Since 1895, Southern Baptist churches and individuals have given more than $2 billion to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO). The offering is named in honor of Annie Walker Armstrong, a woman who organized women to pray, to give and to meet the needs around them. She challenged pastors and churches to participate in hands-on missions and rallied vital support for missionaries.

The AAEO is the primary way the North American Mission Board (NAMB) supports missionaries in the United States, Canada and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. 

One hundred percent of gifts given to AAEO are used to support, train and resource over 2,200 missionary families who share the gospel and plant churches across North America. 

North Carolina Baptists have been a leading supporter of the offering through financial provision, mission partnerships and prayer. 

In 2020, even in the midst of many church doors being closed due to the pandemic, North Carolina Baptists were responsible for giving more than 10% of the total collected for the AAEO in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), donating the third highest amount – behind Georgia and Alabama – among the 41 state and local associations that make up the SBC.

And though our financial gifts are the prime means by which we support the AAEO, our commitment does not begin or end when signing a check.

Marty Childers, mission strategist for the Yates Baptist Association in Durham, encourages local churches and associations throughout North Carolina to take the time to find out about the missionaries who our Annie Armstrong donations support.

“When we get to know missionaries and partner with them, there is a personal connection attached to the offering. Even if our local churches only go on a partnering trip once a year, being face to face with missionaries will help us see how we can impact lostness in our own communities and beyond.”

In 2020, 820 North Carolina Baptist churches engaged in missions partnerships across North America and 588 new churches were planted in 2021. 

Of these new congregations, 25 are here in North Carolina. 

In March 2011, The Vine Fellowship in Clinton was planted through the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, along with support from NAMB and the AAEO. 

According to the church’s pastor, Matt Barefoot, “Our church was funded early on through our state convention, but NAMB would send resources like books, encouragement cards, and, every now and then, gift cards to support our ministry as it took off.” 

Barefoot believes in the AAEO because the gifts are channeled back to the state convention so churches like The Vine Fellowship can more effectively share the gospel in their community. He hopes the offering will also support revitalization efforts in the future, especially in rural, small towns who have great needs across North Carolina.

As churches are providing monies and partnering with missionaries, Southern Baptists are also encouraged to pray for missionary families and their ministries. 

Bob Lowman, Jr., executive director of the Metrolina Baptist Association in Charlotte, says participating in the annual Week of Prayer for North American Missions and the AAEO is a great way to establish this commitment in our local churches. 

“The week of prayer is so important,” Lowman said. “We often say, with the best intentions, that we should pray for our missionaries. But there’s a big difference between talking about praying and actually praying. The Annie Armstrong offering helps Metrolina stay connected to missions, even if it is indirectly. We should be devoted to praying for specific missionaries and their specific needs.”

This year’s Week of Prayer was March 6-13. 

As North Carolina Baptists continue to provide funding, partner with missionary families, and pray over all mission efforts, this year’s Annie Armstrong Easter Offering goal of $70 million can be reached and lives can be changed throughout North America and to the ends of the earth. 

If you or your church are not personally connected with a North American missionary, contact your local association or learn more about this year’s featured missionary families through NAMB at anniearmstrong.com/missions-stories/.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Hayden Cork is associate pastor at Beulaville Baptist Church, N.C.)