NASHVILLE (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention’s 2024 Ministry Report is now available online. The report provides organizational and financial details about the SBC’s entities.
Each entity provides answers to a set of questions, which are compiled in the ministry report along with a letter from each entity president providing a brief overview of their organization’s ministry. Several entities also provide video summaries.
“[The report] provides transparent insight into our entities in a way that allows Southern Baptists to intimately know the details of our national ministries,” said Jonathan Howe, interim president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee.
The report is released each year prior to the February meeting of the SBC EC in an effort to assist EC members in administering the SBC’s Cooperative Program Allocation Budget.
Each entity’s section includes four separate entries: President’s Letter, Ministry Inquiries, Ministry Goals and Accomplishments, and Financial Statements. Each seminary includes an additional report: Seminary Formula and ATS Report.
The International Mission Board gave the following highlights reported in 2023:
- 67 new people groups engaged
- 728,489 Gospel presentations
- 178,177 new believers expressing faith in Jesus Christ
- 102,417 baptisms
- 21,231 new churches planted
- 146,026 people receiving theologically sound leadership training
Among 2023 highlights from the North American Mission Board report are:
- More than 10,000 copies of NAMB’s Evangelism Kit distributed
- More than 1,300 pastors and ministry leaders participating in NAMB training
- Celebrating 10,000 churches planted since 2010
- More than 3,300 chaplains serving around the world
Lifeway Christian Resources reported serving more than 30,000 churches with curriculum and other resources, while the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission listed ways it has worked with both state and federal governments to promote the sanctity of life, religious liberty, family flourishing and other issues important to Southern Baptists.
GuideStone Financial Resources highlighted its Mission:Dignity initiative, which provides extra financial support for Southern Baptist ministers and widows in retirement.
“No servant of the Lord should have to choose between putting gas in the car or food on the table,” GuideStone President Hance Dilbeck said in his letter. “Thanks to the faithful support of foundations, individuals, Sunday school classes and local churches, Mission:Dignity ensures these dear servants can provide for their basic needs. It is truly the heart of GuideStone.”
Howe stressed the importance of the information in the Ministry Report as messengers prepare to hear from their entities and approve the CP Allocation Budget at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis in June.
“Southern Baptists can learn what is going on in and through SBC entities and seminaries through the ministry reports,” he said. “These reports show the ways God is using these ministries for Kingdom purposes. It’s also a great place to find the operational details related to each entity.”
