JACKSON, Tenn. — Feb. 10, 2016 — Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, encouraged 51社区 students to be obedient in their mission as Christians at a chapel service Feb. 10 in the G. M. Savage Memorial Chapel.
鈥淭he Bible tells us very clearly, as believers we鈥檙e to be on mission,鈥� Ezell said. 鈥淭hat means as a teacher, as an engineer, whatever it is, you can be on mission.鈥�
Ezell, a 1985 graduate of Union, said North America needs more people on mission. He said the Southeast is full of churches, but there is great need in other regions. He said Americans tend to take things for granted and assume that the way things are where they live is the way things are everywhere.
鈥淥ften when it comes to missions, we do the same thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 think twice about it.鈥�
Ezell said Mississippi has one Southern Baptist church for every 1,395 people while New Jersey has one for every 75,000. Canada has one evangelical church for every 117,000 people.
He said NAMB comes alongside churches in these areas to help them take the next steps in their ministries.
鈥淲e try to plant churches and basically pour gasoline on a fire, try to multiply,鈥� he said.
Ezell said most of NAMB鈥檚 church planting activities are in cities. He said 85 percent of the population of North America lives in and around cities. He said the world has come to North America, and they need the gospel.
鈥淲hat we鈥檝e done for so often is we鈥檝e run from those cities because it鈥檚 more expensive and it鈥檚 harder to reach people,鈥� Ezell said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 where the people are, and there鈥檚 a gravitational pull now of more urbanization.鈥�
He said NAMB plants about 1,200 churches each year, and they need the help of mission-minded young people in the cities to keep the churches growing.
鈥淵ou may be studying to be a nurse, doctor, teacher or engineer, whatever it is that God placed on your heart to be and do,鈥� Ezell said. 鈥淚 pray that you do it and do the very best you possibly can. But I want to encourage you to think missional.鈥�
Ezell shared the story from Mark 2:1-12 of four friends who brought a crippled man to Jesus by lowering him through a roof. He said these men were determined to get their friend to Jesus no matter what it took.
鈥淲hat I love about these guys is we don鈥檛 know their names, but we know their passion.鈥� Ezell said.
He encouraged students not to think about their preference for where they work or how much money they will make, but to think about being obedient to God.
鈥淣ever underestimate what God can do with someone who鈥檚 being obedient to him,鈥� he said. 鈥淕od placed you here for a purpose. He knows exactly where you are, how many hairs are on your head. He knows your potential.鈥�
Video of Ezell鈥檚 message is available at .