Cooperative Program

Friends,

Tom Ascol has opened up a blog on the Cooperative Program over at Founders that is worth a read. I believe it is becoming very clear that many pastors are looking for a change in the way CP funds are handled and distributed. In fact, it appears many pastors are also looking to change things in a major way- including an end to state conventions. The two thoughts may not seem at first to be connected, unless you understand how the CP works.

Typically, local Southern Baptist churches determine a percentage of their tithes and offerings to go to the CP. Churches can designate a specific amount to give to it monthly or yearly, if they wish, but generally, most churches choose a percentage. That percentage is then distributed to one’s state convention. The state convention determines how much of those funds stay in the state and how much are forwarded to the Southern Baptist Convention. Let me illustrate this using Indiana as an example.

Let’s say New Hope Baptist Church votes to give 10% to the Cooperative Program from its undesignated gifts. Bob gives $100 in an offering. $10 of that offering is sent to the state convention. In Indiana, the stay-in-state CP funds/national distribution is 64.5/35.5. Thus, $6.45 stays in Indiana to fund convention ministries and salaries. $3.55 is sent to national. The last time I checked, the International Mission Board receives 50% of all CP giving- so of the $3.55 that made it to the national convention, roughly $1.77 goes to international missions. The remaining $1.77 is distributed about 6 different ways to national missions, seminaries, ethics and religious liberties committee, etc. (Neither Lifeway nor Guidestone receive any CP funds- in fact, Lifeway gives some of its profits to the CP- so do consider that the next time you purchase a book).

The question some are raising is "why have the state conventions at all that take so much of our giving?" That is a question worth debating. I think that in some of the old line southern states, this is a question truly in need of being answered. I am not ready to say that state conventions in such states should go, but I do believe most of them could certainly thin themselves down to give more out of state to the CP. Tom sites Florida, for example- they keep 60% in state- I think that could change. In more pioneer states, the question, in my opinion, is actually reversed. State Conventions play a key role in pioneer states. I think someone suggested on the Founders Blog that NAMB assume all of the state conventions. What they don’t know is that in pioneer states NAMB is already heavily engaged- most state convention employees and even directors of missions must be NAMB approved and receive NAMB funding and benefits. And for what it’s worth, I believe Indiana is on a very noble path of trying to reach a 50/50 split between in and out of state CP giving by decreasing the in-state CP funds by 1% until the goal is reached.

Thoughts?

Blessings,
TJ