Our International Mission Board is reporting a spectacular increase in the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions. The total for the 2015 offering is $165.8 million, an increase of $12.8 million over last year.
Here are the Lottie Moon totals for this century:
2000 113.2
2001 113.7
2002 115.0
2003 136.2
2004 133.9
2005 137.9
2006 150.2
2007 150.4
2008 150.4
2009 148.9
2010 145.7
2011 146.8
2012 149.3
2013 154.1
2014 153.0
2015 165.8
Lottie Moon’s really big year was 2003 when the total received was a staggering $21.2 million greater than the previous year. That was a mammoth 18.4% increase. Lottie had a big year in 2006 just prior to the economic meltdown when $12.3 million more was given than the previous year, a healthy 8.9% increase. The record offering just announced falls short of both the dollar and percentage increases of those two previous stellar years but we thank God for the $165.8 million that Southern Baptists gave and for the fact that that is 8.3% greater than 2014.
The $12.8 million is big money but only about 4.6% of the IMB total 2016 budget. With reduced expenses through the voluntary personnel reductions and increased revenue through the greater LMCO and slightly greater revenue through Cooperative Program giving, the IMB is on a more stable footing and should be able to plan for the future with greater confidence and without an immediate fiscal crisis.
Oddly, some voices in SBC life are squawking about IMB having too much money, having cut too deeply. I say, let’s be realistic. IMB has been in poor financial condition for the past number of years and is much healthier now. Now that they are not compelled to sell overseas real estate or spend down financial reserves just to pay current operating expenses, they can have more felxibility in planning for the future.
It is sadly ironic that it took a plan to drastically reduce IMB personnel to motivate SBC churches and individuals to give more. Nothing like a crisis to motivate some of us into doing what we should have done in the first place.
How about for now, we declare a party and celebration day for Southern Baptists who gave generously to reach the world for Christ and leave the griping for later? We deserve a time of undiluted thanksgiving for God’s goodness and grace.
William is right, this is great news. Thanks for chasing down the figures.
How ironic that some of those who have complained loudest about the previous years’ financial shortfalls are the same ones now worried that the IMB will be operating too far in the surplus territory. It’s almost like they’re determined to complain no matter what happens.
Who is complaining about the surplus?
Will Hall http://baptistmessage.com/editorial-why-are-imb-leaders-not-answering-questions/
You know, Brent, I just don’t see the complaining about a surplus in that article. I see him bringing up a lot of other issues. Can you spell it out for me?
David
I rejoice and praise God for the increase but I fear we in the SBC will think everything is fixed now and reduce giving next year… I sincerely hope not.
I am glad the numbers are up. However, the news may not be as rosy as it first appears.
I am told that this is not an apples to apples comparison. By that I mean that any dollar received outside the EC distribution of CP dollars is considered LMCO. Therefore, when FBC Orlando took the $1M from CP through the Florida Baptist Convention and gave it directly to IMB, it is all counted as LMCO. And there are other examples.
It is possible that at least some of the increase can be attributed to this kind of shell game, as opposed to a genuine increase in per capita Lottie Moon giving by individual Southern Baptists.
“genuine increase…”
I can speak for the church where I was serving last Christmas – I led them to increase the LMCO goal by almost double – thanks be to God – they collected and sent to IMB more than the church had ever sent before for LMCO.
i also know that several other SBC churches in the region did similarly.
Really – can’t you just rejoice, Rick. Does the glass always have to be half empty?
Tarheel,
We exceeded our goal as well…over $30,000. And of course, I rejoice over these gifts to missions.
Analyzing statistics, however, is another matter. Sometimes, there are variations in methodology that yield different results—just as IMB personnel explained the statistical basis for the reduction in overseas baptisms.
The glass is not half empty at all. But if we have changed our methodology of reporting, even slightly, it may not be the same glass as last year, so the comparison may be a little off. That’s all.
We set a new record too, by more than 20% over our previous year’s (itself a record). I think both methods caused increase and we should be thankful for both.
Well, let’s just hope that it was a genuine increase, so we can all rejoice. I sincerely hope it was, and not just Churches maneuvering the way they gave.
David
David, IMB got $12.8 million more real dollars than they did last year. The CP is up after 8 months of the fiscal year. It will assuredly finish with millions more real dollars.
There is plenty to complain about in the SBC. Pick any one of those things.
This is a case where we may have slander afoot. If rick Patrick is implying that IMB deliberately manipulated the numbers, counting direct gifts this year when they did not do so last year, then let’s see the evidence. Slander is sinful. Christians shouldn’t engage in such. Explain please, Rick.
If an autonomous church chooses to give directly to IMB or chooses to give more to LMCO through the usual channels, the result is the same. IMB gets 100% of the money.
If that autonomous church rearranged their mission giving priorities and decreased CP, the it is not Rick Patrick’s business, although I appreciate another indirect example of attempted CP shaming.
I don’t think Rick is doing anything sinister, here. Good gracious. I think that he’s simply saying that if other Churches did as that one in Florida, which gave $1 million directly to the IMB, which is counted as Lottie, then the increased numbers may not be as great as they seem, at first glance. Because, instead of being given thru the CP, now this money was given straight to Lottie. So, while Lottie got more of the pie, mission giving didn’t really go up, as much as it appears. I think that’s what Rick was trying to say. But, he can speak for himself.
I hope that this increase in Lottie shows a genuine increase in MISSION giving.
David
Come on, David. Both CP and designated giving are up.
Rick specifically asserted that this is “not an apples to apples comparison.” That implies exactly what I said it did: IMB is manipulating the numbers to make them look better. He can offer evidence or explain for himself. If no evidence, then it’s slander.
I could always ask IMB the question: “If a church gives money straight to the IMB instead of through CP, does that count as Lottie Moon money now?”
But I don’t think I will get an answer. Will Hall asked fifteen questions and they don’t answer his either.
(It’s kinda hard not to “slander” as you say, when the evidence you need to confirm is being withheld by people who won’t talk to you.)
Are y’all suggesting that Lottie gifts have to go through the state convention? Are you suggesting that Lottie cannot go directly to IMB skipping the middle man – state conventions don’t get any of Lottie anyway do they?
SOme churches do not collect Lottie at Christmas – instead they have a missions month where the collect set a goal for missions giving and then divide it as planned by the church.
Lets say a church – in April for example, in an effort to not have 4 different “drives” chooses to have a Missions collection month and sets a goal of 40K (for example) the church has also decided that the total amount collected will be split up as follows 50% to IMB (20K), 35% (14K) to NAMB, 10%(4k) to state missions offering, and 5%(2k) to association missions offering…then the amounts are sent to the respective places in May – should those amounts not be counted with Lottie and Annie since they are “out of season”?
Dear David, I rejoice in the record LMCO offering.
1. Could you tell me if direct gifts from individuals and churches to IMB, money sent to Richmond not specifically labeled “Lottie Moon offering” are counted as LMCO?
2. Has there been a change in how such revenues are counted from what monies comprised and were reported as the 2014 LMCO?
Thanks. You are in my prayers.
Your Friend and colleague,
Rick Patrick
____________
No need to pay me for secretarial services. Happy to help. Copy and paste at will.
What’s that email address?
Also, I will make a minor correction to 2. “Have such revenues always been counted as LMCO? If not, in which year did direct gifts first get applied to LMCO?”
And I may just throw this one in as well…
3. When you brought Lukas Naugle in to help handle the reset, it is my understanding that he was not a Southern Baptist. May I ask if we have managed to reach him yet—or does he remain outside of the Southern Baptist fold?
Leave off #3, prejudicial. Honest straightforward questions on stats.
“reach him”? Wow. Do you think Mr. Nuagle is lost?
You do realize that heaven will be inhabited by people who were not Southern Baptists while sojourning on earth?
I am sure you also recognize that godly Ideas and sound administration strategies is not relegated exclusively to those holding SBC membership.
Tarheel,
In context, I was referring to the idea of “reaching him in the sense of converting him to Southern Baptist doctrinal principles.” Last Sunday, a family of three former Methodists who studied the Scriptures and became convinced of immersion baptism joined our church by baptism. They were not “lost” without Christ, but we did “reach them in bringing them into the SBC fold.”
I hold to the principle that a person ought to be part of an organization before being asked to fill a major leadership role in that organization. I don’t want Methodists or Presbyterians or Lutherans (any of whom might very well be saved) leading Baptist Mission Boards.
He’s not leading. He’s advising Dr. Platt, yes. But Platt is making the calls.
I hope you don’t convey to your state convention that those three baptisms were salvation’s – that might be considered monkeying what the numbers. 😉
*With
Its a good think I swallowed the sip of water I took just before reading this comment, William – else I’d be cleaning off my screen right now!
In regard to the LA article listed above… what a hatchet job. I live in the middle of nowhere and even I know the answers to these questions. David Platt has said he will address this at the convention. My prediction? People will continue to hear what they want to hear.
I will say a quick word about the baptisms and the IMB strategy of reaching the lost. Our baptisms are way down from the glory days of the ;1980’s when we regularly had over 300,000 baptisms. The problem that we discovered was that we were not making disciples which is what we are commanded to do. Our missionaries were waterlogged with standing in rivers while Kenyans and Brazilians stood on the sidelines. Those days are gone. Keep missionaries in the harvest fields? It kills discipleship. My national partners baptize all of those who convert here and it would be wrong to do it any other way. How many people did Jesus baptize? How many did Paul baptize? God is moving among unreached peoples like never before. We are in the middle of the biggest influx of lost people into the Kingdom in all of history. Your IMB has been on the cutting edge of this for 30 years. As William has said, ‘Rejoice’.
I believe that $21 million is an interesting increase. If the current leadership had sent out the cry this year, they could have avoided bringing nearly 1000 missionaries of the field and still had a balanced budget! Some of that increase was from churches who thought they could avoid them having to leave their posts if they gave more.
Even $21m would not have been enough to balance the budget and avoid using property sales revenue and reserves. The IMB could not support the number of personnel they had.
It’s pretty fundamental that folks respond when they see a real crisis. It’s also clear that a crisis wasn’t perceived until the RIF plan was announced.