Missouri Missions Offering

Receipts for the 2024 Rheubin L. South Missouri Missions Offering exceeded $1 million, crossing that threshold for the first time and setting a record for giving by Missouri Baptists to state mission projects ranging from foster care to disaster relief.

MMO receipts in 2024, which are disbursed in 2025, totaled $1,072,207, far outpacing the goal of $760,000 and shattering the previous record of $990,740 set in 2022. Assisted by an estate gift totaling $136,000, the $760,000 goal was surpassed Oct. 21, far ahead of the Dec. 31 deadline.

Further, 2024 marked the 12^th straight year of MMO receipts above $700,000.

The number of churches contributing to MMO fell slightly to 672, down from 692 the previous year. But the average MMO gift per church rose to $1,301 from $1,176 in 2023.

Gifts through local churches accounted for 88 percent of total MMO giving in 2024, while direct gifts from individuals reached 8.5 percent and gifts from institutions were 3.5 percent.

Missouri Baptists responded enthusiastically to the MMO theme of 1 Chronicles 16:23, in which King David declares, “Let the whole earth sing to the LORD. Proclaim his salvation from day to day.”

MBC Executive Director-Treasurer Wes Fowler expressed profound gratitude for Missouri Baptists’ commitment to state missions: “The Missouri Missions Offering strengthens the gospel impact of more than two dozen ministries across our state. Because Missouri Baptists gave to MMO so generously in 2024, more children will find forever homes, more survivors of disasters will be helped, and more lost people will hear the good news of Jesus. Thank you, Missouri Baptists, for giving so sacrificially for the cause of Christ.”

Great Commission support

MMO supports statewide missions projects that help fulfill the Great Commission. The annual offering in 2024 focused on five areas of ministry that define the MBC’s mission of helping churches transform lives and communities with the gospel:

• Making disciples – sports evangelism; VBS regional training events; youth evangelism and missions; Resounding Disciples training and development; and the state fair ministry of the Missouri DOM Fellowship.
• Collegiate ministries – a summer missions mentoring initiative; and ministries involving collegiate interns and apprentices.
• Multiplying churches –partnership missions in Mexico, Minnesota/Wisconsin, and Montana; strategic missionary development; reaching Missouri’s unreached people groups; and Missouri WMU.
• Developing leaders – disaster relief readiness, including collegiate DR internships; Resound Network training and development; the Leader Care Network; a conference for new pastors; hunger relief; Baptist Builders; and a Pathway journalism retreat.
• Synergy (MBC-affiliated institutions) – foster care, adoption care, rescue from human trafficking, and other ministries of the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home; a four-year biblical studies degree for inmates (HLGU); Missouri Baptist Foundation internships; sanctity of life continuum (Baptist Homes); church-and-state pastoral reading groups (SBU); the Center for Global Engagement (MBU); a global compassion leadership initiative (SBU); a seniors and staff outdoors initiative (Baptist Homes); and a pastor/staff and wives fellowship (Christian Life Commission).

In addition, 10 percent of MMO gifts go back to the associations of contributing churches, where the funds support regional mission projects.

Funds raised in excess of the MMO goal are placed in reserve for future missions opportunities. At the same time, 10 percent of gifts above the goal is given to Missouri WMU, which promotes state, national, and international missions in MBC-affiliated churches. And this year, a gift of up to $25,000 is being given to Baptist Homes to assist with their ministries to the aged.

Missouri Baptists have approved a 2025 MMO goal of $800,000. This June, the MBC announces the 2025 theme and provides churches with MMO resources.