Mission Arlington^® began August 1st, 1986. This Sunday, we will turn thirty-five (35) years old.

How We Began

Tillie Burgin has been the director of Mission Arlington^® since the beginning. She and her family had spent ten (10) years as Baptist missionaries in South Korea. When they returned to Arlington in 1978, Tillie couldn’t get away from the question, “If we could do missions in Korea, why can’t we do missions at home?”  For seven (7) years, Tillie met weekly with groups of people across the community to pray, and the Lord answered those prayers when Tillie’s home church, First Baptist Church Arlington, under the leadership of their long-time pastor, Dr. Charles Wade, asked Tillie to lead their mission efforts. Tillie accepted the call and began on Friday, August 1st, 1986.

Taking Church to the People

On the first day, Tillie responded to a need in an Arlington apartment community. Subsequently, the family who received help opened their home on Sunday morning for Mission Arlington’s first Bible study. The thinking was, “If people can’t or won’t come to church, for whatever reason, let’s take the church to them.”  Seventeen people attended that first Bible study.  Thirty-five (35) years later, Mission Arlington^® sponsors Bible studies in 360⁺ locations, with thousands of people in attendance each week.

One Life at a Time

As these Bible studies flourished, community needs became more evident.  Attempts to “share God’s love” throughout the community was often met with resistance. Families were struggling with difficult issues, and Mission Arlington^®  began to respond. Today, we are able to provide food, clothes, household items, furniture, and emergency financial assistance through what we call our “front room.” More than 700 people a day walk through our doors for assistance, six days each week, and we are so honored to provide support.  We also have two health clinics (medical & dental), and a counseling center, plus an assortment of other services, leading to more than 400,000 ministry touches each year.

Your Support Matters

For thirty-five years, your support has made the difference here. We have had the privilege of serving in what we believe is one of the most generous communities anywhere.  Your faithful support – prayers, helping hands, giving, and so much more – has formed the foundation for our work.  We can give away, because you gave it first.  We are so honored and humbled to serve our Lord in this great community.

How you can help!

“What do you want for your birthday?” is a common question. We are blessed by so many people who want to make a difference here!  Here are a couple of thoughts:  1) First and foremost, we request prayer. You could give no greater gift than to pray for us, and for the work here.  We don’t want to miss one person, and we want to be in the center of our Lord’s plan for this place.  2) Come volunteer. Nothing could be better than giving the gift of yourself, your family, or your team to express your support in practical ways.  We are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 3) You can provide financial support. Our administrative overhead continues to be a low 1.47 percent. This means that more than 98 cents of every dollar you give ministers to someone in need.  You can make a donation by sending a check to Mission Arlington, 210 W. South St., 76010, or by contributing through this LINK.

Thank you so much for your support. We are looking forward to our next thirty-five years!