Baptists asked to dig deeper for Home Mission in 2008
Thursday 17 January 2008
Baptist churches are being asked to give more to Home Mission in 2008 following the news that money raised in 2007 fell over £160,000 short of the Appeal target.
Over £3.69 million was raised for Home Mission, approximately £166,000 short of the revised Appeal target of £3,860,000. Home Mission money finances the majority of the approximate £6 million expenditure of the work of the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB). This includes employment related costs involving more than 400 Ministers, student ministers attached to churches and staff employed at the National Resource in Didcot and the thirteen Associations, all of whom are either directly engaged in mission or are providing much needed support in making Jesus known throughout Britain.
According to BUGB Treasurer Bernard Rouget if the target for this year's appeal of £4 million is to be achieved it will mean a 'massive' 8.3% increase in giving this year. "Whilst expressing sincere thanks for the response to the 2007 Appeal, I feel it is my responsibility as Union Treasurer to appeal to Ministers, Church Secretaries and Treasurers to give serious prayerful thought to their church's financial support for this wonderful vision called 'Home Mission'," Mr Rouget said.
"Although the Union currently has reserves to bridge deficits, these are diminishing at an unhealthy rate and if not stemmed could severely affect ongoing Kingdom work," he said.
These sentiments were also shared by BUGB General Secretary, the Revd Jonathan Edwards. "We praise God for the generosity of the thousands of Baptists who contributed to this year's Home Mission Appeal. Financially, it has been a tight year for most charities and churches, and it is a huge achievement to have achieved such a large sum of money. However, there is no disguising the fact that there is a disappointment that we didn't come closer to the Appeal target.
I am incredibly excited to see the way in which God's work is being done through the wise use of Home Mission money and I urge the Baptist family to pray hard and dig deep as we accept the challenge of a £4 million Appeal this year."
