Louisville, USA - A decline in giving will force the Southern Baptist Convention to reduce its worldwide missionary force, leaving fewer men and women to share their faith and skills around the globe.
In 2008 Southern Baptists gave $141 million to the denomination's annual Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which provides about half of the funding for Southern Baptist missions. That's a drop of $9 million from the previous year and $29 million below the International Mission Board's goal.
In Tennessee, Lottie Moon donations fell by about 8 percent, down from $10,038,656 last year to $9,174,973. The Lottie Moon offering is named for a Southern Baptist missionary who served in China during the 1800s.
"It's indicative of the challenging economic times," said James Porch, executive director-treasurer of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. "Churches, associations and state conventions are all struggling."
Southern Baptists, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., have missionaries on six continents. They share their Christian faith and start new churches. But they also lend vocational help in the areas they serve. Some are doctors, accountants and teachers, said Wendy Norvelle, mission board spokeswoman.
"We do a lot of community development work, drilling wells and developing agricultural projects," Norvelle said. "We appoint people with skills in everything from accounting to zoology.''
Some are appointed as career missionaries but others serve shorter terms.
Last year, Southern Baptists sent out 979 new missionaries. This year, that number will be about 600. More cuts are expected next year.
The board has no plans to lay off missionaries. But when missionaries retire or complete their term of service, many won't be replaced. By attrition, the number of Southern Baptist missionaries will drop from 5,656 to about 5,200. That number may drop further by 2010, depending on funding.
"We are committed to sending out as many missionaries as is fiscally responsible," Norvelle said.
Churches Still Reach Out
Tim Patterson, director of missions at LifePoint Church in Smyrna, was disappointed with the news. Patterson was a Southern Baptist missionary for 15 years — in Honduras, Mexico and India — before joining the staff at LifePoint.