Lottie Moon missions funding questions and answers

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RICHMOND, Va. (IMB)—Why give through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO)?

The International Mission Board (IMB) uses 100 percent of LMCO funds to support your missionaries and their ministries. This allows your church to join in a strategic global effort to reach the whole world. It also enables your missionaries to spend their time reaching lost souls instead of raising their own support.

The IMB budget is based on strategic planning and strong accountability. Strategic planning is done by Southern Baptist individuals who give their lives to strategize how best to get the Gospel to all people groups. They live among people groups, speak their languages and understand their worldviews. A budget based on their planning goes for approval to the board of trustees named by the Southern Baptist Convention. Also, the IMB employs an independent accounting firm to audit the board's financial statements each year. A trustee Finance Committee oversees the audit, meeting with management and the board's independent accountants.

After considering IMB leadership's recommendation, the Woman's Missionary Union sets the LMCO goal at its annual meeting.

Southern Baptists exceeded the goal in 2006. Before that, they reached the goal only twice since 1981—limiting long- and short-term missionary numbers. But because Southern Baptists exceeded the goal in 2006, IMB leaders estimate the IMB will be able to send more than 200 additional missionaries that wouldn't have been sent otherwise.

Reaching the goal will allow the IMB to sustain missionaries on the field and send the record numbers of Southern Baptists who are called by God and ready to serve on the field.

The IMB derives its budget income from both of these sources, plus the world hunger and relief offerings, investment income and designated gifts. Through CP, Southern Baptist churches provide vital year-round support to missions at home and abroad.

Budget task force members include the executive vice president and one or more representatives from all the board's major offices. The 2008 budget, including expected gifts to the 2007 offering, will go to trustees for approval in their November meeting.