It’s a new record that’s reaffirming an old commitment — $137,939,677.59. That’s what Southern Baptists gave to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) for international missions in 2005, making it the single most successful year in the offering’s history.
The $137.9 million marks a 3.03 percent increase over 2004’s $133.9 million LMCO, not to mention a 1.28 percent gain over the old record set in 2003 — $136.2 million.
“Southern Baptists are impacting the world in tremendous ways,” International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin said. “In 2005, your giving has resulted in 137 newly engaged people groups.” More than 459,000 new believers have been baptized and some 17,000 new churches were started in 2005, he noted.
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Marietta, Ga., took the No. 1 spot on the list of 2005’s top 100 giving churches, adding $656,951.44 to the Lottie Moon offering. Among the top 100 churches, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Boone, N.C., gave the most per capita. With 827 members, the church contributed an average of $243.74 per member, totaling more than $201,000 — a record high of its own.
To date, $2.6 billion has been given during the offering’s 117-year history.This year’s offering goal is $150 million — the same as last year’s. (BP)
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