State convention executive directors unanimously agreed to affirm a portion of the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) report requesting a 50–50 division of Cooperative Program (CP) receipts — after consideration for shared ministry funds — between state conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
Frank Page, SBC Executive Committee (EC) president, announced the agreement in his report during the EC’s Feb. 22 session in Nashville.
State convention executive directors agreed to the 50–50 move during their annual meeting Feb. 14–17 in Williamsburg, Va., said Emil Turner, executive director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention and president of the Fellowship of State Executive Directors for 2011–12.
“Several years ago, state executive directors agreed to get more money to the Executive Committee,” which distributes Southern Baptists’ funding of the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board and other SBC entities, Turner said. “Since then, we have all been working together to make that a reality.”
The concept of shared ministry funds “has strong historic roots,” Turner said, referencing the establishment of the CP in 1925. Shared ministry funds differ from state convention to state convention, but include monies set aside for various state-supported ministries. Shared ministry fund allocations are not counted as a part of the 50–50 CP allocation forwarded to the SBC.
Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, said, “This statement made by the fellowship of executive directors was a part of an effort to support the unified Cooperative Program campaign led by state conventions and the SBC Executive Committee. Frank Page and the leadership of state conventions will be focusing upon the emphasis called ‘The Cooperative Program: Together We Are There.’
“The statement affirms the autonomy of state conventions, while recognizing the long-standing partnership with the SBC,” Lance explained.
“Each state convention is uniquely different, but we have the same consuming passion to reach those who are lost. We believe the Cooperative Program is the best way to see this Great Commission objective accomplished.”
Lance also noted that while gifts through the CP from churches have declined “as a percentage of undesignated receipts, contributions from state conventions to the SBC mission causes have increased as a percentage of budgets.”
“This is indicative of the commitment we have to (Alabama Baptists’ focus of) One Mission — The Great Commission and One Program — The Cooperative Program,” he said.
Each year in Alabama, our executive committee studies the budget allocation and will continue to do so in light of the historical relationship between Alabama Baptists and the SBC,” Lance said. “I anticipate more specific recommendations regarding the budget later this year. Until then, the executive directors’ statement offers a helpful framework worthy of consideration as budget recommendations are developed for next year.”
At press time, Lance was expected to provide more information on this topic during the State Board of Missions meeting Feb. 28.
Page said, “We understand that we do some things together as shared ministry items, but understand it’s still very historic that these state conventions are joining in wanting to do more to reach the vast lostness of this world.”
“That’s not going to have immediate impact, but over time, it’s going to have significant impact for the work of reaching this continent and this world for Christ,” he said.
Turner presented the fellowship’s official statement to Page on Feb. 18, which reads in its entirety: “We affirm the challenge of the Great Commission Resurgence report that each state convention, within their own autonomy, strive to achieve the historic goal of 50–50 division of Cooperative Program receipts with the Southern Baptist Convention after consideration of allocations for shared ministries.”
“What makes it significant is that it is the first time state execs and the Executive Committee have agreed on the principles of shared ministry items,” he said.
The GCR report, approved by messengers to the SBC annual meeting in Orlando in June 2010, listed “Challenges” for various SBC entities, including those for state conventions, stating the need to “return to the historic ideal of a 50–50 Cooperative Program distribution between the state conventions and the SBC.”
State conventions are free to set their own timeline for realization of the 50–50 CP allocation, Turner noted.
(BP, TAB contributed)
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