Last fall, I was called upon to have an in-person meeting with our own Jane
Allison. The Coordinating Council of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of
Mississippi (CBFMS) had voted to bring back a state missions offering and to
name that offering the “Jane Allison Missions Offering.” They asked me to meet
with her in person to share the news.
I was thrilled! What an honor to get to share this news with one who is a champion for missions work in the state of Mississippi. Jane has actively served CBFMS from its inception in the early 1990s. At one of the first meetings of the coordinating council she asked that the group spend time praying for CBF’s new missionaries and ever since that early meeting, Jane has been leading CBFMS to stay focused on its missions efforts.
Of course, that is no real news to those of us who know Jane through UBC. Jane has worked to promote missions in various ways throughout her over twenty years with us. Whether teaching BBB and leading prayers for missionaries, or working on Wednesday night missionas programs, or speaking in worship, or leading through her hands-on involvement—we have known that Jane Allison’s heart beats with a passion to share the love of Jesus with our neighbors near and far.
I asked Dick to join me for the meeting with Jane. I knew I might need his support to convince her
that this was a good idea. Jane, humble as she is, was shocked to hear the news. As I anticipated, her first reaction was “no.” Through her leadership, Jane has never sought to bring attention to herself. Her second reaction was a little more humorous (in fact, it made it into the Dick and Jane Project that many of us had the pleasure of watching at WCU). In the end, Jane agreed. After all, we are Baptists, and once a committee votes, it’s hard for one person to overrule it!
I am thankful for living saints among us whose lives remind us what is most important about following Jesus. I am thankful for Jane Allison, and I am thankful that UBC has the opportunity to participate in the inaugural Jane Allison Missions Offering. During the month of April I hope you will join me in giving to this offering. The proceeds will go directly to Delta Hands for Hope in Shaw, MS—the primary site of mission work for CBFMS.
Our goal is $3,000 which will be added to the almost $2,000 collected through casserole sales last November. Wouldn’t it be great, as Jane’s home church, if we could send $5,000
(or more) to this new offering!
Journeying Together,
Rusty
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