NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program receipts for April were up more than 32 percent and the fiscal year’s total more than 8 percent compared to last year, according to Morris H. Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the SBC Executive Committee.
For April 1999, CP receipts totaled $15,741,149 compared to April 1998 of $11,903,309, an increase of more than $3.8 million or 32.24 percent.
For the SBC fiscal year, after seven months, CP gifts total $98,998,390 compared to the previous year’s total of $91,241,293, an increase of more than $7.7 million or 8.5 percent.
Designated gifts for the month of April were $10,954,707 compared to the same month in 1998 of $9,193,432, an increase of more than $1.7 million or 19.16 percent. For the year to date, designated gifts total $105,745,818 compared to the previous year of $104,479,592, an increase of more than $1.2 million or 1.21 percent.
For the SBC’s Cooperative Program Allocation Budget, the April CP receipts exceeded the required monthly budget figure by more than $2.8 million, or 21.86 percent. For the budget year to date, the required figure of $90,420,005 was exceeded by more than $8.5 million or 9.49 percent.
The SBC Cooperative Program total includes receipts from individuals, churches, state conventions and fellowships for distribution according to the 1998-99 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.
