The Year in IMB Giving: The Results Are In

As the annual Southern Baptist Convention begins to kick off this week, the Internation Mission Board (IMB) has released its annual giving.  Though there is a lot to rejoice in, there is a little disappointment.  I realize that we are in a recession, but lets be honest, we still eat out and many of us, though are belts are a little tighter, have cut back on things that have eternal consequences at the cost of temporal entertainment.

The numbers are reported as follow:

RICHMOND, Va. —“Will Southern Baptists be found simply marching around our denominational parade grounds, flexing our muscles and polishing our medals, while across this globe souls are being ravaged and hell gapes wide and eager?” asked IMB President Tom Elliff.

“God forbid!”

Elliff challenged Southern Baptists to greater missions involvement following the results of the 2010 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Doubts about the strength of America’s economic recovery and rumors of a double-dip recession didn’t stop Southern Baptists from giving $145,662,925 million in 2010 to tell the world about Jesus Christ. Every penny of the offering is used to support the nearly 5,000 Southern Baptist missionaries serving around the world through IMB, providing housing, salaries, medical care and children’s education. The cost averages $46,700 annually per individual missionary.

In 2009, that support enabled missionaries and their national partners to baptize more than 360,000 people and start more than 29,000 churches.

Some good news here.  360,000 baptisms is a great number but not enough.  29,000 newly planted churches is great, but let us pray for more.  It concerns me that we we haven't raised as much as we need for our many missionaries.  This year I want us as a church to focus on giving to the cooperative giving.  I am convinced (and my leadership has been lacking) that we do not care about the lost and dying around the world and it is clear by the fact that we do not care about the lost and dying in our own community.

This year, lets change it.


IMB - Lottie Moon offering tops $145.6 million in 2010