January 12, 1961
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session at 3:00 p.m. on
Thursday, January 12, 1961, with Mr. Jenkins presiding.
Present: L. Howard Jenkins, Stuart Grizzard, J. Levering Evans, Joseph Edmond¬
son, James Todd, Herman P. Thomas, Mrs. John Tyree, Mrs. Clyde V. Hickerson,
Elton Phillips, Horace Ford, Bailey Jones, Meredith Roberson, Norfleet Gardner,
W. Rush Loving, Ryland Reany, Baker J. Cauthen, Frank K. Means, Cornell
Goerner, Eugene Hill, Fon Scofield, E. L. Deane, Floyd North, Franklin Fowler.
Dr. Gardner led in prayer.
Dr. Cauthen gave the following report: We come to this first meeting of the
Board in 1961 grateful to our Lord for His blessings throughout the year that
has closed. It has been a year of sustained progress in missionary labor
throughout the world with many evidences of God's leadership and definite answers
to prayer.
With the appointment of 137 missionaries In I960, we entered the New Year with
l,ll80 missionaries serving in forty-five countries. Press releases have already
called attention to entries into new fields made in I960 and the strengthening of
work through intensive efforts in evangelism and church development as well as
the cultivation of institutions for the training of Christian leadership and
ministries to human suffering.
We are grateful for the indication of deep commitment to the task of world
missions as is indicated in prayer support and financial reinforcement for a
world encircling labor.
Gifts for foreign mission work throughout I960 reached a new height and brought
reason for rejoicing throughout the world, these gifts reached a total of
$17,312,163.
The largest portion of this money came from the Cooperative Program which pro¬
vided a total of $7,909,396. Included in this sum was the amount of $819,396.62
which came as the Advance Section of the Cooperative Program. This amount
represents seventy-five percent of Convention-wide Cooperative Program
receipts after the Convention budget has been reached. This sum of $819,396.62
is very important because we were depending upon $800,000 of this money for
urgent needs in 1962 to be met in the Foreign Mission Board budget. The sum of
$19,396.62 will be used for Advance Projects in evangelism and church develop¬
ment in many countries.
The second largest portion of our financial support came through the Lottie Moon
Christmas Offering which provided a total of $7,736,l|2lj. It should be kept in mind
that this figure is not a report of the total of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering
which has been given in December, I960. That offering is still being gathered and
we do not know what this total will be, although there are many wonderful reports
being heard about it from individual places. The total of that offering cannot be
announced until later in the spring. Ihe figure which has been quoted represents
the offering which was made in December, 1959 with the funds reaching the Foreign
Mission Board in the opening months of I960.
Designated gifts throughout I960 amounted to $l,3lj0,09ii which represented an
increase of only $9,0Ui over the amount received in 1959. Most of this money is
provided by churches and individuals for the salary support of missionaries. There
are many churches that provide the salaries of missionaries who are dear to their
hearts and whose support is undertaken as an expression of love.
Special gifts for particular objects of work amounted to $25l,12h, and gifts for
relief amounted to $75,125, bringing the total of all gifts to $17,312,163, which was
an increase of $l,327,Oii7 over gifts received in 1959.
While the report of gifts totalling $17,312,163 is very encouraging, we should remem¬
ber that needs confronting the Foreign Mission Board during the past year are well
above $20,000,000. It was not possible to meet $3,000,000 of the needs which had
been urgently recommended by the missions.
It is most important that we keep in mind that the work of foreign missions has corne
to be a very extensive operation. When we consider the fact that world-wide pro¬
grams of evangelism and church development are projected, large institutional work
