[1]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program receipts for April jumped more than 9 percent over the previous year’s month and nearly $5 million year-to-date over the previous year, according to Morris H. Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the SBC Executive Committee. April CP gifts totaled $14,299,668 compared to April 1996 of $13,117,325, a 9.01 percent increase or $1,182,342. At the end of seven months of the SBC 1996-97 fiscal year, total CP receipts were $90,819,060 compared to the same year-to-date period in 1995-96 of $86,089,231, an increase of $4,729,828 or 5.49 percent. The SBC fiscal year is Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. Designated gifts for April also topped the previous year’s April: $10,046,351 compared to $9,449,413, an increase of $596,938 or 6.32 percent. For the year to date, designated gifts total $97,944,314 compared to the previous year of $96,536,903, an increase of $1,407,410 or 1.46 percent. “These figures are a further, and wonderful, testimony of the mission giving spirit of Southern Baptists,” Chapman said. For the SBC’s CP Allocation Budget, the April receipts were $2,211,876 above the required monthly figure of $12,087,791, or 18.3 percent. For the year to date, the required budget figure of $84,614,541 has been surpassed by $6,204,519 or 7.33 percent. The SBC Cooperative Program total includes receipts from individuals, churches, state conventions and fellowships for distribution according to the 1996-97 Cooperative Program Allocation Budget. The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists’ method of supporting missions and ministry efforts of state and regional conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention. Designated contributions include the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for foreign missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for home missions, world hunger and other special gifts. State and regional conventions retain a percentage of Cooperative Program contributions they receive from the churches to support work in their areas and send the remaining funds to the Executive Committee for national and international ministries. The percentage of distribution is at the discretion of each state or regional convention.
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