Baptist Press, B&R Reports
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The nearly $59 million given to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering in 2016 ranks second highest in the offering’s history, the North American Mission Board announced Oct. 12.
Southern Baptists gave $58,860,553 in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 to the offering named for noted missionary Annie Armstrong, second only to the $59,463,281 given in 2007, NAMB said.
“This is extraordinary in a year when so many of our churches gave above and beyond in response to the special call from our International Mission Board,” NAMB President Kevin Ezell wrote in a thank you column to Southern Baptists. “We are humbled by how God has moved once again through Southern Baptists and excited about what this means for our missionaries who serve throughout the United States and Canada.”
North Carolina and Alabama Baptists gave the largest amounts this year, collecting $6,058,574 and $5,878,970, respectively, NAMB said.
Tennessee Baptist Convention churches notably made the largest increase in giving to the offering this year, NAMB said, with its total of $4,561,392 coming in at $376,878 more than 2015.
TBC Executive Director Randy C. Davis observed the increase in giving to NAMB reflects the wonderful generosity of Tennessee Baptists.
“The increase happened in a year when our state missions offering (Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions) had its third successive year of growth of more than 5 percent and our first year of Cooperative Program growth in three years,” Davis said.
“Tennessee Baptists are showing through their giving that they are committed to reaching our state, our nation, and our world for Jesus Christ,’ Davis added.
