Seventh-day Adventists from around the world showed their commitment to sharing the gospel by increasing support for mission. According to a report presented during Annual Council on October 12, mission offerings received by the General Conference (GC) totaled $US72.8 million through August, nearly 10 per cent higher than the same point last year, according to Paul Douglas, GC treasurer.
Behind those figures are gifts from church members whose generosity helps sustain missionaries, support schools and churches, and share the gospel in communities around the world. While ongoing mission stories paint a picture of global Church work, a call to refocus mission efforts on three challenge areas, be grounded in the Bible, and focus on the mission may be drawing attention to the fact that Christians make up only one-third of the world population.
Presenting the financial report, Douglas pointed to God’s provision amid economic uncertainty.
“There are lots of uncertainties around us; lots of economic concerns around us,” he said. “But God has provided the resources we need to mobilize them for His mission.”
Resources shared around the world
World mission offerings provide essential support for ministry in places where local resources are insufficient, Ray Wahlen, GC undertreasurer, explained in an interview. The GC distributes funding to the Church’s world divisions, which in turn help support mission within their territories.
Depending on local needs and established guidelines, these funds can help build schools, student dormitories, churches; sustain outreach programs; and so much more. They also contribute to the non-tithe portion of subsidies for Adventist colleges and universities and help support media ministries, Wahlen explained.
The reach of mission offerings extends beyond individual projects. Regular giving also helps equip and support cross-cultural missionaries and the ministries through which they serve. This shared funding enables work to continue in communities that cannot support it through local giving alone.
“We really want to thank the church members around the world who have supported world mission offerings over the years, allowing the church to grow and expand in new areas and reach people for the kingdom,” said Wahlen.
Members participate through Sabbath school offerings and other giving plans. In North America, World Budget giving helps support the World Mission Fund, while a portion of the Combined Offering plan used in much of the world also provides support. While the ways offerings are collected vary, the purpose remains the same: sharing resources so the church can carry out its worldwide mission.
A tradition that continues
An early milestone in this shared approach came in 1890, when adults and children contributed Sabbath school offerings to help build the mission ship Pitcairn. The vessel carried three missionary couples to Pitcairn Island, where 82 people were baptized, and a church was organized before continuing its work elsewhere in the South Pacific.
Those offerings enabled members who remained at home to participate in taking the gospel overseas. Today, the means of reaching people have multiplied, but the principle of congregations combining their resources for mission remains central to the Church’s work.
Regular mission offerings help provide ongoing support, not just funding to launch a new initiative. Schools need resources after their doors open. New congregations need nurturing. Missionaries need support throughout their service. Members’ consistent giving helps sustain that work.
For Gary Krause, director of the Office of Adventist Mission, the value of regular mission giving lies in the support it provides across many countries and ministries.
“Thank God for church members generously giving their mission offerings every week!” said Krause. “It may not be as glamorous as giving to specific projects. But mission offerings make those projects possible, and they’re like a life-giving river supporting mission around the world.”
