Alabama Baptists set a record for gifts to world hunger during 2000, backing up a commitment to fight poverty made at the Alabama Baptist Convention in November 2000.
The $866,760 given to world hunger this past year would also seem to suggest Alabama Baptists will meet-and most likely exceed-the challenge total of $850,000 for world hunger gifts in 2001. The $866,760 given to world hunger in 2000 exceeds the 2000 challenge total of $830,000 by $36,760.
The 2000 total represents a $41,687.28 increase from the $825,072.72 given in 1999.
Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM), said, “Alabama Baptists have demonstrated again their vision for reaching the world for Christ through meeting human needs such as hunger. The contributions to world hunger given by Alabama Baptists in 2000 represent this superb commitment.”
Joe Bob Mizzell, director of Christian ethics/chaplaincy ministries with the SBOM, said his office usually spends $9,000- $10,000 annually on the distribution of rice bowls and offering envelopes. He said $11,000 was spent this year, noting money for promotion does not come from world hunger gifts.
“It indicated there was more interest out there,” he said. “We promoted it, but we don’t know of any special promotion that anybody else gave to it, other than our office.”
Mizzell said one factor in the record giving may have been that Alabama Baptists passed a resolution at the state convention on poverty. “Whether that made a difference or not, one thing it does say is that we are not asking government to do anything that we are not willing to do,” Mizzell said.
“We have really given generously to the support of poverty and world hunger,” Mizzell added. “Therefore, whenever we ask government to be fair in looking for ways to help the poor, we have proven that we have walked the walk as well as talked the talk.”
Share with others: