Despite one of the worst economic downturns in recent history, Alabama Baptist messengers approved a $46 million 2010 Cooperative Program (CP) budget during the Nov. 17–18 annual meeting at Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville. Alabama Baptists also celebrated being No. 1 in CP giving among all state conventions.
“I really feel as good as I can about where we are in our financial picture,” Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM) Executive Director Rick Lance told the SBOM during its meeting Nov. 16, a day prior to the annual meeting.
“We are grateful for the stewardship and sacrificial giving of Alabama Baptists.”
The newly approved budget is divided the same as last year — 57.5 percent going to Alabama and 42.5 percent going to the SBC.
The budget is a flat budget from 2009 and calls for no salary increases for staff in 2010. But the budget does not call for any cuts or staff reductions either.
Lance predicted the ABSC will miss its budget goal this year by about 3 percent, but he is not discouraged. The state convention is just now feeling the impact of the economic downturn, he said.
A CP state causes budget of $300,000 (down from $500,000 last year) and a $46.5 million CP challenge budget were also approved.
Goals for special offerings for 2010 are:
• Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) — $11.5 million (an increase of $500,000 from 2009)
• Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO) — $6 million
• Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries — $2,555,000
• World Hunger offering — $875,000
• Disaster Relief offering — $100,000
SBOM chairman Travis Coleman, pastor of First Baptist Church, Prattville, congratulated Alabama Baptists for leading the SBC in CP gifts during the SBC’s last fiscal year, ending Sept. 30.
Alabama also stayed at the top when CP receipts were combined with AAEO and LMCO receipts.
Jim Swedenburg, SBOM’s director of the office of Cooperative Program and stewardship development, noted that while Alabama ranked top among all state conventions in CP giving, it is only the sixth largest convention in terms of membership.
In fact, nearly $1 out of every $10 given through the CP came from Alabama Baptists, he said. “Forty-one state conventions gave $199.8 billion, and Alabama gave $19.1 million. That’s 9.6 percent of the total from the 41 others.
“We bind together; we give together; we cooperate together,” he said. “We are invested in missions and ministries.”
Swedenburg noted that Alabama CP dollars help support 11,183 missionaries on the state, national and international levels.
Last year, more than $20 million went to the IMB, more than $10 million to the North American Mission Board and more than $12 million to the state convention through the CP, he reported.
Another area depicting success on the state, national and international levels is that of global partnerships.
Alabama Baptists currently partner with missionaries in Ukraine and Guatemala and Baptists in Michigan. During the annual meeting, messengers also approved a three-year partnership (2009–2012) with Appalachian Regional Ministry (ARM), a ministry of NAMB.
Bill Barker, director of ARM, sent a video presentation that was shared during the SBOM report.
“We are excited to be partnering with Alabama Baptists,” Barker said, noting ARM also partners with 12 other state conventions.
“ARM was formed as Southern Baptists responded to spiritual needs in the Appalachian region (which runs through Alabama).”
Global Missions Director Reggie Quimby also noted an increase in missions volunteers going to Michigan.
“We thought there would be a downturn in missions volunteers (due to the economy),” Quimby said Nov. 16. “But all indications and reports coming back in from those participating in Michigan are that more teams are going.”
Representatives of the Michigan and Ukraine partnerships — Michael Collins, executive director of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan, and Shannon Ford, International Mission Board representative to Ukraine — were present for the annual meeting.
Ford delivered one of the convention theme interpretations for The Great Commission…GPS (God’s Plan for Sharing). (See story, page 6.)
Also during the SBOM report, Swedenburg honored 15 churches for outstanding CP giving.
Churches honored for top per capita giving in the state were:
• Reeds Chapel Baptist Church, McIntosh — $374.22 per resident member
• Evergreen Baptist Church, Clayton — $312.66 per resident member
• Southside Baptist Church, Huntsville — $294.23 per resident member
• First Baptist Church, Bay Minette — $253.48 per resident member
• First Baptist Church, Gadsden — $248.68 per resident member
Churches honored for top percentage giving were:
• Reeds Chapel Baptist — 32.2 percent
• Concord Baptist Church, Clanton — 26.2 percent
• Smiths Station Baptist Church — 25.6 percent
• Cornerstone Baptist Church, Bessemer — 25.2 percent
• Richland Baptist Church, Brundidge — 24.5 percent
Churches topping the list for total giving were:
• Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Vestavia Hills — $684,495
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