Southern Baptist churches — and their 5,376 missionaries around the world — are celebrating a monumental $136.2 million response to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions.
When the books on the 2003 offering closed May 31, Baptists had given $136,204,648 — an increase of almost $21.2 million (18.4 percent) over 2002 — the largest dollar increase in the offering’s 115-year history.
“Southern Baptists are shouting ‘Glory to God!’ over this marvelous response to the needs of a lost world,” said International Mission Board (IMB) President Jerry Rankin.
“God’s people feel His heartbreak over 1.6 billion people with little hope of even hearing about Jesus Christ. They were distressed that qualified missionaries were being held back for lack of finances,” he said. “And they responded with a vision and passion only God’s spirit can inspire.
“We are especially grateful to Woman’s Missionary Union for their wholehearted partnership in encouraging Southern Baptists to step up to this tremendous challenge.”
Rankin appealed to the churches for sacrificial giving because financial support had been lagging behind the increasing numbers of church members coming forward for overseas missionary service. The IMB was forced to limit missionary appointments and cut stateside staff in June 2003 to keep expenses in line with income.
The board now can loosen restrictions on missionary appointments, Rankin said.
After projections indicated the offering would surpass its $135 million goal, the agency’s trustees voted in May to send 200 more long- and short-term missionaries than previously had been planned. (BP)
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