As of Dec. 31, the year-to-date total of $46,958,455.62 for Cooperative Program (CP) missions is $299,521.08 below the $47,257,976.70 received at the same point a year earlier. For the month, receipts of $13,713,951.49 were 2.56 percent, or $359,827.41, below the $14,073,778.90 received in December 2008.
Designated giving of $13,233,148.31 for the same year-to-date period is 20.30 percent, or $2,232,635.96, ahead of gifts of $11,000,512.35 received at this point last year. The $4,386,363.86 in designated gifts received last month is $1,051,159.10 above the $3,335,204.76 received in December 2008, an increase of 31.52 percent.
For the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget, the year-to-date total of $46,958,455.62 is 91.90 percent of the $51,096,398.16 budgeted to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America. The SBC operates on an Oct. 1-Sept. 30 fiscal year.
During the last fiscal year, Southern Baptists topped the $200-million mark for the third year in a row and overall giving to national causes surpassed the $400-million benchmark for a second straight year.
The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists' method of supporting missions and ministry efforts of state conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Cooperative Program total includes receipts from individuals, churches, state conventions and fellowships for distribution according to the 2009-10 Cooperative Program Allocation Budget.
Designated contributions include the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions, Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund and other special gifts.
State and regional conventions retain a portion of church contributions to the Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program to support work in their respective areas and forward a percentage to Southern Baptist national and international causes. The percentage of distribution is at the discretion of each state or regional convention.
Compiled by Baptist Press staff.
Copyright (c) 2010 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press www.BPNews.net
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