It was a significant moment in history. Everyone in the room felt the gravitas of the gathering May 13. The program was hemmed in worship and prayer. Jeff Iorg, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, said, “We have come to a moment we must lean forward.”
Lean forward I did. I was on the edge of my seat to watch the narrative of 100 years in the making unfold. The Centennial Celebration of the Cooperative Program took place exactly 100 years to the date in the city of Memphis, just yards away from where the CP was adopted by the SBC in 1925.
Let me return to Dr. Iorg’s compelling words. He said, “We stand today in awe of what God has done through a people who reject top-down control in favor of bottom-up cooperation. We will continue to see God do even more than we can ask or think as we choose cooperation as our operational strategy and the Cooperative Program as its logical expression.”
Entity leaders and others were invited to sign a Declaration of Cooperation after it was signed by Dr. Iorg and Clint Pressley, current SBC president. As I made my way to the stage, I was surprised by the emotion that emerged, and I fought to hold back tears.
I am a product of the Cooperative Program. My life was influenced by missionaries I met as a teenager as well as participation in WMU camps, youth evangelism experiences, training opportunities, campus ministry and more funded by CP dollars given to a state convention.
My receipts during seminary reminded me a portion of my tuition was funded through the CP. Service on state convention staffs and appointment as a missionary through the North American Mission Board were supported by this amazing, unified giving mechanism that enables Southern Baptists to share Christ near and far.
My signature was not just a Declaration of Cooperation, it was also a testimony of profound gratitude.
Let us continue to recognize the urgency and priority of the Great Commission. May we go forward boldly, dedicated to the unfinished task of proclaiming Christ to a broken world.
Happy 100th birthday, Cooperative Program!
This piece originally appeared in The Alabama Baptist.
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