A record $41.5 million Cooperative Program base budget was approved by the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM) during its meeting Aug. 20 in Montgomery.
The unanimous action came after a plea by SBOM Executive Director Rick Lance for members to focus on the “culture of cooperation,” which characterizes Alabama Baptist life.
Lance said Alabama Baptists are not about debates where participants shout at one another, but about dialogue where members share with one another.
He pointed out that Alabama Baptists do not make statements to correct “where others have made misstatements.”
Focused on the needs
Lance urged members of the State Board of Missions to focus on the needs of Alabama Baptists.
“We are not a national convention,” he declared. “We cannot assume responsibilities that are bigger than us.”
“Our job as a state board is to lead the state convention between the ditches and to focus on the future,” he continued.
“If we add anything to our convention budget, it will hurt our entities and will be done at our own peril.”
Lance pleaded with members “to be champions of the Cooperative Program.”
Using charts and graphs, Lance pointed out that Alabama Baptist churches give 8.5 percent of undesignated offerings to missions through the Cooperative Program.
The average Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) church gives 6.99 percent of undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program, he said.
The 2005 budget allocates 42.3 percent of receipts to SBC causes, the same percentage as the current budget.
While some newer conventions that do not have entities may have a higher percentage than that, Lance said the Alabama percentage was one of the “highest among old line states.”
When all special offerings are considered, Alabama Baptists forwarded 55.74 percent of the $57,991,883 in receipts channeled through the Montgomery office in 2003 to SBC-related causes.
Lance announced that the figure placed Alabama Baptists as the second largest contributor to SBC causes even though several other states are larger than Alabama numerically.
“We are thankful our Alabama Baptist churches continue to see the wisdom of giving through the Cooperative Program as the God-blessed means of supporting and doing missions,” Lance stated.
The proposed budget for 2005 represents a 2.65 percent increase over the current year’s budget.
This is the first budget increase in two years.
The 2.65 percent increase was added to the current allocation for the SBC, the State Board of Missions and all state related entities and commissions.
Provisions for employees
Lance said the SBOM hopes to provide employees a 3 percent salary adjustment.
He pointed out that staff received no increases in 2004 and only a 2 percent increase for each of the previous four years. This will mean a 1 percent addition for programs.
If the Cooperative Program budget is met, SBC causes will receive $17,554,500.
Alabama Baptist causes, including the State Board of Missions, the three cooperating colleges and the 10 other entities, commissions and auxiliaries, will be supported by $24,445,500.
SBOM members also approved a challenge budget of $42.5 million dollars.
Receipts in the challenge budget will be divided according to the same percentages as the Cooperative Program budget.
Also approved at the Aug. 20 meeting were offerings for the five special offerings sponsored by Alabama Baptists.
The goals for the offerings total $17,425,000.
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