey.

Did you hit the record button? And that boss would be Herbie Newell. Herbie, how are you doing, buddy?

I'm doing great. You know, Josh, we were talking about before the last recording, and then on the last Yeah. Box recording

About a lot of times Southern Baptists are known what we're against or what makes the headlines or the amendments, the fighting in the hall. But, really, Southern Baptists are known for their cooperation.

Right.

They're known for the national the the international mission board and the North American mission board, and you get to partner and and be right there in the middle with Send Relief

Yeah.

To really see the heart of what Southern Baptists are doing. Can you give us a a snapshot of what is what is what is really the Southern Baptist Church is doing?

Yeah. No. Appreciate that. It's it is everything that we do at Send Relief is one. It's it's founded on scripture, but it's functionally founded on partnership.

And that's really that cooperation within the SBC. We see that at the top with the partnership between NAM and INB. Our first ever you think of all of the years that INB and NAM have existed. This is the first formal partnership in ministry that we've ever had. And it's it's just a great opportunity to serve those experiencing crisis and vulnerable populations all over the world.

But even beyond that, it's dependent upon partnerships with local churches, with state conventions, with state disaster relief teams Right. Is that, you know, we we have all of these Southern Baptist disaster relief teams all over the country, and and we have the the great opportunity to partner with them so that when there is a a tornado, a fire, a hurricane, a war, that we can mobilize that that group to go respond to things, but then also provide opportunities for ministry, for churches to to participate with us or to even cultivate and create their own. Yeah. Yeah. Sounds awesome.

It's great to see that cooperation. And we've really seen it over the past 4 years, just the growth in in mobilization, both from churches and in individuals. Just exponential growth. And, you know, really excited to see the way Southern Baptists have responded, to Send Relief and the opportunities that we're providing.

And I think even quantitively, we've seen that. Right? Because before Send, you were telling how many churches were participating? You

know, the partnership between, NAM and IMB was right before COVID, couple of weeks before COVID. And prior to that, SEND relief had existed within NAM. Right. And the most volunteers we had ever mobilized was around 10,000. The most churches was around 4,000.

In 23, it was almost 49,000 volunteers and over 7,000 churches. Wow. Wow. So in that short amount of time, it's just been it's like the church was itching to engage. Right.

And, we we just needed to provide the opportunity. That's right. So

And then, you know, just yesterday, we were talking to David Means, who leads the Nebraska and Kansas Association. And he's talking about a couple weeks ago, you know, the storms rolled through their area, and that the Alabama churches made a collection to send to the Kansas churches. I mean, that's that's New Testament church right there. That's Acts 2, Acts 4, the body of Christ. And you get to see that every day, and you get to see the the participation.

That that's gotta renew the spirit of of the spirit of God is alive and active in these churches.

That's that's exactly right. And there's the desire there to to respond to those opportunities to cooperate, to be the generosity of Southern Baptist are amazing when it comes to, you know, giving to those opportunities. And when there's a when there's a crisis like that and to support it, we we're very generous, as as as the SBC and within our churches. And they're always willing to to, obviously, to pray when those things happen, but to be to to give generously. And many go and and are equipped to serve.

Yeah. You know, we come to a thing like this to the to the SBC, and and it's, you know, it's almost like we have a deja vu moment. Right? Like, I mean, actually, it feels like right now we're having a deja vu moment. But no.

But but seriously, like, the that in here, we're we're talking about all kinds of great ministry. There are we're seeing all these things that God's people are doing together, and the magnitude of what of what Southern Baptists are are able to do out there, you know, kind of in the media. It's all the stuff we're against and all the things that we're, you know, that that we may be cross with each other about or whatever. And, you know, and even we we we're kind of not to, you know, not to kinda get into a sensitive subject, but, you know, even around things like, you know, like the great commission. Mhmm.

But but the truth is we know that boots on the ground where a lot of great commission and great commandment ministries happening Right. Is in in local churches and and in the lives of individual kids, and individual individual families that are that are ministering to the needs of of orphan Right. Vulnerable children.

That's right.

And and you guys are involved in in a number of of different initiatives, and things around around the country, and around the world in in mobilizing the church into that work. And and so, like, why why? Like, why why is it that that that this has been the area that Southern Baptists have begun to excel in?

Well, I think Southern Baptists have have always proclaimed that they are people of the book. Is that that's that's our authority.

Right. Well

and if you read scripture, we're called and commanded to serve for the vulnerable. And I think not everybody always knows how to do that. It's it's it's complicated, to, you know, to minister to someone who's in a in a vulnerable circumstance, who's who's experienced a a tragedy. And so, you know, one, we're called to do it. And I think just providing the the mechanisms and the opportunities for churches to do that, which shows, like, the willingness, and that they've almost been waiting to engage in these ways.

And and what we really try to do we're involved in a lot of different types of ministry. Right. And and our goal is to really, you know, whether that's working in high poverty situations, it's working with, you know, in the foster care lane or, with, you know, anti trafficking or with crisis or refugees, is we want to show and provide experiences, that are high quality, that that can show churches this is a way to engage. And our end goal is, yeah, we want them to come and serve with us, but we really want churches to engage more in their community and context, whatever that may look like and whatever their giftings and callings are. Yep.

We, you know, we provide mission trips all over the world, and we really want those mission trips to be about 2 things. Quality of experience. Mhmm. We want them to go and serve alongside of our missionaries and support those missionaries, but it's also a discipling opportunity. Right.

You know, when, you know, a a passage of scripture that is just convicting me more and more that really talks about what all of us do is when Jesus fed the 5,000. I mean, we all think about the miracle of multi multiplying the food. Mhmm. But when you really read through that in all four gospels, you see that Jesus demonstrated compassion. Yep.

He felt it, but then he acted upon it by meeting needs, but also proclaiming the kingdom. But then he discipled his disciples

Mhmm. Right.

And challenged them to serve along with him. And that's what we really want mission trips to be about. That's right. Is that these are discipleship opportunities for churches to come along so that they can grow in their faith and be you know, fill that urging of the spirit to go back into their own community and and do the work that that that's right there in front of them every day.

Well, and part of the way that that you guys are facilitating the the discipling of the disciples is is through providing all kinds of resources that teach churches how to do these kind of ministries. And I think one of the, you know, one of the best parts of our partnership with Send Relief is is taking resources that the lord's privileged us to be able to to create and and giving them a a distribution through send relief. And so I I think I think it's just important for people to know that that one of the ways that we can profitably work together in ministry is when when we have this kind of almost relay race sort of mentality that that everybody has everybody has a role, everybody has a a a function to fill, and but when we when we join together and when we lock arms in that way, there there's incredible gospel ministry that that comes out of it. And I I'm just I'm really thankful

Yeah.

For the fact that, you know, that that sin relief has has really you guys have honestly, and I'm just gonna say this as a long time Southern Baptist, we you've kinda bucked the trend in in the idea for a long time as as the SBC, we sort of had this mentality that we were gonna we were gonna sort of take it over and make it ours. Yeah. And and it sort of had to be you know, it had to have the good housekeeping seal of approval kinda thing on it. Well, there's complete revolution in thought to say, no. No.

What we're gonna do is we're gonna find we're gonna find good things. We're gonna find the best of things, and so you're really kind of almost looking for, to use a term outside of the church world, best in class. Right. And then and then how do we how do we bring that forward in order for more churches, and more people to to be able to to access that? And I think, you know, frankly, that's been that's been the basis of the partnership that we've had.

That's right.

And it and it's been amazing, and so, you know, thank you Of course. That you guys do that. But I but I think also what, like, as you're, you know, as you're kinda looking out there over the horizon for the future, what are those opportunities that that you still see that churches are able to to lean into, and and and some of those things that we can do to continue to show that we're, like, really pro life?

Yeah. So I think you really hit on, you know, what I I think the future in this is going to be. And when we look at our, kind of, ministry path, if you will, you know, we we provide kinda at the very top of the funnel, if you will, some some introductory opportunities where, you know, they a lot of people can come in. They and it might be an example of, like, it it it's maybe event driven. There there might be a food distribution or something of that nature.

But then, you know, we wanna take them on to the next phase of engagement, which is at one of our ministry centers, where they're coming along someone in a more, contextualized way, and they're seeing it. They're experiencing it. But we're really good at that. Yep. And we we provide those opportunities.

You know, we do them well, and it's all credit to our our team and our missionaries out there. But if if we leave them there Yep. You know, yeah, they're probably gonna keep coming back. But we wanna take them to the next phase, which is around training and their own implementation of of ministry. And so the partnership with you all, I think, is really just scratching the surface on what the future of this could be.

I mean, could to imagine churches all over North America beginning to engage in very meaningful ways with vulnerable populations in their communities.

Right.

Right? It's you know, we are, you know, culturally in a moment where, you know, it's really important for us to to be able to demonstrate what it is we say we believe.

Mhmm. Amen.

And so, yeah, going on a mission trip's a great thing, and and we want people to do that and churches to do that, but we really want them to do it in their own community. So the the resources that we're partnering, to push out, to to churches, are great. They're fantastic. We're again, we kinda provide some of the entry level information, but we also realize that we need partners with expertise in the different lanes that we run-in, and we're really thankful for the the quality work that you all do. It's, like, one, it's it's biblically focused, and and, you know, it's you guys don't stray from scripture, and we're really, you know, grateful, and that makes the partnership easy.

And so, you know, that that we know we can trust you all if somebody's going down this path. You know? And we're so like minded in in what they're gonna be hearing and experiencing that it it's an easy opportunity. But that's where we want churches to be Yeah. Is that they we see them with the desire.

Now we need to provide them with the expertise and the knowledge and the support so that they can do it in where they are.

And I think, you know, the we we talk a lot about a a sort of a big hairy audacious goal of, like, the church has the ability to to be able to to take back the child welfare system.

That's right. Right? That's right.

Because child welfare in America started, if you don't know, it didn't start with the government. It started with the church. The church. And and but we're not gonna take it back the same way we had it. We're gonna take it back because we come become indispensable in the system.

That's right. And and because because we become integral to, the the work in our community to care for vulnerable children. And and so I think our goal in all of that is it's that we want we want everybody to do something.

That's right.

And and and the and the pathway to everybody doing something, in large part, especially for SBC churches, the first place to look is look at what Synchrony is is doing, and look at the way that they're that they're coalescing some ministries together that are coming alongside the church in order to provide those resources to do that. And so, we're just really really thankful that we get to be part of that, and and that we, you know, we get to contribute to something that is, you know, that's really much bigger than any of us.

Right. That's exactly right. I mean, when you we were talking about the growth and engagement and mobilization a minute ago. You know, you look at that, and there was no novel ideas. Right.

It's you know, it's right. You're not supposed

to say that. We're just exactly we're clever.

It's it's a testimony that success in the kingdom of God is obedience.

That's right.

And so that if we do what we are, you know, called to do through scripture, that that we're gonna be equipped to do it. And we're seeing that as a ministry. We're seeing that within churches. You know, tomorrow morning we have a breakfast and we're gonna have a church up there talking about how serving refugees that were flooding their community completely changed the paradigm of their church. And in a in a good way.

Yeah. I mean, they've seen spiritual growth. They've seen numerical growth. They've, like, they're sending out missionaries. They're planting church.

Like and it's when you are obedient, you don't always have to have the, you know, the strategy perfect. But you just follow what what scripture calls us to do and how the spirit leads us. Right. Then those types of results happen. Yep.

And so, it's the more that we can expose the church to that, I think the the better, you know, not it's a it's it's it's not a win for sin it is a win for sin relief, but it's, you know, it's really an expansion of the kingdom and the kingdom purposes.

That's good. And really, that's what when we send relief, when we are going to the vulnerable Yeah. It's when the gospel spreads. That's right. It's when the church increases.

You know, one of the things we've seen even with Southern Baptist churches that are doing programs like a family's account or a heritage builders Right. Is as those churches are caring for the most needy in their community, it draws people to come hear this gospel. You know, earlier I was talking to a man about with the pillar network about what's going on in Uganda, where a church started caring for the deaf in their community, mostly a Muslim based community, and how Muslims are coming to saving faith in Christ because they wanna know what's this all about? Why are you caring for the vulnerable? Why are you caring for the needy?

And so we need to look at this as, yes, there were meeting practical needs. Right. But as we meet practical needs, we're seeing the kingdom expand, and spiritual needs being addressed. And, again, you know, we've had so many discussions. I can't remember we said this yet, but it's also a testament as we see Roe overturned.

Now seeing the church really come to bear and say, hey. This wasn't just about seeing Roe overturned. That's right. This was about coming to bear for vulnerable women and vulnerable children.

No. That's exactly right. And, you know, the the overturning of Roe is definitely gonna it is gonna save lives, but it doesn't mean that those lives don't need to be cared for. That's right. They're you know, it's we learned this in our own adoption experiences is that the need for adoption is the result of tragedy That's right.

On That's right. On at least one side of the equation, sometimes on books. That's right. And so, we can be equipped to walk into those spaces with gospel intention. I mean, for us, adoption was, was a great commission calling.

It just wasn't to bring a a child into our home and make them, you know, a a middle part of a middle class family. It was to, you know, to take care of them, yes, but to teach them about Christ. That's right. And so when we approach it that way, it it's not always easy, but it has long term eternal, consequences. Yeah.

Well, that

and that's what the gospel calls us to do, is to it take the light into the darkest places of the world. And and that is what we love about this partnership between North American Mission Board and their National Mission Board with Send Relief is. It really is taking the gospel in the darkest places where the light will shine and and show the hope of the gospel. So we're grateful for

Thank you.

Our partnership with sin. We're grateful for you, Josh, not just because of you're the VP of sin relief, but also because you serve on our national board with such character. And just give encouragement to churches who are like, what's the next step? Okay. I've heard this, but how do I get engaged?

What do I do? What's my

next step? Yeah. So I'll say this. You know, it's for either of our our ministries. There's so much information on our website and all of that, of course.

But, you know, for us, we look at the entry point for a church that's just what do we what do we wanna do? We want them to engage with 1 of our serve tours. They go on a mission trip so that that they can see and experience it, see others doing it. They're gonna be working alongside partners and our missionaries and all of that, and I think that takes some of the anxiety away That's right. From a for a church.

And and one, I think it's it's also an understanding for a church. They don't have to do this alone. I think this is an opportunity. This type of ministry is something we talked about cooperation at the beginning of this. That's also about local cooperation.

That's right. Is that, churches don't have to shoulder this alone, and it's a great opportunity for churches locally to come alongside each other and and care for their community, to seek the well-being of of where they are. And and so we can walk alongside them and and help them do that. And so, you know, we have multiple points of entry for churches, whether that's, you know, a a a trip or or training or having somebody come to their community and and help them very practically walk through things, we're willing to do all of that.

Folks can find all that at sinrelief.org? That's correct. They so just go right there.

That'll be

in the show notes.

Yeah. It's it's there. And, follow us on social media, and you'll see the different things going around all over the world,

that we're doing, man. Josh Ben, we're thankful for you, brother.

Thank you for letting me join you today.

Thanks for this conversation and the one

we did record. That's good.

All right, man. Well, Hey, we appreciate you and we appreciate everybody. That's listening to us on the defender pod Podcast. And and, we'll be right back here next time.

Thanks for listening to the Defender Podcast. If you enjoy making this podcast a part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the Defender podcast to make it easier for more people to find. For more information on how you and your church can partner with Lifeline, visit us at lifelinechild.org. If you want to connect with me, please visit herbynewell.com. Follow us at lifeline on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline Child.

You can email us directly at info at lifeline child dot org. Beloved, will you allow god to use the gospel to you to impact the life of a child? Please contact us because we are here to defend the fatherless. We'll see you again next week for the defender podcast.