Happy Birthday, Mission Arlington^®

Mission Arlington^® turns 38 years old today. It’s hard to believe, but for almost 40 years, the Mission family has been hard at work caring for those in our community who need just a little help to get by. Tillie Burgin, our Executive Director, has been here since the beginning.

With roots in Arlington, Tillie and her family served the Lord in South Korea as missionaries. When they returned in 1978, the sense was, “If you can do missions in Korea (overseas), why can’t we do missions in Arlington (at home)?  After 7 years of concerted prayer efforts in homes across the city, Mission Arlington^® came to life. The date was Friday, August 1st, 1986.

Humble Beginnings

The Lord birthed Mission Arlington^® through the faithfulness of God’s people at First Baptist Arlington, Tillie’s home church. A phone call for help and a visit led to the start of the first Bible study in an apartment community, and the first baptism in a swimming pool, and the rest is history. Today, the Mission sponsors Bible studies and congregations in over 350 locations across our community, with thousands in attendance each week.

Through the years, the ministries have grown too.  In the early days, people would donate bats, balls, and a few Christmas toys for Tillie to give away. Last year, the free Christmas Store provided gifts for thousands of children.  The medical clinic began in a couple of rooms with a nurse and a few patients, but today has its own building, with a host of medical volunteers in 12 different disciplines, and thousands of patient visits annually. Hundreds of people receive emergency assistance through our front room every day.

A Community Effort

The care which flows through this place represents the strong & beautiful community which surrounds us. We simply pass along (at no charge) what our community first provides – food, clothes, household items, furniture, and so much more.  With a small staff and a correspondingly small administrative overhead (1.47%), it is volunteers from our community who make the difference here.  Medical teams, retirees, church & civic groups, along with small business teams and corporate volunteers, serve here six days each week, providing personal support to struggling individuals and families from our community. We consider ourselves “twice blessed,” receiving first from you, and the by the beautiful people who receive what you provide.

In His Name

Mission Arlington® is now, and always has been, faith based.  As we wrote many years ago

Mission Arlington® belongs to God. This isn’t our story, but His. 
He had plans in place for this Ministry and for all who work here long before it happened. 
He started this mission, sustains us moment by moment, and He holds our future in His hands.

We still believe that today and hope to live out this calling faithfully as we share His love in our community.

Thankful for You

We are grateful that our Lord has placed us in this community. We look forward to caring for people in every possible way, and to sharing His love – alongside each of you – into the future.  Thank you for your faithful support. Come see us!