Before I started seminary, I knew I was Baptist. I was born Baptist, raised Baptist, went to Baptist camps, and attended a Baptist University; I suppose I could have rebelled at some point, but where’s the sense in that? Now that I’m in seminary, I’m learning what being Baptist truly means, and the history of those who paved the way for us today. (Yes, I am a nerd and will use this outlet to share with you what I learned in class. . . stay with me, though, I do have a point.)

This past week in Baptist Heritage, we learned about the Baptist missions movement. Baptist churches began forming in America in the mid-1600s. Around that time, Congregationalist churches were sending people to foreign countries to serve as missionaries. They even formed their own “Board of Commissioners” to call and fund these people’s journeys. BUT, a few crazy people put a kink in their plans; they went to the mission field and decided to become BAPTIST (the most notable of these being Ann and Adoniram Judson and Luther Rice)! As you can imagine, the Congregationalists did not want to fund missionaries with such “different” beliefs. So, our dear predecessors were left in Burma with no funds and no “support.”

Thankfully, their saga does not end there. Some Baptists in America decided they wanted to help these missionaries. Our friends talked it over and decided that Rice should go back to America to raise funds, while the Judsons continued to work with the people of Burma. Rice hoped to go back to the mission field one day, but it is clear to me that his calling was fulfilled at home in the States.

I’m not sure what Rice did to gather the support of local Baptist churches, but so many people felt called to give to Baptist missions that a convention was formed with the sole purpose of supporting Baptist missions/missionaries. They called this the Triennial Convention, and it was the first national partnership of Baptist churches in America. Missions were so important to Baptists that, for the first time ever, churches all over the country (small, though it was) united over the goal of making sure they continued and thrived.

A lot has happened since then, but there is one thing I hope has not changed: our mutual support for missions. Unfortunately, it seems like this support may be dwindling. Financial support for the global missions offering has been down in recent years.  Perhaps people are giving to missions more than ever but through individual sponsorships and local church mission efforts, but I think we can learn something from our friends Ann, Adoniram, and Luther.

Luther Rice raised funding for Ann and Adoniram, eventually resulting in the Triennial Convention. That collective support from Baptists throughout the United States allowed them to produce some of the best mission resources of that day.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have struggled to understand why so many people attempt to do the same thing under so many different labels when one group is already doing it so well. Still today, I am perplexed to see funding for the global missions offering dwindle when CBF has been supporting field personnel with, what I believe to be, the best resources available for the past 20-years.

Certainly, there is no bad way to support missions, but it is possible that we may need to reevaluate our giving so that great programs do not have to be compromised. Or maybe I’m just taking my Baptist heritage lesson too far.