OPINION

CP up 1.70% for the year

Baptist Press
Baptist Press  |  Jan 07, 2013
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NASHVILLE (BP) -- Year-to-date contributions to Southern Baptist national and international missions and ministries received by the SBC Executive Committee are 1.70 percent above the same period last year, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President Frank Page. The total includes receipts from state conventions and fellowships, churches and individuals for distribution according to the 2012-13 SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget.

As of Dec. 31, gifts received by the Executive Committee for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget totaled $45,019,758.93, or $750,555.16 above the $44,269,203.77 received through December 2011.

"We are so grateful for the faithful contributions of God's people to support the Convention's missions and ministry enterprises, especially given the economic hardships so many continue to face," Page said. "After several years of serious financial difficulties, I am guardedly optimistic that the economic prospects of our people have begun to stabilize."

For the month, a total of $14,433,737.25 was received for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget.

Meanwhile, year-to-date designated giving of $11,193,104.15 is 4.34 percent, or $507,238.92, below gifts of $11,700,343.07 received at this point last year. This total includes only those gifts received and distributed by the Executive Committee and does not reflect designated gifts contributed directly to SBC entities.

The CP and designated giving totals represent money received by the Executive Committee by the close of the last business day of each month. Month-to-month swings reflect a number of factors, including the number of Sundays in a given month, the day of the month churches forward their CP contributions to their state conventions and the timing of when state conventions forward the national portion of their CP contributions to the Executive Committee.

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For the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget, the year-to-date total of $45,019,758.93 is 95.79 percent of the $47,000,000 budgeted to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America.

The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists' method of supporting missions and ministry efforts of state and regional conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention.

The Cooperative Program total includes receipts from individuals, churches, state conventions and fellowships for distribution according to the 2012-13 SBC 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. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).

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