April 25, 2024
Stuckey Baptist Church may be small but it certainly has a big heart.
The rural church in Glenwood, Ga., has fewer than 30 people in attendance on Sunday mornings, but it is one of the state’s most generous in terms of percentage of giving to state, national and global missions.
For every $100 that goes into the southeast Georgia church’s offering plates, $25 to $30 goes to the Cooperative Program to fund work outside the tiny town of Glenwood, population 487.
The congregation has given more than $500,000 through the Cooperative Program over the past 50 years and an additional $350,000 through special offerings to support state, national and international missions.
Deacon Gary Jenkins doesn’t see it as a big deal.
“That’s just what we do,” he said. “People from past generations set the course for this church to support of missions, so, you might say we’re just maintaining that.”
In a cemetery on the church grounds is the grave of Martin Wilcher, a beloved deacon who had a great passion for getting the gospel to the nations. In his day, Wilcher pressed the church to raise its Cooperative Program giving by 1 percent a year until it reached 25 percent and beyond.
As a result, Stuckey Baptist Church rightfully takes great satisfaction in the success of Southern Baptist missionaries serving around the world.
They know they have had a hand in covering the airfare that got them to far-away lands. They’ve had a part in paying for the language school that allows them to effectively share the good news. They’ve helped cover the cost of their food and housing, of medical care, of Bibles and Bible study materials, of everything missionaries need to reach the countries where they serve.
Last year, their international missionaries reached more than 144,000 new believers in countries around the world.
Stuckey Baptist, of course, had a hand in that.
So, kudos to the dedicated Christians who have make Stuckey Baptist a shining example of generosity.
