Giving to mission offerings from Seventh-day Adventists in North America is up more than 5 percent in the first six months of 2006, according to a mid-year report from the Treasurer’s office at the Adventist Church’s world headquarters. For the first time in three years, mission offerings increased last year, and so far, 2006 reports show the trend is continuing.

Specifically, mission offerings received through the end of June from North America are up more than $500,000—a 5.14 percent increase—according to the report. North Americans give nearly 50 percent of the church’s worldwide mission offerings. Last year’s worldwide mission offerings totaled $51 million, $22 million of which came from members in North America.

The mission offerings from churches outside North America grew more than 4 percent from last year, according to the same treasury report. Outside North America mission offerings have grown an average of nearly 7 percent each of the past three years.

These statistics hearten church leaders, who were concerned by the decrease over the past decade in overall mission giving, which had not kept up with inflation and since 1995 had, in fact, dropped by one-third.

“The flat growth of the mission offerings over the past 30 years has meant that we missed many opportunities,” says Robert Lemon, Adventist world church treasurer.

“It is my prayer that with renewed emphasis on the mission offerings we will be able to make major inroads into areas such as the 10/40 Window,” he added, referring to an area defined by an imaginary rectangle that extends between 10 degrees and 40 degrees north of the equator, stretching from western Africa to eastern Asia, and home to many unreached people groups.

Of the scope of mission offerings, Adventist Mission director Gary Krause says, “More than 75 percent of the offerings help support overseas missionaries and the international mission work of the church. The remainder supports the mission of various institutions, services and agencies of the world church. This includes medical, educational, media, and humanitarian work.”

To maintain this vital work, church leaders hope members will give regularly to mission offerings and not only to specific appeals. “We hope more and more people will see the mission offerings as a percentage of their income, rather than just putting a dollar or two in the offering plate,” says Michael L. Ryan, a general vice-president of the Adventist Church.

Current missionary Rick McEdward, who serves as Global Mission coordinator in the church’s Southern Asia-Pacific region, says, “Hopefully this will not be a moment, but a trend that will grow over the coming years.  If the reality of the mission needs around the world are known, perhaps it will motivate more to give sacrificially.”

More information about Adventist Mission around the world can be found online at

http://www.AdventistMission.org