The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) executive committee, meeting March 3-5 in Washington D.C., approved a revised budget reflecting the current financial crisis of the organization.
Denton Lotz, BWA general secretary, explained why the BWA — an organization of 206 member bodies that represent 46 million baptized believers — was currently operating with a $634,000 deficit. He pointed to a volatile and declining stock market, decreased membership support and a shift in local church giving from institutions to individuals, all of which has taken a severe toll on the finances of this global organization.
The new budget of $1,688,416 for 2003 is a 20 percent decrease from the budget of $2,114,111 approved in Seville, Spain, in 2002.
This budget figure includes the loss of $125,000 from the annual contribution of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), announced in February.
During the meeting, the BWA executive committee also reaffirmed the process of the membership committee, which is handling the application of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), and expressed their deep regret at the hurt Southern Baptists have voiced at the way that process was handled.
Ian Hawley, chair of the BWA membership committee, said the CBF’s application for membership will be acted upon at the general council meeting in July. When the issue came up last year in Spain, floor discussion was minimized to guard against “anti-SBC rhetoric that would unduly influence the process,” he said.
He also emphasized that SBC leaders “have not tried in any way to circumvent the normal process. They dealt with utmost integrity, fairness and good manners with the committee.”
At the same time “we did not anticipate… our action would end up being an embarrassment and causing hurt,” Hawley said. “I have personally apologized to Morris Chapman,” Hawley said. “The membership committee brings this apology to Jimmy Draper, Morris Chapman and the SBC for any hurt and we give this apology without qualification.”
Focusing on the need for Baptists to love and care for one another, BWA President Billy Kim urged the Baptist family to “love each other and appreciate each other.”
Speaking directly of the SBC, Kim said, “We need them, and we love them,” and of the CBF he said, “if they are qualified, they ought to come in. We have not succeeded in bringing both groups together,” Kim said, “but still have hope.”
Kim asked the leaders to take special not of each other’s needs.
(BWA)
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