
This month marks our 9th Annual Lula Whilden World Missions Offering emphasis. While the congregation gives to the offering throughout the year, we focus a little extra during the month of October and into the holiday season on our opportunity to support the mission work of our affiliates—Alliance of Baptists, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina. Last year’s collection raised nearly $114,000, and this year’s goal is $125,000 of which we have collected $24,011 as of September 30. For a little background on who Lula Whilden was and why we renamed our world missions offering after her 9 years ago, you can
read more here.

This week we are focusing on the Alliance of Baptists. You can learn about the Alliance and their ministries at
www.allianceofbaptists.org, and we have included a few highlights here. The three core values of the Alliance of Baptists are theological home, pursuit of God’s justice and partnership in mission. The Alliance has 36 Active Hope Partners—relationships built on friendship and understanding that offer the world hope while working for justice. Each partner receives grants annually with the aim of increasing their capacity to respond to needs in their context and chart their own course for ministry. The Alliance stands in solidarity with each Active Hope Partner recognizing mutual empowerment and need for one another.
One of these Active Hope partners is Peace Cathedral in the Republic of Georgia. For more than 150 years through the leaders and members of Peace Cathedral, Baptists in the Republic of Georgia have been a consistent and prophetic witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ in the region. That witness is lived out in many ways, including through interreligious and intercultural dialogue and understanding, and the promotion of peace and reconciliation. Peace Cathedral also has been instrumental in assisting those who have been sidelined by society, including refugees from other parts of the world, internally displaced persons within Georgia, and those within the LGBTQ community. Read More.
As we celebrate the legacy of Lula Whilden this fall, please remember to include this important offering in your giving plans. With your help, we can reach our $125,000 goal and make a difference in our state and across the globe!
— Ryan Dennis,
Missions and Affiliations Committee Chair