EDITORIAL: Each Baptist should support at least 1 missions cause_71403

Posted: 7/11/03

EDITORIAL:
Each Baptist should support at least 1 missions cause

No matter what Baptist brand you wear, you've heard a discouraging word lately.

Due to a shortage of funds, the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board has reduced by 100 the number of missionaries it will appoint in 2003 and 2004. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's Global Missions program wouldn't be able to appoint any new missionaries this year and next if not for two anonymous gifts totalling $9 million. And the Baptist General Convention of Texas' Church Starting Center already has distributed all its funds for the year.

Several factors account for this missions malaise.

The International Mission Board's receipts from the Cooperative Program unified budget are on target; however, the board has experienced a $10 million shortfall in the 2002 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal of $125 million. Like many other organizations, the board has suffered from declining investment income. And its troubles have been compounded by rapid deployment of new missionaries in recent years, spiking the missions payroll at the same time external conditions have depressed annual income.

The view isn't any rosier across the theological/political street. The Fellowship expected to end its fiscal year June 30 with a $650,000 shortfall in undesignated receipts below expenditures, even while keeping expenses at 85 percent of budget. Annual budget income was expected to reach about $15 million, well short of an $18.2 million basic budget goal. And without the anonymous $9 million in designated gifts, appointing new missionaries would be out of consideration.

Similarly, repeated budget trimming–necessitated by defection of churches to a competing convention–has taken its toll on the Baptist General Convention of Texas' budget. The BGCT's Cooperative Program and the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions have declined. The slumping economy also has come into play, sapping the BGCT's New Church Fund with reduced return on its investments. Consequently, the Church Starting Center ran out of cash in May. The center still will work with churches, associations and others to help create congregations, but much of the seed money has dried up.

Texas Baptists aren't surprised to receive this news. From Booker to Brownsville and Texarkana to El Paso, Texas churches, businesses and families are struggling. Economic woes have spread so broadly we can feel each other's pain. We pray and hope the recent upturn on Wall Street will mean good conditions across the Lone Star State. We need an economic rebound–for our families and churches as well as our larger causes.

The other key variable in this missions miasma is not directly economic but carries a tremendous financial impact: A quarter-century of discord has eroded trust in and support for the denomination. Some Baptists have been disaffected by the Southern Baptist Convention, while others remain staunchly loyal. The same can be said for the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Some Baptists support one group and not the others. Many have pulled back support for all three. Each decision has eroded support for missions.

That is a crying shame, whatever kind of Baptist you claim to be. The world needs more missionaries, not fewer. Texas needs more churches, not fewer. No matter what your views on politics or theology or any religious -ism happen to be, the missions enterprise can use more of your support and more support from your church. Every Baptist ought to find a like-minded missions endeavor and give sacrificially to see it completed.

While collecting an offering at a recent Baptist gathering, author/speaker Tony Campolo made an announcement that applies to Baptist missions funding. “I've got good news and bad news,” he said. “The good news is we have all the money we need. The bad news is it's in your pockets.” Campolo's wisdom touched that crowd, and they nearly doubled the offering's goal.

Even during tough economic times, when we think about missions and the funding shortfall, we've got good news and bad news. The good news is God's people have all the money necessary to fund the Great Commission. The bad news is we're still sitting on it.

Information gathered by the Barna Research Group illustrates church members hold the financial keys to the missions kingdom:

More than one-third–37 percent–of church-going adults (those who attend once a month or more) do not contribute any money.

Among church members who actually contribute, only 3 percent to 5 percent tithe.

The average adult who attended a Protestant church only contributed $17 annually.

Two-thirds of Protestant pastors believe their churches are not living up to their giving potential.

People hold a strong perception that churches do not need money as much as other charities do.

If all Baptist under-givers would incrementally begin to support missions causes only nominally, we could finance all the missionaries who want to go to the field and start churches as fast as we can find property and call pastors.

Of course, talking to Baptist Standard readers about this is like preaching to the proverbial choir. You already support missions. But Standard readers are influential in their churches. Present the cause for missions in your church. You can help others understand they can participate in God's plan for reaching Texas and the world for Christ. You can be a financial ambassador for the missions cause of your choosing. And you don't have to wait until the fall or Christmas to send money to support missions. You can do it now. Don't wait.
–Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at [email protected]