by Martin King                                                                                                                Vol. XIV, No. 2, February 2001

Receipts for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions jumped 11 percent in 2000 to $48.4 million, the largest increase since 1982 and the eighth consecutive record offering. Officials of NAMB and Woman's Missionary Union jointly announced the results of the annual missions offering to WMU's executive board during its annual meeting Monday, Jan. 15.

Robert E. Reccord, NAMB president, expressed his appreciation for WMU's relationship and partnership as well as their contribution to the success of the mission offering. "We thank God for you and for the opportunity to walk beside you on mission for Jesus Christ. We are thankful, too, for everything you and your members did to make this offering another record," Reccord said, speaking to the group by way of videotape when another commitment did not allow him to attend the meeting.

WMU Executive Director Wanda Lee said WMU was pleased to see the faithfulness of Southern Baptists' support of North American missions. "This year's nearly $5 million surpassing of last year's total is a wonderful testimony of the churches' commitment to reach our nation and continent with the gospel.@

The record offering also surpassed the campaign's $47 million goal by $1.4 million, marking only the third time the goal has been exceeded in the past 20 years. The goal for 2001 is $50 million.

The offering, all of which is used to support missionary personnel and their work, supplies more than one-third of NAMB's budget. The agency cooperates with state Baptist conventions in supporting 5,081 missionaries in the United States and Canada. [BP]