Southern Baptists’ gifts through the 2008 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions fell nearly $30 million short of a $170 million goal, prompting concern that willing missionaries may not be able to fulfill their calling.
Despite financial hardships caused by the economic downturn, Southern Baptists gave $141 million to support the work of missionaries through the 2008 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, but it is not enough to fund many of those who are ready to go. The $30 million shortfall is equivalent to what it costs to support the work of approximately 667 international missionaries for a year.
“We are grateful that in these difficult economic times Southern Baptists displayed amazing generosity in giving $141 million,” said Jerry Rankin, International Mission Board president.
The final figure for the 2008 offering is $141,315,110.24, which is more than $9 million below the record 2007 offering of $150.4 million.
The final offering results follow a May 19-20 IMB trustee meeting in Denver, during which trustees approved the suspension of new appointments to the International Service Corps and Masters programs. They also approved reducing the number of new appointments to the career, apprentice, associate and Journeyman programs.
New appointments will continue on a more selective basis, involving the most strategic assignments.
The IMB spends 71 percent of its total budget – including the Lottie Moon offering and a major portion of funds received from the Cooperative Program – on missionary support, encompassing salaries, housing, medical care and children’s education. It averages approximately $43,000 annually per missionary.
By the end of 2010, the IMB’s missionary force of 5,656 is expected to fall to a level “compatible with financial resources,” Rankin said. The reduction will occur through retirements and completion of service. “We will not be able to replace short-term personnel completing their assignments and will have to restrict the number of new personnel that can be appointed,” he said.
Just a year ago, the IMB celebrated the offering hitting a historic mark. Cumulative gifts to the offering, which was initiated by the Woman’s Missionary Union in 1888, topped $3 billion.
In November 2008, IMB trustees adopted a $319.8 million budget for 2009 – $10 million of which was earmarked to offset the rising cost of support for the missionaries already on the field. Now, though the number of Southern Baptists who want to go – and are qualified – keeps growing, there are not enough funds to support them.
Rankin said the stakes have never been higher for Southern Baptists to take the gospel to a lost world. “Never before have we seen such unprecedented response to the gospel and opportunity to disciple the nations,” he said. “God is moving through global events as never before.”
According to the 2008 IMB annual statistical report, 565,967 people were baptized and 26,970 churches were started overseas through IMB missionaries and their Baptist partners. The gospel also was shared among more than 1,190 people groups – 100 of these groups heard about Jesus for the first time.
“It breaks my heart that God-called people want to go – and millions need to hear the gospel message from them – yet we don’t have the funds to send them,” Rankin said. “I pray this situation will convict our hearts and challenge His people to do whatever it takes to get the gospel to the whole world.”
Hendricks is a writer for the International Mission Board.