JACKSON, Miss. (BP) – The Mississippi Baptist Convention has committed to donating $1 million to the 2020 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) for international missions. Each year, 100 percent of the offering goes to support International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries around the world.
Shawn Parker, executive director-treasurer for the Mississippi Baptist Convention, said the convention has underspent its budget due to the cancellation of programs and travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While I’m glad the Lord has provided for our needs, I don’t want to see our bank account become inflated when so many people around the world need to hear the message of God’s love,” Parker said. “Our financial officers took a look at the numbers and decided that we could we could give a million dollars, and we felt like there was no better cause than international missions.”
IMB President Paul Chitwood expressed appreciation for the gift.
“We are so thankful for Dr. Parker and the Mississippi Baptist Convention of churches. Their substantial gift to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering will be a great jumpstart toward the $175 million goal for 2020,” Chitwood said. “Mississippi Baptists continue to keep their focus on the lost among the nations.”
Parker presented the proposal to the convention’s executive committee, and it was unanimously approved. Over the past few weeks, Parker has shared the news of the donation with churches he’s visited. He said the response has been overwhelming.
“It has created a great buzz across the state,” Parker said. “I share the news, and there’s spontaneous applause. That’s just an affirmation to me of the love for the Lord, the love for the world, that Mississippi Baptists have.”
Financial gifts like the Mississippi Baptist Convention’s donation enable more than 3,500 IMB missionaries to continue serving on the mission field and provides funding to send new missionaries. Seven Southern Baptist workers from four churches in Mississippi will be commissioned at IMB’s next Sending Celebration in November.
“Mississippi Baptists of all ages, from our senior adults to our young adults, understand that the Great Commission is our objective, and the best way to achieve the Great Commission collectively is through cooperation, and so that’s what the Cooperative Program is about. That’s what the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is about,” Parker said.
Mississippi Baptists remain committed to partnering with the IMB during COVID-19. One of the most meaningful opportunities Parker said he’s had while in his role has been Zoom calls with IMB missionaries who are from or have roots in Mississippi.
“Under the current circumstances, two things that we need to do as fervently as we’ve ever done are, No. 1, to pray for the missionaries that are on the field and those who have have been reassigned temporarily because of what’s happening,” Parker said. “Secondly, we need to give because the need is great.”
Though COVID-19 ushered in an era of uncertainty, the need to preach the Good News does not change.
“The needs of the world are as great now as they’ve ever been before, so there should be no reason for us to let up in any way,” Parker said.
The IMB reported a total of $159.5 million given to the 2019-20 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which exceeded the offering’s goal and was the second-highest offering in history. The 2020-21 LMCO goal is $175 million.
Your giving makes a difference in reaching the nations. Donate now to the 2020 LMCO.