NATIONWIDE — In a convention of generous churches, large congregations aren’t the only ones giving large gifts. In fact, small churches often give more per capita in support of international missions.

Bend Southern Baptist Church in Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, where Bob Rose is pastor, gave $3,000 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) in 2023, for a per capita rate of $428.57. That amount came from the seven people attending Sunday services at the church in a town of about 700.

It takes churches large and small across the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) joining together each December to raise the money to support the missionaries sent out by the SBC’s International Mission Board (IMB).

The SBC’s Cooperative Program Allocation Budget adopted by messengers to the SBC annual meeting stipulates that 50.41% of all undesignated receipts at the national level goes to meet the IMB’s needs. This includes missionaries, of course, but also administrative costs and stateside personnel. However, for the Lottie Moon offering, 100% goes directly to Southern Baptist missionaries.

“Southern Baptists’ generosity to support their IMB missionaries through the LMCO last year was sufficient for all their needs,” IMB President Paul Chitwood told Baptist Press. “On behalf of each of those 3,600 missionaries and their 3,000 kids, I share with every giver our heartfelt gratitude.”

Sevierville (Tenn.) First Baptist Church gave $675,205, which was a per capita giving of $454.38/person based on the church’s 1,486 average attendance in 2023.

“I just praise the Lord that He has given our people such a heart of generosity,” Associate Pastor Craig Mintz told Baptist Press. “To fan those flames, we just pray a lot and try to keep it in front of them all the time.”

Hope Chapel in Sterling, Mass., was one of the largest contributors in the Baptist Churches of New England regional convention to the Lottie Moon missions offering. The 325 worship attendees gave $16,239.64 in 2023.

“We also give directly to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering via our budgeted mission percentages,” Pastor Neal Davidson told Baptist Press. “We do this in addition to our giving to missions through the Cooperative Program.

“For us, giving and participating in missions is a privilege,” Davidson continued. “A church in a small community in the middle of a USA mission field gets to be a part of what God is doing around the globe. It fuels our giving and it fuels our engagement.”

Immanuel Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, Wis., is one of the largest per capita givers in Wisconsin to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Philippi Adebile is pastor of the church Southern Baptists started in 1959.

The congregation of 20 during the calendar year 2023 gave $3,860 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, for a per capita of $193.

“Our people know how important it is to pray and to give, and although we may be very small as a church, we understand the importance of praying and giving,” Adebile told Baptist Press. “We’ve had a strong (Woman’s Missionary Union) WMU in our church for many years including Mission Friends and Children in Action as well as Women on Mission. Our children learn about missions at an early age, and that carries through to adulthood.”

Hoffmantown Baptist Church in Albuquerque was one of the largest givers to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in New Mexico during the calendar year 2023. The church called a new pastor in 2020, who led members to increase their Lottie Moon giving from $2,089 to $175,393 in three years.

“If the pastor is the cheerleader, the people will follow,” Pastor Lamar Morin told Baptist Press. “Simply, I am incredibly passionate about the offering and our cooperative missions. I’ve been here four years and many people have begun to share in my passion.”

Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho, was the largest giver in Idaho, the state convention office reported, with $78,561.31 given to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and in second place for being the state’s largest per capita giver: $241.73.

“We promote the offering for two months and do have some people who give each month all year long,” Pastor Clint Henry told Baptist Press. “We not only give but we go all the time. Over the last 30 years we have been on mission in 42 different countries. Some of them multiple times. Also we have missionary guests as often as possible.

“The great benefit to our giving is knowing we are a part of something that is changing the world one lost soul at a time,” Henry added.

“When a person gives to the IMB, they join God at work where IMB missionaries are sharing the gospel in 155 countries around the world,” IMB President Paul Chitwood said. “Those givers also have the assurance that the work those missionaries are doing in making disciples and planting churches aligns doctrinally with their church and every dollar is managed with careful stewardship to make the greatest impact. 

“The world’s greatest problem, lostness, is a growing problem,” Chitwood continued. “That means our response to the problem must grow. Thankfully, IMB’s missionary application pipeline has more than quadrupled in the past five years, up from 300 to more than 1,400 applicants. What MUST happen now is even greater generosity to support those God is calling.”

In 2023, Southern Baptists provided for 3,515 international missionaries and their children. Those missionaries engaged with 1,036 unreached people groups; presented the Gospel to 879,798 people; welcomed 141,206 new believers; baptized 116,992 followers of Jesus Christ; discipled 269,571 people; and trained 12,618 leaders in church planting.

The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering helped pay for all of this.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Karen L. Willoughby is a national correspondent for Baptist Press.)