FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (BP)--Despite a shaky economy, messengers to the annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia acknowledged their "God-sized" mission task Nov. 18 and adopted a 2010 budget of $14 million, about 1.4 percent larger than 2009's budget, which is expected to see a shortfall.

Next year's budget, approved by messengers during the BGAV's Nov. 17-18 annual meeting, is $200,000 more than the current $13.8 million allocated for state, national and international ministries.

Though allocations for most line items in the 2010 budget are similar to this year's, a significant change eliminates a popular supplement for ministers' and church staff retirement, which in 2010 would have totaled about $250,000. Left intact was a supplement for ministers' and church staff life and disability insurance.

A messenger's attempt to restore the retirement supplement and cut the insurance supplement failed by a large margin.

The budget action was taken during a meeting low in attendance but high in enthusiasm for BGAV mission and ministries. The 984 registered messengers -- the second smallest at an annual meeting since 1975 -- welcomed representatives of national and international mission partner organizations, who shared the stage with BGAV leaders during a multimedia celebration of their common task.

Messengers also elected officers for 2010 and heard three ministers interpret the meeting's theme -- "A Time for Extravagance."

The theme accurately reflected the budget committee's call to meet the challenge of funding ministry in a recession-wracked economy. BGAV treasurer Eddie Stratton has reported that the current $13.8 million budget will see a shortfall, perhaps by more than $800,000.

"Either we could do what we did last year and make the budget meet our projected income, and our budget this year would be substantially lower," said budget committee member Billy Burford, who presented the proposal on behalf of committee chair Tom McCann. "Or we could meet the challenge. And that's what we did."

"Kingdom Advance is a challenge and it takes money to do it," added Burford, administrator at First Baptist Church in Richmond. "So the budget before you represents what the budget committee believes is necessary to carry out the goals and aspirations of Kingdom Advance and to meet the needs of our partners."

McCann, who was unable to attend this year's meeting, told the Virginia Baptist Mission Board in October that the proposed 2010 budget would be larger than this year's.

"Costs increase. We can't get around that," McCann said then. "We can decide to go out of business and sell everything. Or we can understand we have a God-sized job to do and do it as free and faithful Baptists in Virginia."