Few if any Southern Baptists today would have known Annie Armstrong, who lived from 1850
until 1938. She traveled the West and Appalachia from 1890 to 1906 encouraging SBC missionaries,
advocating for Native Americans and impoverished mountain people, and inspiring churches to pray,
give, and act. She served as the first executive of the SBC Woman’s Missionary Union, which she
helped form in 1887. She was honored in 1934 when the Home Missions Offering was renamed for
her to encourage more to follow her sacrificial example. While you have not met “Miss Annie”, as she
was called, chances are you know a modern-day “Annie”. She is in your church. She is the person
who rallies members to be on a mission. They are model prayer warriors for missions and give willingly and
sacrificially to mission causes. and they place their hands and hearts in mission service and live out
God’s call to tell others both near and far of the saving grace of Jesus. Miss Annie was asked very
early in her missionary travels a question that affected her for the rest of her life. A tall dark Indian
man in Arizona asked her “If you have known so long, why have you not told us before”? How would
you answer that question? Her motto became that she cannot keep from telling Begin now by
helping your church reach its goal for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and pray that God will lead
you to find your place in North American Missions.
Dr. Mike Young,
Interim Director of Missions