JEFFERSON CITY – Receipts for the 2025 Rheubin L. South Missouri Missions Offering (MMO) topped $950,000, as Missouri Baptists gave generously to state mission projects ranging from foster care to disaster relief.
MMO receipts in 2025, which are disbursed in 2026, totaled $952,530, outpacing the goal of $800,000 and reaching the third-highest level since MMO was introduced in 1985. Last year’s record of $1,072,207 was aided by an estate gift of $136,000.
Receipts in 2025 marked the 13th straight year of MMO gifts above $700,000.
The number of churches contributing to MMO totaled 671, compared with 672 the previous year. The average MMO gift per church dropped slightly from $1,301 in 2024 to $1,261 in 2025.
Gifts through local churches accounted for 88.8 percent of total MMO giving in 2025, while direct gifts from individuals reached 7.4 percent and gifts from institutions were 3.8 percent.
Missouri Baptists responded enthusiastically to the MMO theme drawn from Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”
MBC Executive Director-Treasurer Wes Fowler expressed deep gratitude for Missouri Baptists’ commitment to state missions: “The Missouri Missions Offering strengthens the gospel impact of more than two dozen ministries and 40-plus evangelistic projects across our state. Because Missouri Baptists gave so generously in 2025, more marginalized children will find loving Christian homes, more volunteers will be mobilized to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus, and more lost people will hear the gospel. Thank you, Missouri Baptists, for giving so sacrificially for the cause of Christ.”
Great Commission support
MMO supports statewide missions projects that help fulfill the Great Commission. The annual offering in 2025 focused on seven areas of ministry that define the MBC’s mission of helping churches transform lives and communities with the gospel:
(1) Prayer & Evangelism – sports evangelism; VBS regional training events; student evangelism and missions; Resounding Disciples training and development; and the state fair ministry of the Missouri DOM Fellowship.
(2) Collegiate Ministries – a summer missions mentoring initiative; ministries involving collegiate interns and apprentices; and Redemption Ranch Youth Camp, where college-age counselors serve.
(3) Missions Mobilization – engaging MBC-affiliated churches and their members in missions at home and around the world; and Missouri WMU.
(4) Disaster Relief – disaster relief readiness, including collegiate DR internships; a DR emergency food fund; the hunger relief network; and Baptist Builders.
(5) Church Planting / Send Missouri – strategic missionary development for church planters and their wives, along with sending churches; and financial assistance to church planters in Missouri.
(6) Church Renewal – Resound Network; Leader Care Network; MBC New Pastors Retreat; church leader development; and the Pathway Journalism retreat.
(7) Entity Relations – foster care, adoption care, and other ministries of the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home; a four-year biblical studies degree for inmates (Hannibal-LaGrange University); resources to strengthen the financial leadership skills of pastors (Missouri Baptist Foundation); gospel-centered healthcare professional development, and soul-care mentorship (Baptist Homes); church-and-state pastoral reading groups, and global missions training (Southwest Baptist University); a partnership with the International Mission Board to train and deploy students in missions (Missouri Baptist University); and a pastor/staff and wives fellowship (Christian Life Commission).
In addition, 10 percent of MMO gifts go back to the associations of contributing churches, where the funds support regional mission projects.
Funds raised in excess of the MMO goal are placed in reserve for future missions opportunities. At the same time, 10 percent of gifts above the goal is given to Missouri WMU, which promotes state, national, and international missions in MBC-affiliated churches.
Missouri Baptists have approved a 2026 MMO goal of $825,000. This June, the MBC announces the 2026 theme and provides churches with MMO resources.