Teamwork: Reaching the Nations Here

On February 8, 2025, nearly 100 church members from over 20 SBC of Virginia churches Nansemond River Baptist Church in Suffolk to hear a vision and a challenge surrounding the Reaching the Nations Here initiative. Local pastors, first- and second-generation immigrants, and mission leaders from the SBCV and the International Mission Board (IMB) shared how the missional landscape has shifted. The nations of the world are now our immediate neighbors. Missions is no longer just across the sea—it’s also right next door or across the street.

John Barnett, IMB Director of Diaspora Mobilization, reminded participants that there is no doubt about God’s sovereign purpose in the dispersion of the nations. God uses even the evils of persecution and economic hardship to bring every nation into contact with His Gospel (Habakkuk 2:14). Pastor Bon Wong shared a powerful testimony of how an American Sunday school teacher was the first person to ever share the Gospel with him. God used his family’s move from China to bring him face to face with the truth of the Gospel.

You don’t have to wonder—or fully understand—how the nations came to be among us. What we do know is that you are commanded to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

There are certainly challenges as churches begin to explore diaspora missions. Many local congregations may need to take a fresh look at their communities and prayerfully consider whether there are people groups they’ve unintentionally overlooked. Language and cultural barriers exist, and many American, English-speaking churches are not currently equipped to navigate them.

Yet, there are also unprecedented opportunities. God is sending not only the mission field here, but also the mission force. Experienced Christian leaders from the nations are already present. Unengaged and unreached people groups (UPGs and UUPGs) are closer than ever. God has removed many geographic obstacles to our witness, and in many cases, these people groups can now speak English.

Understanding these realities must lead us to action. Within one month of the Reaching the Nations Here event, six churches from the southeast region sent representatives to the first meeting of the Southeast Diaspora Cohort. This cohort is an ongoing, action-driven team formed to ensure accountability and intentionality in diaspora missions across the region.

At the first cohort gathering, four local people groups were identified and prayed over. Representatives were commissioned with specific engagement tasks and charged to report back to the group. The cohort also plans to offer future training sessions open to area churches.

Jadrian Haywood, a Southeast Diaspora Cohort member and key contributor to the Reaching the Nations Here event, described the planning effort as one of the most collaborative projects he’s ever been a part of. He encourages anyone feeling God’s call to diaspora ministry to join the cohort and find community among fellow co-laborers. You are not alone as you carry out the mission.

Interested in future Cohort gatherings? Contact Matt Gregory, SBCV people groups strategist, at: mgregory@sbcv.org