January 20, 2003
Texas and BGCT still tops in Lottie gifts
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___RICHMOND, Va.--Texas continues to provide the single largest source of income to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions, according to data released by the International Mission Board.
___Despite theological and philosophical differences between the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Southern Baptist Convention mission board, Texas provided $18.26 million to the IMB's Lottie Moon Offering in 2001, the latest year for which complete statistics are available.
___Texas continues to outdistance every other state in funding the Lottie Moon Offering. North Carolina, the second-highest contributor in 2001, gave $11.93 million.
___The Texas statistics released by the IMB reflect giving by both the BGCT and the rival Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. An IMB spokesman said the agency could not provide a breakdown of contributions by state convention, only by state.
___The BGCT treasurer's office, however, reported that in 2001 the BGCT forwarded $13 million to the Lottie Moon Offering. That means the BGCT by itself continued to rank as the No. 1 contributor to the SBC offering.
___In late December, the IMB recognized the 41 Baptist state conventions and fellowships ranked in the top 10 givers according to per-capita giving and percentage of increase over the previous year. Rankings on total giving by states were not released until a request for the data was made by the Baptist Standard.
___The IMB also recognized the 100 Southern Baptist churches that gave the largest total gifts to the 2001 Lottie Moon Offering.
___Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., led the nation in total dollar giving for the 2001 offering, the IMB reported. The church also ranked first in 2000.
___Other churches in the top 10 total-dollar category were First Baptist Church of Jackson, Miss., $283,730; First Baptist Church of Dallas, $254,642; First Baptist Church of Rockwall, $253,255; First Baptist Church of McAlester, Okla., $252,116; First Baptist Church of Roanoke, Va., $229,405; Liberty Baptist Church of Hampton, Va., $229,398; First Baptist Church of Odessa, $225,592; First Baptist Church of Russellville, Ark., $216,422; and Blackshear Place Baptist Church of Flowery Branch, Ga., $191,324.
___South Carolina Baptists led the nation in per-capita giving for the 2001 offering, the IMB said. South Carolina's 737,394 church members gave $7.88 million, a per-capita gift of $10.69.
___Alaska recorded the largest percentage increase of giving to the offering. Alaska's $122,771 gift was an increase of 83.67 percent.
| Top 10 churches in total-dollar giving to LMCO in 2001 |
___
| Calvary Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, NC |
$394,698 |
___
| First Baptist Church, Jackson, Miss. |
$283,730 |
___
| First Baptist Church, Dallas |
$254,642 |
___
| First Baptist Church, Rockwall |
$253,255 |
___
| First Baptist Church, McAlester, Okla. |
$252,116 |
___
| First Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va. |
$229,405 |
___
| Liberty Baptist Church, Hampton, Va. |
$229,398 |
___
| First Baptist Church, Odessa |
$225,592 |
___
| First Baptist Church, Russellville, Ark. |
$216,422 |
___
| Blackshear Place Church, Flowery Branch, Ga. |
$191,324 |
___
Top 10 states in total-dollar giving to LMCO in 2001 |
___
| Texas |
$18,256,162* |
|
___
| North Carolina |
$11,933,148 |
|
___
| Georgia |
$11,243,177 |
|
___
| Alabama |
$9,267,132 |
|
___
| Tennessee |
$9,037,383 |
|
___
| South Carolina |
$7,881,895 |
|
___
| Mississippi |
$7,170,022 |
|
___
| Virginia |
$6,273,879 |
|
___
| Florida |
$5,319,013 |
|
___
| Arkansas |
$4,291,219 |
|
___
| * Includes $12,995,071 through the BGCT |
___
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