Missions Engagement

 

(Greg Benfield) Those who know me know that I am passionate about missions and my desire is to lead this association to equip, engage, and expand disciple-makers that worship God from here to the nations in keeping with the biblical mandate of Matthew 28:18-20.

Below is the introduction and Article's I and II from the constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention:

The messengers from missionary societies, churches, and other religious bodies of the Baptist denomination in various parts of the United States met in Augusta, Georgia, May 8, 1845, for the purpose of carrying into effect the benevolent intention of our constituents by organizing a plan for eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the denomination for the propagation of the gospel and adopted rules and fundamental principles which, as amended from time to time, are as follows:

Article I. The Name: The name of this body is the “Southern Baptist Convention.”

Article II. Purpose: It is the purpose of the Convention to provide a general organization for Baptists in the United States and its territories for the promotion of Christian missions at home and abroad and any other objects such as Christian education, benevolent enterprises, and social services which it may deem proper and advisable for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.

So, "The messengers from missionary societies, churches, and other religious bodies of the Baptist denomination" met in Augusta, Georgia in May 1845 to unite for the "promotion of Christian missions at home and abroad". Here we are as POBA Baptist churches in Georgia 178 years later with the same missions focus central to each church....this is what I assumed. 

I had the privilege of visiting the International Mission Board's learning center last month. It was there that I was reminded that 52% of SBC churches gave through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions in 2022(the latest statistics).  Yes, you read that right....

ONLY 52% of SBC churches gave through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in 2022.

How is this possible?  An organization established for the purpose of the "promotion of Christian missions at home and abroad" and nearly half do not participate in the giving process?  My curiosity got me to look at the LMCO giving closer to home, that is, within the POBA. To my surprise...

30.65% of POBA churches did NOT report giving through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions. 

33.87% of POBA did NOT report giving through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.

I want to challenge every POBA church to give some amount or better yet, a percentage of the church's undesignated gifts through both the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering this year!  

Establishing and setting a goal is not the objective, reaching the lost is. Set a goal, promote the goal, and surpass the goal to see the gospel go to underserved and unreached people and places of North America and to the unreached unengaged people groups in the nations that have NO ACCESS to the gospel.

Maybe the goal at your church is $20 per attendee at church, maybe it's a percentage of your church's undesignated receipts...let the Lord lead you to participate in this missions engagement and expansion.

     59% (4.6 Billion people) are considered unreached

     157,690 lost people are dying DAILY

LOSTNESS is the world's greatest problem. The local church is tasked with getting the gospel to the nations. We can do more together than we can individually as churches. Let us cooperate to a greater degree in our...

*missions praying (aligning our will with God's will and plan), 

*missions giving (AAEO, LMCO), 

*missions going (establishing partnerships with church planters and missionaries to the UPG's & UUPG's), and 

*missions sending (who will your church send as a church planter or as missionary?) from the churches of the Piedmont Okefenokee Baptist Association.