When messengers to the annual meeting of the Alabama Baptist State Convention vote on the proposed 2009 budget Tuesday, Nov. 18, they will be asked to make the first significant change to the convention budget in 25 years. In fact, messengers will be asked to make two significant changes.
First, messengers will be asked to change the way funds are allocated to the convention’s three cooperating Baptist institutions of higher learning — Samford University, the University of Mobile (UM) and Judson College. Then they will be asked to raise the percentage of funds going to Baptist causes outside Alabama through the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) portion of the Cooperative Program (CP) budget for the first time since 1991.
The change in funding for Christian higher education comes at the request of Samford President Andrew Westmoreland. His proposal, which is a part of the proposed 2009 budget, caps financial support for Samford at $5.3 million rather than distributing the funds according to a formula that is largely enrollment driven.
The change would result in Samford forgoing about $154,000 in 2009. Instead that money would be divided between UM and Judson based on the enrollment formula, which would mean about an extra $113,000 for UM and about $40,000 for Judson.
Westmoreland noted that Alabama Baptists are “generous” in their support of Christian higher education and he is correct. In the proposed convention budget, Alabama Baptists designate slightly more than one out of every five CP dollars to Christian higher education. The exact amount is $9,580,323 out of a total budget of $46 million. That equals 20.8 percent.
When one considers the portion of CP receipts used in Alabama, 36.2 percent of in-state dollars are designated to Christian higher education. That is more than one out of every three dollars.
Westmoreland also noted that no other institution of higher learning in Baptist life receives greater financial support from its state convention than Samford. He expressed thanks for the financial support and pledged to keep the school closely cooperative with the state convention.
But an enrollment-driven formula has weaknesses, he pointed out. If Samford reaches its enrollment goals in the next few years, then that success could skew the distribution of funds among the three institutions. Alabama Baptists will remember a few years ago when a change in the distribution formula was made to ensure that no school would get less than it did the previous year if that school at least maintained its enrollment level.
That change was made to protect Judson, which had a growing enrollment but its growth level was behind that of the others causing it to actually receive fewer CP dollars.
Westmoreland said by capping Samford at the $5.3 million level, it would protect allocations for UM and Judson and make funds available for other areas of Baptist work. He also asked that Samford’s allocation be revisited from time to time and adjusted when possible.
The Samford president deserves appreciation for his concern for the whole of the state convention program. His proposal is another example of the unity of Baptists in our state.
The increase in SBC support also comes from a change in the Christian higher education portion of the budget. For years, Alabama Baptists have provided about $30,000 a year to each of the three institutions of higher learning earmarked for endowment. The proposed 2009 budget eliminates that line item and redirects the money to SBC causes.
In making the proposal, Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM) Executive Director Rick Lance pointed out that the state convention has several other entities in addition to the three schools. He said the convention had not contributed to endowments for these entities and eliminating the endowment going to the colleges is appropriate.
By redirecting that $90,000 to SBC causes, the proposed budget raises the SBC portion from the traditional 42.3 percent to 42.5 percent. Bobby DuBois, SBOM associate executive director, said this is the first change in the SBC percentage since 1991.
If the $46 million goal is reached, then SBC causes will receive $19,554,000.
Comparing our CP giving to the other state conventions is difficult because states use different methods of budgeting. However, according to the SBC CP giving Web site, in 2007, Alabama Baptists gave the highest percentage of the total state CP budget to SBC causes of any major traditional state convention. That speaks highly of Alabama Baptists’ commitment to share the good news of Jesus Christ at home and around the world.
When one adds the money received through special offerings such as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions, SBC-related causes will receive $37,529,000 from Alabama Baptists in 2009 if all the goals are met. That is 56.4 percent of all the funds channeled through the CP and approved special offerings.
Of the total $46 million recommended budget for 2009, the SBOM will receive 28.1 percent — $12,923,626. State convention entities, other than the schools, will receive 6.7 percent — $3,090,376. The church employees retirement program will receive 1.9 percent — $851,672.
The proposed budget is among the largest of state Baptist conventions though Alabama Baptists are fewer in number than Baptists in some of our sister conventions. The annual per capita income of the state also trails that of some nearby states. Yet Alabama remains near the top in terms of CP giving.
That giving level demonstrates that Alabama Baptists have a strong and healthy state convention. May God help it to remain so.
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