By Randy C. Davis
President and executive director, TBMB
Randy Davis
Dale Lusk didn’t like the decisions he had to make when he began ministering at a boys’ juvenile detention facility here in Tennessee. His dilemma? Which boys get Bibles, which get discipleship materials and which don’t get either.
Fortunately, the decision became easy. All boys who wanted a Bible or materials got them because Tennessee Baptists gave through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Mission and GOTM funds made it happen.
Fast forward 11 years and to date 219 boys and nine guards have come to saving faith in Christ. There are four worship services and other discipleship opportunities available to the boys each week. God is using Dale and other volunteers to literally change the history of these boys to HIS-story.
I am writing this Clarity column with days remaining in our fiscal GOTM year. First, I want to say thank you. You have already set another record in GOTM giving at more than $2,441,000. Add in special donations to Golden Offering projects that total over $291,000, and “in kind” gifts of a church property valued at $385,000, and Tennessee Baptists have exceeded the 10-year Five Objectives goal of increasing GOTM giving to $3 million. That makes six out of the last eight years you’ve set a new GOTM giving record.
Why is that significant? It certainly isn’t about reaching a financial goal for the sake of reaching a financial goal. Those gifts translate to ministry and enable us to invest those funds back into ministry across our state, like ministry taking place at the boys’ detention facility.
And crisis pregnancy centers. And offering adoption grants. And church planting. And Baptist Collegiate Ministry. And disaster relief. And so much more, like BlueOval City initiatives.
The development of Ford’s $5 billion BlueOval City plant near Brownsville continues in full swing with the projection that our state population will grow to as much as 100,000 people in the impact zone over the next several years. Tennessee Baptists have a vision to plant 40 new churches in that area over the next 10 years — and because of available Golden Offering funds — that work has already begun. One church plant has launched and others will be coming online in the next few months.
Quick word of thanks to the many churches who have already taken mission trips to do everything from renovating churches and making them ready for a relaunch to supporting block parties as evangelist efforts. Those types of opportunities will increase if your church is interested.
Tennessee Baptists, you have caught the vision that any way you slice it, Tennessee is a mission field. The spiritual and physical needs in our state are overwhelming. More than four million people in our state have no relationship with Jesus Christ. Poverty, drug abuse, children in foster care, teen pregnancy — the list goes on — cripple the lives of so many of our family, friends and neighbors.
The Golden Offering enables Tennessee Baptists to meet strategic opportunities that open doors for gospel ministry. Your generosity is vital. How vital? The GOTM is to Tennessee what the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is to international missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering is to North American missions.
The 2024-2025 GOTM giving year begins Sunday with a week of prayer to follow during September and a new challenge goal. However, I would be remiss if I — we — did not pause and thank God for what He’s done through His people during this past year. And again, it is with sincere gratitude I thank each of you and your churches that have given through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions.
If you and your church were not able to participate this past year, I’m praying you will see Tennessee as the mission field and consider how you might be a part of reaching our state for Christ through this great ministry opportunity.
It is a joy to be with you on this journey!
