There is no question that we live in an incredibly dangerous moment in world history.

A number of events last week offered a grim reminder of that reality: On Tuesday, 21 people—including a Southern Baptist international missionary—were killed by a terrorist bomb at an airport in the Philippines. On Wednesday, 15 people—including nine teenagers—were killed in a suicide bus bombing in Israel. On Thursday, President Bush reiterated his commitment to use military force against Iraq if diplomatic efforts fail.

The death of longtime International Mission Board worker Bill Hyde adds a personal sense of grief for countless Southern Baptists. More than just a name on a numbing list of terrorism victims, Hyde was among the thousands of Southern Baptist missionaries supported by the prayers and offerings of fellow Baptists.

With Hyde’s death last week, terrorists have killed four Southern Baptist mission workers in just over two months. By contrast, prior to the murder of three IMB workers Dec. 30 at Jibla Baptist Hospital in Yemen, only 16 Southern Baptist international missionaries had been killed in violent circumstances during the IMB’s first 157 years of ministry.

While each life is deeply significant, the average of one missionary per decade being the victim of a fatal attack is far less than expected—especially in a denomination that currently has more than 5,400 career and short-term workers serving around the globe. Four deaths in nine weeks is emotionally overwhelming.

Another troubling factor in Hyde’s death was the fact that he simply was going about his daily routine, picking up a fellow missionary family at the Davao City airport when he was killed by a terrorist bomb. Such a random act of violence can rupture any lingering sense of security for missionaries serving in hostile settings around the globe.

Yet our missionaries continue to serve in the face of life-threatening circumstances. And Bill Hyde, who served as an IMB missionary for 25 years, was a shining example of that ministry commitment.

In an August 2000 newsletter to family and friends, Hyde and his wife, Lyn, wrote: “Kidnappings, bombings, burning of villages, ambushes, killings, injuries, threats, evacuations and other forms of terrorist activity have become the norm for people living on our island of Mindanao.” But that was not a deterrent to their mission calling.

Explaining that they took precautions and “feel quite safe,” Hyde wrote in another newsletter, “It’s always an adventure being on mission with God!”

As a result of Hyde’s work to train Filipino pastors and church planters, more than 300 churches were planted in the Philippines in recent years.

“It’s not danger that drives them to go, or danger that compels them,” said Wendy Norvell, the IMB’s associate vice president for mobilization. “They go to share the love of Christ.”

“No location can guarantee safety and security,” noted IMB President Jerry Rankin. “Missionaries will not be deterred from planting their lives in places of danger in order to take the gospel to those who need it most desperately. Many, like Bill Hyde, are willing to give their lives because the Lord of their lives, Jesus Christ, gave His life to bring salvation to the nations.”

As our world continues to experience escalating danger and violence, Bill Hyde’s life and ministry remain a vibrant testimony to the impact of one person sincerely seeking God’s will—no matter what the cost.