International Mission Board

==Controversies==
In 2005, the International Mission Board won a judgement against Benton Gray Harvey for $359,499.62 for embezzlement while he was an accountant for the IMB in Istanbul, Turkey.  The incident was investigated by a trustee only after a whistleblower on the "Turkey Team" notified staff at a SBC seminary about the situation in 2003.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://baptistnews.com/article/victim-of-former-missionary-s-theft-loses-health-wealth-but-keeps-sense-of-humor/#.YpaMJajMIuU | title=Victim of former missionary's theft loses health, wealth, but keeps sense of humor | date=14 February 2014 }}</ref>

In 2005 Tony Cupit of the [[Baptist World Alliance]] accused IMB of conveying “a very false picture” by manipulating baptism statistics, such as by claiming all as the work of their missionaries without acknowledging local preachers and non-visited churches as adding to the total number.<ref>[http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=5178 Welcome to Ethics Daily.com!<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090117015453/http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=5178|date=2009-01-17}}</ref>

In June 2006, Enid, Oklahoma pastor and IMB trustee Wade Burleson voiced concerns about IMB, including: "The suppression of dissent by trustees in the minority through various means by those in the majority.” He voiced his concerns after the board recommended he be removed after posting criticism on his blog about the board's new policies on baptism and [[speaking in tongues]]. The decision was later rescinded internally after Burleson agreed to a new set of guidelines stating trustees may only speak in "positive and supportive terms."<ref>[http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=7437 Welcome to Ethics Daily.com!<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20070513205114/http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=7437|date=2007-05-13}}</ref><ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20060401/ai_n16204731 Baptist mission board squelches criticism | Deseret News (Salt Lake City) | Find Articles at BNET.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

In 2018, author [[Anne Marie Miller]] publicly disclosed in a report by the [[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] how the IMB covered up abuse by one of their missionaries, Mark Edwin Aderholt.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.star-telegram.com/living/religion/article214758515.html|title=Southern Baptist officials knew of sexual abuse allegations 11 years before leader's arrest|last=By|website=star-telegram|language=en|access-date=2019-06-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419140345/https://www.star-telegram.com/living/religion/article214758515.html|archive-date=2019-04-19|url-status=dead}}</ref> Miller disclosed the abuse to the IMB in 2007 and they determined it was "more likely than not" that Aderholt sexually abused Miller when she was a minor. They allowed Aderholt to resign and did not inform future employers of this accusation. Miller reported the abuse to authorities in early 2018 and Aderholt was arrested in July 2018 and indicted on four felony sex crimes in December 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article223337900.html|title=Southern Baptist leader indicted on charge of sexually abusing teenager in 1997|last=By|website=star-telegram|language=en|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref> Shortly after his arrest, the IMB apologized and initiated an external examination of Miller's case and all other sexual abuse cases.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sbcvoices.com/david-platt-imb-issue-statement-apologizing-to-anne-miller/|title=David Platt & IMB Issue Statement Apologizing to Anne Miller|date=2018-07-26|website=SBC Voices|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref> On June 2, 2019, the [[Houston Chronicle]] uncovered a pattern of abuse covered up by the IMB.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investigations/article/Abuse-of-Faith-Missionaries-left-trail-of-abuse-13904418.php|title=Abuse by missionaries, but Baptist leaders stay quiet|date=2019-05-31|website=Houston Chronicle|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref> The third party examination by Minnesota firm [[Gray Plant Mooty]] revealed  serious faults with IMB's "zero tolerance" sexual abuse policy. Gray Plant Mooty "identified a number of significant concerns with IMB’s handling of past cases" and that the "IMB’s current policies and procedures fall short of contemporary best practice standards."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imb.org/2019/05/22/examination-recommendations/|title=Examination Update|last=Mooty|first=Gray Plant|date=2019-05-22|website=International Mission Board|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref> The IMB issued a statement saying they are implementing the recommendations of Gray Plant Mooty, though at the 2019 Southern Baptist Church Annual Convention, new president [[Paul Chitwood]] did not mention the report or findings, and a motion made by former IMB trustee Wade Burleson to make the report public was denied by legal counsel saying it was "out of order."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.enidnews.com/oklahoma/news/role-of-women-sexual-abuse-dominate-southern-baptist-agenda-at/article_f55b5868-52d8-575d-bafc-33ea44e3a3cc.html|title=Role of women, sexual abuse dominate Southern Baptist agenda at annual meeting|last=Writer|first=James Neal Staff|website=Enidnews.com|date=14 June 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref>