CP exceeds budget for 5th year in a row, screameth the headline fromt he executive committee following the year-end report of the Cooperative Program year for 2018/2019. Budgets were conservative; thus, the point that CP revenues exceed budegary reuqirements. I like prudence in budgeting.
Actual dollars from the churches through the state conventions to the executive committee for distribution to the entities are less than they were last fiscal year.
While the budget total was exceeded, year-over-year gifts remained relatively flat with a slight decrease
of $313,124.70, or 0.16 percent below last year’s total of $197,044,828.14.
Southern Baptists gave less to the Cooperative Program than they did last year. The result is inescapable: the missions boards, seminaries, amd the ERLC had slightly less CP revenues to spend. Reasons for this are the usual suspects: churches giving slightly less, states keeping slightly more.
One could say that the tiny decrease shows a flat line for revenues for the venerable CP.
I’m sure Ronnie has a plan. We will get to see it one day. As for now, one can choose their labels: we are consistent, level, flat, in the doldrums; strong but not getting any stronger; slightly declining but still quite robust; you pick your decsription.
While this isn’t the most important item for this week. It is important every month.
Do you know what states are “…keeping slightly more”? If churches are giving less (through the states), then the states actually have less to pass along, which is not a state problem. North Carolina has consistently increased the budget amount to CP by .5 percent annually for 13 years and is slated to do the same next year. Of course, if the dollars are decreasing from the churches, that budget increase would not appear to be a dollar increase in Nashville.
I don’t offhand. When the states have their meetings in November I expect this will be reported.
In Tennessee we have been moving towards an equal distribution of funds between SBC and TBC causes for many years. In FY 2011, total CP receipts in TN were $34.76 million with 40% allocated to SBC. In FY2019 (ending October 31, 2019), we are projecting that total CP receipts in TN will be right at $34.50 million with 47.12% allocated to the SBC. So, with CP receipts essentially level over this period, approximately $2.5 million more will be allocated to SBC from TN in 2019 (with a corresponding $2.5 million decrease to TBC causes) than in 2011. The cumulative effect… Read more »
Thanks for the info. Many states have done the same.
…and go dawgs.
Frankly, until there is full disclosure on salaries of entity presidents and vice presidents this will most probably continue. Why should churches sent money on to an organization which refuses to honor their own constitution and by laws and fully disclose salaries, outside contracts, reserves, etc? In addition, many of us believe it is time to combine entities. State conventions can do what NAMB is doing. This denomination is made up of small churches struggling to pay their pastors decent wages, it is disheartening to watch millions of dollars go into organizations without true disclosure. When church members hear about… Read more »
I don’t think the lack of public disclosure of entity head compensation factors into CP giving on the macro scale. The trend is longrunning. I have long favored, however, greater transparency in finances including voluntary disclosure of CEO pay.