November 9, 1961
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session at
3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 9, 1961, with Mr. Jenkins
presiding.
Present: L. Howard Jenkins, T. F. Adams, Joseph P. Edmondson,
Stuart Grizzard, Josiah Hoover, Mrs. Clyde V. Hickerson, W.
Rush Loving, J. Walter Martin, Ryland 0. Reamy, Meredith
Roberson, Emmett Y. Robertson, Herman P. Thomas, James
Todd, Mrs. Tyree, C. Bailey Jones, Baker J. Cauthen, Frank
Means, Elmer West, Eugene Hill, Winston Crawley, E. L. Deane,
Luke Smith, Jesse Fletcher, Joseph Underwood, lone Gray,
Floyd North, E. L. Wright, Bill Cody, Franklin Fowler, Mary
L. Fuqua.
Dr. Meredith Roberson led in prayer.
Dr. Cauthen gave the following report of the Executive Secretary:
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
We have now come to the season of the year when prayer and
effort are being made pointing toward the Lottie Moon
Christmas Offering. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is
a vital part of our missionary undertaking. From a financial
point of view, it provides necessary funds for three im¬
portant aspects of our work.
First of all, there are funds provided for the support of
missionaries. Not only does the offering provide for salaries
and cost-of-living supplements for 125 missionaries, but it
also provides for outgoing expenses of new missionaries.
From the time a missionary is appointed, there are financial
obligations to be borne, including outfit allowance, travel
to the field, salary and cost-of-living supplement.
The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering also provides funds for
the education of the children of missionaries when they come
to college. This is called the Margaret Fund. For many
years the administration of this fund was carried by Woman's
Missionary Union, but upon the request of Woman's Missionary
Union it is being handled at the Foreign Mission Board, it¬
self. Miss Mary Elizabeth Fuqua takes care of this re¬
sponsibility in an admirable way.
The Lottie Moon Offering also provides funds for current
expenses for ministries conducted on mission fields. Without
these funds, there would be tragic cuts in the work under¬
taken by missionaries throughout the world. The importance
of these funds is indicated by the fact that the sum of
$4,000,000 representing expenses for current operations is included
The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering also provides funds for
capital purposes. Most of the remainder of the offering
beyond the $4,000,000 included in the budget will be used
for capital purposes. This means that from these funds
missionary residences, churches, schools, hospitals, seminaries,
and other buildings will be constructed.
The administration of these funds for capital purposes is on
exactly the same basis as that of the capital funds derived
from the Cooperative Program. Requests are made by the missions
in their regular sessions and are studied at the Foreign
Mission Board. We always recognize the fact that these re¬
commendations are far in excess of available resources. We go
as far as it is possible to go in providing that which the
missions have recommended. Without the Lottie Moon Christmas
Offering, we would face the tragic fact of missionaries pour¬
ing their lives into situations of urgent need without any
prospect of buildings in which to carry on their ministries.
'“Omitted from above paragraph
... in the budget of the Foreign Mission Board from the
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for 1962. Our total budget
for operating expenses is more than $13,000,000, and of this
sum $4,000,000 is derived from the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
