[1]
Gordon Fort, vice president for overseas operations of the International Mission Board, presented to WMU the following original handwritten letter on June 10, 2007. It was penned by Lottie Moon on January 9, 1889, during a very cold winter in P'ingtu, China:
My dear Miss Armstrong,
I write to thank the Executive Committee for the hearty response they have made to my appeal for more workers for P'ingtu. I urge that the new missionaries be sent out immediately. I am holding on, after more than eleven years of work, at considerable risk of permanent injury to health. Yet I must not leave until others are here to take over the work. After the new missionaries arrive, there must be preparation on their part & delay on mine. Therefore, the sooner they come, the better. Please listen to no suggestion of delay. The two should be in Tungchow in June at the latest. Then they could come out with me in the autumn to P'ingtu & make acquaintance with their field. Write me in advance when they will arrive, so that I can arrange to have them met, or meet them in Chefoo.
A two years' supply of clothing is all they need bring. They should have abundance of heavy flannel underclothing. The climate of Shantung is colder in winter than it is in the same latitude in America. I suggest that they bring sheets, pillow cases, blankets &c.
Please say to the new missionaries that they are coming to a life of hardship, responsibility & constant self denial. They must live, the greater part of the time, in Chinese houses, in close contact with the people. They will be alone in the interior & will need to be strong & courageous. If "the joy of the Lord" be "their strength," the blessedness of the work will more than compensate for its hardships. Let them come "'rejoicing to suffer" for the sake of that Lord & Master who freely gave his life for them.
[2]Hoping soon to welcome them to the field,
Yours for the work,
L. Moon
The inscription on this beautifully framed letter reads: "In appreciation to Woman's Missionary Union for encouraging Southern Baptists to faithfully give through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering so that all peoples may know Him." Lottie Moon knew whom to appeal to in her day when she was in need of prayer support, financial support, and additional missionaries. She wrote to the leaders of WMU. They did not let her down. Enough funds were raised to send three missionaries, not just two.
Today, WMU continues that long tradition of supporting the cause of Christ through mission support and active involvement. This past year a record $150.1 million was given through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering to enable the more than 1.6 billion people with little or no access to the Gospel to hear the message of Christ. As you gather this month to pray and seek God's direction for how you shall give, read the words of Lottie Moon once again and know that the joy of the Lord is ours, also, when we faithfully follow His call.
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Basic Principles
1 Our basic commitment is obedience to the lordship of Jesus Christ and to God's infallible Word.
2 Our basic belief is that Jesus Christ is God's only provision for salvation and that all people without personal faith in Him are lost and will spend eternity in hell.
3 Our basic means of understanding and fulfilling God's mission is prayer.
4 Our basic purpose is to provide all people an opportunity to hear, understand, and respond to the Gospel in their own cultural context.
5 Our basic task is evangelism through proclamation, discipling, equipping, and ministry that results in indigenous Baptist churches.
6 Our basic strategy is to send and support gifted, God-called missionaries who, with mutual respect, accountability, and cooperation, carry out the Great Commission in an incarnational witness.
7 Our basic role is to lead and facilitate the international missionary involvement of Southern Baptists in partnership with overseas Baptists and other Christians who are fulfilling the Great Commission.