The Cooperative Program (CP) has surpassed $200 million in gifts for national causes for the first time in the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) history during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.
This report came from an Oct. 3 announcement by Morris H. Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee.
He described the $200-million record as “a remarkable reminder that so many are giving faithfully, Sunday after Sunday, through the Cooperative Program. These multiple-upon-multiple sacrificial contributions make it possible to achieve so much more together in cooperative missions, ministries and theology than we could ever accomplish without each other.”
Through their $200 million in gifts, Southern Baptists have supported 10,000-plus missionaries carrying the gospel to remote regions overseas, to America’s inner cities and an array of localities in between.
CP gifts opened doors for seminary training for a new generation of missionaries and pastors and other workers called to various facets of full-time outreach. CP gifts also supported Southern Baptists’ witness amid the nation’s battle over family values and religious liberty.
State Baptist conventions, meanwhile, also utilized CP gifts from the churches in carrying out the broad scope of their evangelism and discipleship initiatives.
In reaching the $200-million threshold, SBC President Frank Page stated, “To say that this [milestone] causes a great deal of excitement is a tremendous understatement.”
There is much to be gleaned from this juncture in SBC life, said Page, pastor of First Baptist Church, Taylors, S.C., listing three questions: “What does it mean? What does it teach? What is God saying to us through this?
“First of all, it means that Southern Baptists care about ministry, care about educating young men and women, but most of all care about missions,” Page said. “It means that we truly believe that we can do more together than we can do separately.”
Second, Page continued, “It teaches us that the Cooperative Program is an object of worth, one of value, which continues to need focus, emphasis and appreciation.”
Third, Page cited Luke 12:48 — “Much will be required of everyone who has been given much” — in noting, “This level of stewardship on the part of God’s people calls us to be serious in how this money is spent.”
“It requires all [SBC] entities to recognize that the hand of God’s blessing is great, therefore the responsibility is equally great. We want to maximize this gift from God for maximum efficiency and impact.” (BP)
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