The Right Thing To Do

June 9, 2011

DALLAS — First Baptist Church of West Carrollton, Ohio, has many reasons for giving to Mission:Dignity. They enjoy caring for others. They like to hear how their monies are helping aged pastors and widows. It has given them a greater sense of responsibility in reaching out to their own members in need. But one reason stands above the rest.

“Most important to me is that it has a biblical basis,” said pastor Mark Scroggins.

Scroggins has served at First Baptist for 35 years and has been the senior pastor since 1981. For the last 26 years, the church — which has a weekly worship attendance of 125 and is part of the Greater Dayton Association of Baptists — has included Mission:Dignity in its annual budget. They started out at $50 each month and that has grown through the years to the current allocation of $200 which underwrites the assistance for one widow. They have given more than $42,000 to Mission:Dignity and are the fifth longest-giving congregation in the country.

Scroggins noted, “This is something we are called to do as God’s people. James says that pure religion is the kind that actually does something for widows and orphans in need.”

Citing Paul’s letter to Timothy, Scroggins continued, “We have a particular responsibility to those Paul calls ‘widows indeed.’ And not only to them but to couples, too. These people have given themselves in selfless ways in churches that could only eke by and pay very little. We’re delighted to have a part in caring for them.”

Scroggins keeps the Mission:Dignity message in front of his people as much as possible. “The monthly letters we receive are excellent. We also get the Mission:Dignity Sunday materials each year and show the DVD during our offering time to remind our people that a portion of our budget goes to help others in need.”

The church has both a local and national focus in its benevolence. Scroggins observed, “Mission:Dignity doesn’t excuse a church from taking care of its own. We still do that. But it has opened the door wider for us, going beyond our local needs to the Kingdom. We’re all in this together.”

When asked about how the church has grown in its giving during a period of nationwide recession, Scroggins responded, “Even in a tight budget, we’ve remained committed. Just because things are tight doesn’t mean you back off it.”

First Baptist gives generously to a variety of SBC missions and ministry opportunities. “Anytime you can fulfill a biblical mandate without starting a ministry yourself, it’s fantastic,” Scroggins said. “We do it through the Cooperative Program, the Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong offerings, and also through Mission:Dignity. People can give out of hearts of compassion and concern and know where their money is going.”

For First Baptist of West Carrollton, their hearts of compassion and concern are rooted in following God’s word.

“When we first heard about Mission:Dignity and the people it was helping, we said this is biblical and we need to do something about it,” Scroggins remembered. “It’s the right thing to do, so let’s do it.”