Annie Armstrong

There are only a few things more rewarding in this world than to the see how God works to change the lives of those who trust Him. To see God take broken lives, broken families, and broken people who have lost hope and give them a new life is amazing. The power of the Gospel is real, and when a person repents of their sin and puts their trust in Christ Jesus, He powerfully changes their life. This is the vision behind the Annie Armstrong offering.

Each year, we honor the life and work of Annie Walker Armstrong (1850-1938) when we give to the annual offering dedicated to North American missions. As a tireless servant of God and a contagious advocate and supporter of mission efforts throughout the world, Annie Armstrong led women to unite in mission endeavors that ultimately led to the formation of Woman's Missionary Union, for which she served as the very first corresponding secretary.

Annie believed in Christ with all her heart, and she was dedicated to express that belief through her actions. She spent a great amount of time writing letters to support the work of missions. Many of the letters were lengthy and all were filled with the compelling conviction that more could be done for the mission of Christ. In 1893 she wrote almost 18,000 letters! As a missionary Annie never hesitated to reach out to hug a child or distribute food and clothing and the Word of God to those in need. She diligently studied her Bible to know how best to share Gods love with others. Annie was also known as a woman of prayer and she would often intercede for missionaries and for those they were helping discover Christ.
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Here is a list of her contributions:

• Helped plant Eutaw Place Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland in 1871.
• Started Bay View Mission to provide for Baltimore’s poor and addicted.
• Led the formation of missions’ organizations for children to educate them to hear God’s call into mission service.
• Gained support for the appointment of missionaries to German, Jewish and Italian immigrants.
• Handwrote more than 18,000 letters in one year to pastors and SBC leaders advocating for missions.
• Initiated fund-raising “brick cards” to build needed church buildings in Cuba.
• Encouraged outreach to black Americans and gained support for the first black, female missionaries.
• Secured funds in 1888 to relieve China missionary, Lottie Moon, who had worked for 13 years without a furlough.
• Advocated for Native Americans and impoverished mountain people bringing their needs to the Home Mission Board.
• Started the Church Building Loan Fund and Annuities with the Home and Foreign Mission Boards, which still exists today.
• Annie died on December 20, 1938 in Baltimore, but her legacy and heart for missions lives on. Today, over $1 billion has been given through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.

All funds for the Annie Armstrong offering--100 percent—support the North American Mission Board’s Send Network church planting missionaries and Send Relief compassion missionaries throughout the U.S., Canada and their territories. With committed support from SBC churches and individuals, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering will continue to fulfill God’s mission of showing His love in a broken world.

As a church we will collect the Annie Armstrong offering each Sunday through March 18. Please prayerfully consider your contribution to this missions offering.

Pastor Billy