RICHMOND, Va. (IMB) – International Mission Board leaders are celebrating a monumental milestone in Southern Baptist life: On March 31, 2021, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® surpassed $5 billion total gifts since collection to send missionaries to China began in 1888. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is an annual offering collected by believers around the world to support international missions. The offering is unique because 100% of the gifts are used to provide for missionaries … [Read more...]
Looking behind the lens
IMB photographer shares story about IMB, Missouri DR partnership CEBU CITY, The Philippines – As a photographer with the International Mission Board, I have had the privilege of working alongside Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) partners on numerous projects in Asia. For more than 50 years these “yellow shirt” volunteers drawn from many state conventions have been among the earliest responders to natural disasters, both at home and around the world. In fact SBDR has grown to … [Read more...]
The need to read: 100 pastors waitlisted for theology book program
EASTERN EUROPE – When Erasyl* started university in his hometown in the former Soviet Union, he knew very little about Jesus. Being from a Muslim home, he was most familiar with the Quran, but he also knew the Bible was a holy book. What he did not know was the gospel. An IMB missionary befriended him on campus and led him to the Lord. “Through studying Scripture and reading good books on apologetics and church history, God convinced me of the truth of the Bible, and I put my trust in … [Read more...]
Widespread gospel broadcast reaches peoples of Northern Africa and Middle East
NORTH AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST – If you had to get an urgent message out to a million or more people but could not physically access any of the countries where those million souls lived, how would you get the word out? For one Christ-follower, the answer was clear: radio. Ibrahim* had a life-changing message to share—a message about love, forgiveness, salvation and the one true God. Determined to share that message effectively, he has devoted himself to learning and working full time to see … [Read more...]
Polish believer learns real meaning of Easter amid centuries of tradition
POLAND (IMB) – For Mateusz Kowalski*, a Polish believer, Lent and the Easter holiday changed meaning when he gave Christ lordship over his life more than ten years ago. Kowalski is a member of Biblia i Misja, one of five Baptist churches in Kraków, Poland, a city of 750 thousand. An overwhelming majority of the country identifies with Roman Catholicism. Poles consider Easter their oldest and most important holiday, with traditions dating back to the 10th century. The holiday is … [Read more...]
Lott Cary: Former slave becomes first American Baptist missionary to Africa
RICHMOND, Va. (IMB) – Lott Cary was the first African-American missionary to Africa. He was responsible for the missionary movement that created a growing interest among African-Americans in the evangelization of Africa, as well as other parts of the world. Early Life and Conversion Lott was born in 1780 in Charles City County, Virginia, on the estate of William A. Christian. Unlike most slave families, Cary’s family was able to live together. His father, mother, and grandmother were … [Read more...]
Southern Baptists help Brazilians hone English skills for gospel advance
BRAZIL – What’s a good way to learn a language? Converse with a native speaker. What’s a good way to advance the gospel? Invest in a missionary. What can catalyze both objectives? A global pandemic, apparently. When COVID-19 grounded IMB missionary Caron Johnson from travel (which had included an intensive English class in another city), she contacted Fernando Brandão, director of the South Brazil Seminary and executive director of the Brazilian Baptist Convention’s National Mission Board … [Read more...]
Thank You to Southern Baptists
Week of Prayer for International Missions: Day 8 Every day is appropriate to say “thank you” to Southern Baptists who give generously so that the gospel spreads to all nations. In this season of giving — the Lottie Moon season in many churches — showing appreciation seems especially meaningful. This year missionaries have met unique challenges, as you also have, from the global pandemic caused by the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Even as the world continues to find a new normal, … [Read more...]
IMB missionaries commit to embrace unreached people groups in South Asia
Week of Prayer for International Missions: Day 7 SOUTH ASIA (IMB) – Twenty years is a long time. That’s how long it took to establish a gospel presence among a Muslim unreached people group of 10 million in South Asia. Ministry among the people group stalled for a number of reasons. IMB workers attempted to move to the region but were unsuccessful. Other families moved to the area, but they too had to leave for various reasons. After years of setbacks, Luciano and Sofia Serrano*, a … [Read more...]
Worthys bring hope of the gospel to Italy
Week of Prayer for International Missions: Day 6 ITALY (IMB) –The Worthy family recognizes the importance of investing in relationships in the Italian culture. For more than 17 years, Charlie and Shannon Worthy have invested their lives and ministry in Italy as IMB missionaries. The Worthys have been close partners with the Missouri Baptist Convention, which has a missions partnership in Italy. Missouri Baptists also support the work of the Worthys by giving through the Cooperative … [Read more...]
Gospel fills the airwaves
Week of Prayer for International Missions: Day 2 After living in Croatia for more than 22 years, missionary Eric Maroney understands why some people describe life and ministry as difficult in this part of Europe. He has witnessed the reluctance of people to believe the Truth of the gospel and has endured the skepticism toward evangelical churches. Only one Baptist church stands in western Zagreb—an area of 250,000 people—where Eric’s team lives and works. As a church planter, Maroney, … [Read more...]
Missions on and off the street
Week of Prayer for International Missions: Day 1 Hundreds of thousands of boys sleep on the streets in Kenya. These children are marginalized, beaten, sexually abused and arrested. Many Kenyans regard these children as worthless and not to be trusted. Kenyans call these boys “trash eaters.” International Mission Board missionary Kristen Lowry and the staff at the Naivasha Children’s Shelter in Naivasha, Kenya, see the value and worth in the life of each boy. They seek out these boys … [Read more...]
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