NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–April receipts of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program were up 1.74 percent compared to the same month a year ago, according to Morris H. Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the SBC Executive Committee.
For April 2000, SBC CP gifts totaled $16,090,708.61, or $349,559.19 above April 1999’s total of $15,741,149.42.
For the year to date, CP giving is 5.86 percent above the same period in the last Oct. 1- Sept. 30 fiscal year. At the end of April, a total of $216,734,229.50 had been received, compared to last year’s mark of $204,744,208.66.
For the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget, the year-to-date receipts totaled $104,170,514.81, or $2,792,063.36 above the budgeted $93,090,516.75.
In designated gifts for April, $11,069,293.31 was received compared to April 1999’s total of $10,954,707.04, an increase of 1.05 percent or $114,586.27. Designated gifts totals for the year were reported at $112,563,714.69 compared to the same period a year ago of $105,745,818.05, an increase of 6.45 percent or $6,817,896.64.
The SBC Cooperative Program total includes receipts from individuals, churches, state conventions and fellowships for distribution according to the 1999-2000 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 international missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American 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.
