Editorial

Last week in my editorial, “Surging missions commitment?” (Nov. 25, 2004), I urged Florida Baptists to match their increased giving to the 2003 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) in this year’s effort. I need to update the statistics I used.

In the editorial, I noted Southern Baptists nationwide had met the LMCO goal last year for the first time in more than twenty years after news spread that the International Mission Board was required to cap missionary appointments in early 2003 due to stagnant revenues. While record numbers of candidates desired to go to the mission field, contributions to the LMCO (and the Cooperative Program) were not keeping pace with costs. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering accounts for one-half of the annual budget of the International Mission Board, supporting nearly 5,300 missionaries across the world. All the proceeds to the LMCO are used entirely for sending missionaries. (For more information about the LMCO and Southern Baptist international missions, check-out the IMB’s Web site: www.imb.org.)

Last week I reported that in response to the missionary cap news Southern Baptists gave to the 2003 LMCO a record of more than $136 million—an 18.42 percent increase, and that Florida Baptists had done their part by increasing their offerings by nearly $700,000—a 13.83 percent increase. The national statistics were accurate, but the Florida figures were not. The news is even better than reported!

The Florida LMCO giving figures were based on total receipts to the offering in the calendar year, while the national figures were based on the IMB’s fiscal year. Rather than an increase of nearly $700,000, Florida Baptists actually gave more than $1.5 million above the previous year, representing a staggering increase of almost 27 percent more than 2002! As is typically the case, Florida Baptists outpaced the national trends, leading the way for all Southern Baptists.

The national LMCO goal for 2004 is $150 million. To reach that ambitious—and necessary—goal so that our current missions enterprise can be fully funded and so that more missionaries can be sent across the globe (the IMB anticipates as many as 900 new missionaries next year!) Southern Baptists will need to match their renewed missions commitment in 2003 with an even greater effort in 2004. As in the case of last year, Florida Baptists need to lead the way.

This Christmas season, as we celebrate our Savior’s birth and recognize in His incarnation the Father’s missionary heart for His world, let us give generously to extend the missions outreach of Southern Baptists around the world. This year, make your first and best Christmas gift the one you give to Christ through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.