NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–November receipts and budget year-to-date gifts of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program were up compared to the same periods a year ago, according to Morris H. Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the SBC Executive Committee.
For November 1999, the SBC CP gifts totaled $13,878,738 compared to November 1998 of $11,942,959, an increase of $1,935,778 or 16.21 percent.
For the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget for 1999-2000, the year-to-date receipts total $27,909,946 for the first two months of the SBC budget year, Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. That compares to $27,469,016 for the same period a year ago, a $440,930 increase or 1.61 percent.
In designated gifts for November, $2,366,373 was received compared to November 1998 of $2,541,504, a decrease of $175,130 or 6.89 percent. For the two months of the budget year, designated gifts total $4,890,552 compared to the same period a year ago of $4,757,896, an increase of $132,655 or 2.79 percent.
The required monthly budget figure of the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget — $13,298,645 — was surpassed by $580,092 or 4.36 percent. For the two months of the budget year, the required amount was surpassed by $1,312,656 or 4.94 percent.
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.
