[1]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program receipts for November dropped more than $2 million from the same month a year ago, according to Morris H. Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the SBC Executive Committee.
For November 1997, CP receipts were $11,869,780 compared to November 1996 of $13,934,056, a drop of $2,064,275 or 14.81 percent.
For the two months (October and November) of the SBC fiscal year, CP receipts totaled $25,045,808 compared to the same period a year ago of $26,249,173, a decline of $1,203,365 or 4.58 percent.
Designated gifts were up more than 26 percent during November. The November total of $3,082,127 compared to the same month a year ago of $2,434,287, an increase of $647,839 or 26.61 percent. For designated gifts year to date, $5,046,606 has been received compared to last year’s total of $4,150,180, an increase of $896,425 or 21.6 percent.
For the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget, the monthly requirement is $12,348,756, thus the November 1977 total was $478,975 short of the required figure or 3.88 percent. For the budget year to date, receipts total $348,295 more than the two-month required figure, or a 1.41 percent increase.
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 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.