[1]For the SBC’s fiscal year, after 11 months, CP gifts totaled $141,493,038 compared to the same period last year of $135,935,202, an increase of $5,557,836 or 4 percent.
Designated gifts for the month of August totaled $3,502,780 compared to last year’s month of $3,071,865, an increase of $430,914 or 14.03 percent. For the 11 months of this fiscal year, the designated totals are $139,099,299 compared to last year of $136,201,883, an increase of $2,897,416 or 2.13 percent.
For the SBC’s Program Allocation Budget, the August 1997 total was $489,600 short of the required monthly figure of $12,087,791 or 4.05 percent. However, for the year to date, the budget has been surpassed by $8,527,330 from the required budget figure of $132,965,707 or an increase of 6.41 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.