By Neisha Roberts
The Alabama Baptist
It’s a high honor for churches to be recognized as top Cooperative Program (CP) givers in the state.
For Danny Wood, pastor of Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Vestavia Hills, it’s something he’s been able to lead his church to do for more than 20 years.
Wood was born in Birmingham but moved as a child with his family to Atlanta at the age of 5 and was raised in a CP-supporting church plant. As an adult Wood joined Shades Mountain Baptist as a member under the pastoral leadership of Charles T. Carter, also a firm supporter of CP giving.
Just as Wood was taught about the importance of CP throughout his life, he tries to lead his church in that direction.
“The DNA of our church is missions, and we set up our budget so that 10 percent of all the receipts coming into our budget go out through CP. That’s just the starting point,” Wood said.
“Our goal is to have 20 to 25 percent that comes in to go out.”
On the opening day of the Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting Nov. 15, Shades Mountain Baptist was recognized for giving the largest amount of money through CP in the state in 2015 — $768,504.12.
Fairfield Highlands Baptist Church, Midfield, was recognized for giving the largest per capita giving — $338.20.
Pastor Ed Cruce said his church is a “strong missions-minded church and through the years it has never considered reducing CP or just maintaining it.”
The church gives at least 15 percent of its receipts through CP and “it’s just part of who we are,” Cruce said. “We lead our church in that way because that’s the lifeline that Southern Baptists have to help one another reach the whole world with the gospel. … [Through CP] we can have a share in what God is doing throughout the world.”
Pisgah Baptist Church, Selma, was recognized for giving the greatest percentage of undesignated giving — 26.33 percent.
Tom Stacey, director of missions (DOM) for Selma Baptist Association, and newly appointed DOM for Cahaba Baptist Association said, “It doesn’t surprise me that [Pastor Harold Arnold’s church] would give so strongly,” noting that the church is small in membership.
“I don’t care if a church has five, 500 or 5,000 members, that kind of attitude and spirit is really admirable.”
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