Lott Carey Priorities and New Emphases for 2022

Lott Carey Priorities and New Emphases for 2022

Lott Carey President Rev. Dr. Gina M. Stewart and Executive Secretary-Treasurer Rev. Emmett Dunn announced priorities and new emphases for the global mission organization for the year 2022.

The president challenged Lott Carey partners to raise a special mission fund of US$1 million by the 125th Lott Carey Annual Session in New Orleans, from August 15-19.

Dr. Stewart, who made the appeal during the 2022 Spring Missions Conference in Atlanta, is confident it can be done “if 100 churches give $10,000 each or 200 churches give $5,000 each.”

She is encouraging churches to invest in increasing capacity and building the infrastructure of Lott Carey to enable its partners to effectively meet the needs of the people they serve.

The first woman to lead a major African American Baptist group emphasized that Lott Carey is doing good work and wants to see it gain greater visibility, including among younger, emerging generations.

Rev. Dunn announced a new initiative approved by the Lott Carey board of directors to launch an individual members program. This will broaden and deepen participation to individuals who desire to support global mission, not just congregations, the traditional funders and supporters of Lott Carey.

The executive secretary-treasurer told the gathering in Atlanta that Lott Carey is in the process of launching Thriving Congregations to further equip pastors, lay leaders, and congregations.

Focus will be on churches’ response to changing social and cultural contexts, clarifying values, and on mission. It seeks to cultivate Christian practices that strengthen the vitality, faithfulness, and effectiveness of local churches.

Thriving Congregations succeeds the recently concluded Thriving in Ministry (TIM), which trained, developed, and nurtured pastoral leaders. Rev. Dunn commended the graduates of TIM, which ended after three years during the Spring Missions Conference.

Both Thriving in Ministry and Thriving Congregations are funded by grants from the Lily Endowment.

More than 250 pastors, church leaders and delegates attended the Lott Carey Spring Missions Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, from March 24-25.

A hybrid event, virtual and in-person, the conference was for strategic planning, program updates, missions training, worship, and inspiration.