NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program receipts for January increased more than 20 percent compared to the previous year’s January, according to Morris H. Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the SBC Executive Committee.
For the month of January 1998, a total of $16,970,404 in CP gifts was received, compared to the same month in 1997 of $14,075,108, an increase of $2,895,296 or 20.57 percent.
For the first four months of the SBC fiscal year, October through January, CP receipts total $52,534,658 compared to the same time period last year of $51,529,813, an increase of $1,004,844 or 1.95 percent.
“After four years of record giving, it appears Southern Baptists continue to be faithful in supporting international and domestic missions,” Chapman said. “They are demonstrating their passionate hearts for reaching lost souls.”
Designated gifts continued to increase as well. For January, a total of $21,412,350 was received compared to January 1997 of $19,798,348, an increase of 8.15 percent or $1,614,001. For the four month period, the total is $29,120,010 compared to $26,697,192, an increase of $2,422,818 or 9.08 percent in designated gifts.
For the SBC’s Cooperative Program Allocation Budget, the January CP total was a whopping $4,621,648 more than the monthly required total of $12,348,756, or 37.43 percent. For the year-to-date in the fiscal year, the total is $52,534,658, an increase of $3,139,632 over the budget requirement or 6.36 percent.
The SBC Cooperative Program total includes receipts from individuals, churches, state conventions and fellowships for distribution according to the 1997-98 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.
