He was an honored scholar, a decorated World War II bombardier, a successful businessman, a dedicated missions director, and a devoted husband and father. Even though Rheubin L. South was known for many things, his greatest legacy is the missions offering he left behind that continues to champion efforts that help many hear about Jesus Christ every year. 

In 1987, 2 years after the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) combined a variety of offerings into the Missouri Missions Offering, convention members voted to name the offering after the man who had advocated for it. Today the offering named after Rheubin supports 5 important ministry areas: prayer and evangelism, collegiate ministries, missions mobilization, church renewal, and entity relations. All these initiatives were important to Rheubin in his life.  

Life and Calling 

Rheubin was born in 1921 in Oklahoma but grew up in New Mexico. He succeeded in school, earning a bachelor’s degree from Eastern New Mexico University and later a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. His studies were interrupted in 1942 by World War II. Rheubin was in the 100th Bombing Group of the Eighth Air Force and flew missions into Germany, France, and Belgium. In 1946, the college student returned home to New Mexico with 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 5 Air Medals. 

After the war, Rheubin married his bride, Verna, and opened a dry-cleaning business. Though the business was prosperous and he had more money than he needed, Rheubin wasn’t happy. He couldn’t eat or sleep, and he realized after praying with a local pastor that God wanted him for something greater. “I knew that God was calling me to preach, and I have never since had any doubts about it,” he wrote in his personal testimony. 

That calling led him to attend seminary and pastor churches in Texas and Arkansas. Rheubin’s church in Arkansas saw tremendous growth during his time there. Park Hill Baptist Church grew from 300 members to more than 2,000 members while he served as its pastor for 23 years. Rheubin’s family also grew during this time as he and Verna had 3 children—Gregory, Sharon, and Diedra. 

Time at MBC 

God had more in store for Rheubin. The MBC called him to be its executive director in 1975. In his 11 years in this role, the convention’s membership increased, the budget more than doubled, and the convention implemented more transparent reporting and emphasized worldwide evangelism. 

To increase evangelism efforts, Rheubin proposed combining many competing missions offerings into one. All would benefit from joint promotional efforts, and the burden on churches and individuals would lessen. The concept was approved at the 1985 annual meeting, and the offering became the Missouri Missions Offering. 

Sadly, Rheubin died 1 year later at 64 years old. In honor of his life and work, members of the MBC voted to rename the Missouri Missions Offering after him. The offering has been honoring Rheubin and carrying on his work for almost 40 years now. 

Rheubin’s Offering 

Today the offering provides funding for many evangelistic efforts, including sports evangelism, Vacation Bible School ministry training and resource development, youth evangelism, and the state fair ministry. On college campuses, the offering funds a summer missions mentoring initiative and ministries to international students. For churches, the offering funds Resound Network training and development, the Leader Care Network, a conference for new pastors, hunger relief efforts, Baptist Builders for church construction assistance, and a journalism retreat for The Pathway, a publication of the MBC. 

In addition, the offering provides support for ministries affiliated with the MBC, including moral injury training, a workshop and recreational discipleship for seniors, a Certified Nursing Assistants Program, a four-year biblical studies degree for people who are incarcerated, the Center for Global Connections, church and state pastoral reading groups, the Center for Global Engagement, and internships at the Missouri Baptist Foundation. 

The Rheubin L. South Missouri Missions Offering is also dedicated to helping the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home and churches that contribute to the offering. Seventeen percent of the total offering goes to the children’s home, which provides children and families in need with spiritual guidance, counseling, and a safe haven from abuse and neglect. Ten percent of the total offering funds regional missions projects in the associations of churches that have supported the offering. 

Missouri WMU benefits from the offering as well. Previous executive director Cheryl Stahlman has seen the offering’s impact firsthand. “We are able to have our WMU board meetings, training, and annual Missions Celebrations each year thanks to this offering. The offering has allowed churches of all sizes to help reach so many more people with the gospel that they wouldn’t have been able to reach on their own.” 

In 2024, the offering exceeded its goal and totaled more than $1 million. If you would also like to honor Rheubin and help missions efforts across the state of Missouri, visit mobaptist.org/mmo/donate to donate today. 

Laci Post writes historical fiction and articles from Dallas, Georgia. Her author website is thewarsongseries.com.