1. Lottie Moon Legacy by Tom and Sandy Macy
When Sandy and I first joined Cornerstone (then Windsor Park Baptist) we had no idea what Lottie Moon was. .. a person…a thing…a process? We also heard of a Nicy Murphy offering. But, for a long time, when one of these offerings was mentioned, I wondered...is it Lottie Moon at Christmas, or is it Nicy Murphy? And which one is for Foreign Missions? Now I know!
Lottie Moon was a real woman and considered by some to be the most educated woman in the south. Lottie attended Albemarle Female Institute, the female counterpart to the University of Virginia. In 1861, she was one of the first women in the South to receive a master's degree and spoke 6 languages fluently.
In 1872, Lottie’s sister Edmonia became the first unmarried woman to be appointed as a missionary. At the urging of her sister, Lottie applied for appointment as well. The next year she joined her sister as a missionary in Tengchow, China, in the Shantung province. Which is where our talk begins.

2. The old church Lottie attended looks the same as it did in the 1800’s standing next to the same type of historical monument.

3. The old church sanctuary.

4. This is the baptistery that would have been in use in the 19th century
This is the baptistery that would have been in use in the 19th century. It is covered over in the stage at the front of the old church. Once a year in the spring it is filled and around 300 converts are baptized in a special ceremony.

5. Sunday school classrooms looked like this.

6. Outside play area.
Some estimates: converts / week. = Birthrate
12000 into the ministry each year
1 of Lottie’s students was still alive, but they couldn’t get in touch with her for our visit.

7. The new church can be seen just on the other side of the old church
The new church can be seen just on the other side of the old church. If we turn around at this point and face the opposite direction we see a small street with old structures on each side.

8. Lottie’s house was about half way down the street.

9. A marker at the entrance designated the house as a landmark
A marker at the entrance designated the house as a landmark. People still live in the house today.

10. Monument to Lottie Moon in courtyard outside the old church.
Vivian, a young Christian and our guide, is from Beijing and made all the local arrangements for our trip.
Our cab driver for the tour, Brother Wong, was saved in In his cab, he carries 2 hymnals in back window, has a copy of Jimmy Carter’s Living Faith in front viser, and witnesses loudly as he drives, often shouting Hallelulia…the only word that didn’t require translation..

11. The old church was out grown and a new one (in the background) was built beside it.

12. The pastor was at a convention of Chinese church leaders deciding how to deal with the weekly converts. These two young ministers with Bro. Wong work in the church.

13. Lottie Moon pictured on the board with contemporary leaders of the church.
The story of the church. Is on the right.
When asked if the church members know who Lottie Moon was, the cab driver very excitedly said that EVERYONE knows who Lottie Moon was whether they are Christians and non-Christians. She’s not just an historical figure. The feeling we got as Bro. Wong talked was that he was referring to a member of the church family.

14. The new church has 1000 members.
Bro Wong sings in choir. They sing old and new songs like in US.
Christmas trees are up all year. When asked why, they answered, “Why not! They’re pretty.”

15. We delivered the Cornerstone donation to the Lottie Moon Church in Penglai. The workers would not even touch the money but had me place it directly in the offering box. They are starting an outreach to young people and the money will be used for that.
Throughout her career, Lottie Moon wrote numerous letters home, urging Southern Baptists to greater missions involvement and support. In 1887, Lottie proposed Baptist women have a week of prayer for missions and a special Christmas offering to go to foreign missions. The offering was enough to send three new missionaries to China. In 1918, the Woman's Missionary Union named the annual Christmas offering for international missions after the woman who had urged them to start it.

16. Lottie Moon Christmas Offering:
Makes up 50 percent of the International Mission Board's income.
Every penny is used to support SBC missionaries.
2008 receipts: $141 million, $29 million short of the $170 goal.
2009 goal: $175 million
$3 billion given since offering’s inception
Lottie Moon Tour Arrangements:
Russell Cherry, Dehoney Travel
Phone 812/
Interesting Links:
Lottie Moon at Work:
2009 Offering:
The story of Lottie Moon is a love story. She had to choose between the man she loved and the God she loved. As a student at Albemarle, she met Crawford Toy, perhaps the youngest instructor there. He taught Lottie Hebrew and English grammar. Through the years, they developed a close friendship. Some letters imply that marriage was even considered. Crawford planned to become a missionary. At which point, Lottie would either move to Japan with him if that was his appointment, or he would join her in China. Until the appointment could be made, he became a professor at a Southern Baptist seminary. Crawford came under fire at the seminary because of his liberal beliefs. When two of his students, who had been appointed as missionaries to China, had their appointments revoked because of their beliefs, Lottie realized that Crawford would never become a missionary. She had to choose between remaining on the field in China or joining Crawford at Harvard. She chose China. Lottie was later asked whether she had ever been in love. Her reply: "Yes, but God had first claim on my life, and since the two conflicted, there could be no question about the results.“
Lottie Moon found fulfillment in her work, “We could not conceive a life which would more thoroughly satisfy the mind and heart of a true follower of the Lord Jesus.”
Another thought of hers should give us reason to ponder. “[How many there are who imagine that] because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing.”
Tom and Sandy’s