Baptists Set Target High for Missionary Support Offering
by Allie Martin
December 12, 2003
(AgapePress) - Churches in the nation's largest evangelical denomination are being encouraged to increase their giving to an annual offering for missionaries.Southern Baptist churches are being asked to increase their contribution to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering by 33%. That offering, along with the denomination's cooperative program, is used to send missionaries overseas and support more than 5,000 missionaries already in the field.
For each of the past several years, more than 1,000 new missionaries have been appointed. However, giving has not kept pace with that growth, says Dr. Jerry Rankin, president of the SBC's International Mission Board. Last year, the SBC had to defer more than 100 missionaries because the funds were not available.
Rankin says the opportunities for people to be reached for Christ are greater now than ever before. "God is just doing so much all over the world and stirring the hearts of people," he says. "We're seeing the harvest accelerating -- un-reached people groups being engaged with the gospel for the first time. We're just praying that God will bless that these missionaries He's calling can be sent out."
The SBC official is convinced that Christians in the United States have been blessed so they can bless others. "God has blessed and prospered us not just so we can indulge in consumer comforts and our amenities of our American lifestyle," Rankin says.
"I believe that He's blessed us -- especially Christian people of America -- in order to be a blessing to others, and the primary blessing is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ [so] that those in despair can find hope [and] those in the bondage of sin can hear of a Savior who loves them and died for them."
The goal for this year's Lottie Moon offering is $133 million -- 15% more than last year's total; the "challenge" goal is $150 million. Lottie Moon was a missionary to China in 19th century who died while on the mission field.
