NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–The faithfulness and generosity of Southern Baptists have resulted in an astounding increase in giving to the Cooperative Program for the month of June, according to Morris H. Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the SBC Executive Committee.
June receipts of the Cooperative Program were up 32.41 percent compared to the same month a year ago, Chapman said, attributing the increase in part to the Partners in the Harvest campaign.
The extra CP dollars will enable the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board and the SBC’s six seminaries to expand their efforts to share Jesus Christ with the world.
NAMB, for example, could use the funds to establish the infrastructure to mobilize 100,000 young people in mission experiences throughout North America by the end of 2002.
NAMB also has a vision for adding another strategic city in the year 2002 along with planting new churches in significant cities in Canada.
The excitement surrounding giving to the Cooperative Program is also having a tremendous impact on state Baptist conventions, Chapman said.
Michael McCullough, associate executive director for the California Southern Baptist Convention, said that Partners in the Harvest has already had an impact in their state.
“The vision and generosity of California Baptists is leading us to propose increasing our support of CP world missions from 29 percent to 30 percent for the 2001 budget year,” McCullough said. “This means we will be putting off some things we want to do in California in order to further the cause of world missions and evangelism.”
As Partners in the Harvest, McCullough said they are asking churches in California to increase their gifts to CP missions by at least one percent of their church budget for the 2001 budget year, something churches across the SBC are being asked to consider.
For June 2000, SBC CP gifts totaled $36,593,654.63, or $8,956,006.13 above June 1999’s total of $27,637,648.50.
For the year to date, CP giving is 6.45 percent above the same period in the last Oct. 1- Sept. 30 fiscal year. At the end of June, a total of $281,816,974.10 had been received, compared to last year’s mark of $264,732,586.56.
For the SBC CP Allocation Budget, the year-to-date receipts totaled $134,128,311.42, or $14,440,504.17 above the budgeted $119,687,807.25.
In designated gifts for June, $20,944,949.82 was received compared to June 1999’s total of $14,603,670.08, an increase of 43.42 percent or $6,341,279.74. Designated gifts totals for the year were reported at $147,688,662.68 compared to the same period a year ago of $138,919,559.58, an increase of 6.31 percent or $8,769,103.10.
The SBC CP total includes receipts from individuals, churches, state conventions and fellowships for distribution according to the 1999-2000 Cooperative Program Allocation Budget.
CP 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 CP 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.
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