RICHMOND (BP) — Despite difficult economic conditions, Southern Baptists gave $150.4 million to the 2007 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions to support the work of more than 5,300 missionaries worldwide.
After financial books closed at the end of May, the annual missins offering totaled $150,409,653.86 — more than $231,000 above the record 2006 offering of $150.1 million, but falling short of the $165 million goal.
“We are grateful for the strong commitment to the Great Commission exhibited by the generous giving of Southern Baptists to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering,” International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin said. “Although we're disappointed by the failure to meet the goal of $165 million, we think it is significant in the context of financial challenges in today's economy that we received the same impressive level of giving as last year.
“Many families are struggling with mortgages, foreclosures and the rising price of gasoline. Many churches are struggling to meet budgets. Yet missions continues to be the priority of Southern Baptists as reflected in their giving,” Rankin said.
The 2007 total also brings the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering to a historic mark: Cumulative gifts from Southern Baptists to the offering, which has been promoted by Woman's Missionary Union since 1888, have topped $3 billion. The 2007 offering brings the cumulative total to $3,034,234,033.84.
“We are grateful that Southern Baptists continue to make missions a priority as evidenced by this record amount given to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions,” said Wanda Lee, executive director-treasurer of Woman's Missionary Union.
“Since WMU first initiated this offering in 1888, more than $3 billion has been sacrificially given by Southern Baptists so that the name of Jesus may be heard around the world in every nation. We praise God for these resources and pray that he will continue to bless our efforts to fulfill the Great Commission.”
The entire 2007 offering goal of $165 million was anticipated to fund more than half of this year's International Mission Board budget of $304.8 million, which calls for nearly $16 million more than the 2007 budget. Much of the increase is needed to support new missionaries. The budget counts on an additional $106 million coming from Southern Baptist mission giving through the Cooperative Program, with remaining receipts from investments, hunger and relief giving (reserved exclusively for those ministries) and other income.
The budget also includes an increase of almost $2.6 million for missionary salaries and additional funds to help missionaries in areas where falling U.S. dollar values have driven up basic living expenses.
The lower Lottie Moon offering total “will result in a shortfall in our budget that will have to be made up from other sources, but even more critical is the declining value of the dollar overseas,” Rankin noted. “I trust this double crisis will encourage Southern Baptists to give even more sacrificially to the 2008 Lottie Moon goal of $170 million. Nevertheless, we will continue to do whatever it takes to get the gospel to the millions of lost people around the world who are desperately waiting to hear the Good News of God's love.'
That means the push to send more missionaries will continue.
“We don't plan to back off on sending missionaries at all,” said David Steverson, IMB treasurer and vice president for finance. 'We plan to press forward. We will evaluate all of our planned expenditures and forego most of our planned capital investments for the remainder of the year. The Lord provides for what he plans. None of this catches Him by surprise. If he's calling missionaries out, he'll find a way to get the funds to us.”
The mission board's 2007 statistical report (covering calendar year 2006) showed that Southern Baptist international missionaries and their national Baptist partners saw the number of reported baptisms top 600,000 for the first time, helped start more than 25,000 churches and implemented church-planting strategies among more than 1,100 people groups — including 100 people groups newly engaged with the Gospel.
But thousands of people groups have yet to hear the gospel. IMB leaders have challenged Southern Baptists to add nearly 2,700 more missionaries to the current total of about 5,300 to help meet the challenge.
Erich Bridges is a senior writer for the International Mission Board.