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Praying and Giving
Revisiting the Classics
by Lisa K. Lundy
As Christians, Christmas and Easter are special times of year for celebrating our faith. We remember God’s incredible gift of sending Christ to be born as a baby, to grow into a man, and to give his life willingly for us on the cross. As Baptists, we have the opportunity to celebrate these two special holidays with two special offerings to missions: the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® for North American Missions and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® for International Missions. As a GA® and Acteen® growing up, I can remember learning and writing about each of these amazing ladies. However, many Baptists today may not be aware of their important contributions to missions. Let’s revisit the lives of Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon. They are women who gave sacrificially and loved deeply.
Annie Armstrong
Born in 1850 in Baltimore, Maryland, Annie Walker Armstrong learned the importance of praying and giving to missions as a child in a prominent Baptist family. She was baptized at age 20. Soon after, her family became charter members of Eutaw Place Baptist Church in Baltimore. This church plant had a strong missions emphasis. Annie was a member of Eutaw Place for nearly 70 years. Annie was described as tall, stately, outspoken, and strong-willed.1 Her energy and dedication to missions was essential to the early development of the Woman’s Missionary Union® (WMU®). Her rally cry was “Go Forward,” which became the first WMU motto. Annie was known for her concern for the plight of missionaries in the US and abroad. One missionary to whom Annie responded was Lottie Moon, a missionary to China. Annie organized women to set aside the week before Christmas to pray and collect offerings for missions in December 1888. This week of prayer continued to be celebrated each year at Christmastime. In 1918, Annie suggested naming the offering in honor of Lottie Moon and her suggestion was implemented the following year. To read more about Annie Armstrong, visit http://www.anniearmstrong.com/.
“The future lies all before us . . . shall it only be a slight advance upon what we usually do? Ought it not to be a bound, a leap forward, to altitudes of endeavor and success undreamed of before?”—Annie Armstrong
Lottie Moon
Lottie Moon was born in 1840 in Albermarle County, Virginia. She rebelled against Christianity as a young woman, but accepted Christ and was baptized in college. She was one of the first women in the South to earn a master’s degree in 1861. Lottie’s sister, Edmonia, was appointed as a missionary to China in 1872. Lottie followed her to China the following year. In leaving for China, Lottie left behind a marriage proposal and a good job. She continued to serve as a missionary in China for 39 years. She worked in a girls’ school and shared Christ with these women and girls. Over the years, Lottie wrote many letters to Christians in the US, sharing about Chinese culture, missionary life, and the needs of the Chinese people. Lottie was on her way back to the US when she died aboard a ship in Japan in December of 1912. She was 72 years old. To read more about Lottie Moon, check out her biography at http://www.imb.org/main/give/page.asp?StoryID=5527&LanguageID=1709.
“Why should we not . . . instead of the paltry offerings we make, do something that will prove that we are really in earnest in claiming to be followers of him who, though he was rich, for our sake became poor?”—Lottie Moon
Lisa Lundy writes from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she is an assistant professor of public relations at Louisiana State University.
1Sorrill, B. Shapers of Southern Baptist Heritage: Annie Armstrong: Shaper of Missions. Retrieved February 25, 2007 from http://www.anniearmstrong.com.
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