Messengers unanimously adopt all recommendations
Messengers to the Alabama Baptist State Convention, Nov. 14–15, unanimously adopted a record Cooperative Program challenge budget of $39,295,000 for the calendar year 2001. The goal represents a 3.5 percent increase from the current year.
Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, said the budget includes a 42.3 percent allocation for Southern Baptist Convention causes and a 57.7 percent allocation for State Convention causes.
The percentage division is the same as the 2000 budget.
Reviewing the budget, State Board of Missions Chairman Gary Hollingsworth, pastor of First Baptist Church, Trussville, said the Cooperative Program budget of $38,670,000 and $375,000 proposed for Cooperative Program State Missions causes total $39,295,000.
The 57.7 percent designated for State Convention causes totals $22,831,840, with the 42.3 percent for Southern Baptist Convention ministries totaling $16,463,160.
The State Board of Missions will receive $11,794,929 of the $22,831,840. The remaining money will go to:
-Christian Higher Education, $8,286,690;
-Entities and Commissions Ministries, $2,080,710;
-Auxiliaries and other ministries, $561,280.
Also approved by messengers were goals for the following offerings in the coming year:
-A total of $9 million for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
-A total of $4.5 million for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.
-A total of $1.8 million for the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries.
-A total of $850,000 for world hunger.
-A total of $100,000 for disaster relief.
The following recommendations were also accepted by messengers:
-Distribution of receipts beyond the 2000 challenge budget in the amount of 42.3 percent to Southern Baptist Convention causes and 57.7 percent for State Convention causes.
-Acceptance of the 1999 auditor’s report for the State Board of Missions.
-Recommendation of convention themes for the 2001–2005 conventions: 2001 — Through Every Door, 2002 — Year of Discipleship Ministries, 2003 — Year of Cooperative Ministries, 2004 — Year of Leadership Ministries, 2005 — Year of Outreach Ministries.
-Dedication of the next Alabama Baptist Convention annual in the memory of former convention presidents Howard Reaves and Oscar Davis.
-Appreciation for the Christ Is Our Salvation Foundation.
-Facilitation of designated projects in Honduras for 2001, which are an outgrowth of Hurricane Mitch.
-Acceptance of a report by the Strategic Planning Committee.
Approval of the budget and recommendations was preceded by comments from Lance, who said Alabama Baptists should concern themselves with accomplishing one mission — fulfilling the Great Commission.
“No other mission, that’s it — one mission, the Great Commission,” Lance told messengers.
Lance said many ministries are being impacted through one program, the Cooperative Program. Discussing Great Commission ministry work through the State Board of Missions, both during the past year and projections for the future, Lance said the state board is addressing four priorities: outreach, discipleship, leadership and cooperative ministries.
Lance said the four priorities constitute Alabama Baptists’ effort at spreading the gospel in the state and beyond the borders of Alabama.
Lance highlighted the work being done on Alabama’s college campuses. He said the first group the North American Mission Board trained in its evangelism strategy called NET were collegiate ministers from Baptist campus ministries.
“Already this year, more professions of faith have taken place on our college campuses than in recent history,” he said.
In the area of leadership, he said training by itself will not accomplish the convention’s goals.
“The challenge we have as Baptists, as evangelical Christians, is to train Christian leaders,” he said.
That is the goal in establishing the Alabama Baptist Leadership Development Center.
“We’re seeking to spotlight networks of young leaders, teaching them and training them, nurturing them in development of leadership skills,” Lance said.
The fourth priority involves reaching people through the office of associational cooperative mission.
Lance said Alabama Baptists have set a goal as a state convention of establishing 70 new congregations by 2005.
“It is the largest number that we have ever set to do,” he said. Another effort he mentioned is work being done with the state’s Hispanic population.
“Alabama is one of those states where a number of Hispanics have been moving,” Lance said. “We are delighted to be able to partner with associations and with the North American Mission Board in reaching the Hispanic people of Alabama.”
Lance said there has been a reduction in staff, but the State Board has prospered. “Your State Board of Missions is smaller in numbers,” he said. “We have less employees, less missionaries and missions personnel than we had this time last year. “Despite that, we have been in every single association and we’ve led 1,738 events through October 2000,” Lance added.
“Your State Board of Missions staff is involved in helping us as a family of faith stay focused on the Great Commission and to stay faithful to the great cooperation involved in the Cooperative Program,” he said.
“If you compare Alabama with other old-line state conventions, we are at the top in Cooperative Program allocations and distributions and we have the highest level of commitment to the Southern Baptist missions causes,” Lance said.
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