No one pays attention to Cooperative Program this early in the fiscal year (runs Oct 1 to Sep 30). Sage Baptist bean counters tell me to wait until January to see how things are going. But the Executive Committee gives a report every month, partly to keep their positive headline writing skills sharp, so I’d like them to know that at least one person reads these articles.
As of October 31, gifts received by the Executive Committee for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget totaled $15,207,651.44. This exceeded October 2018’s budget contribution of $14,454,637.36 by $753,014.08 or 5.21 percent. However, the amount given is less than the $16,375,000.00 monthly budgeted projection to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America by $1,167,348.56 or 7.13 percent.
Not sure why designated gifts are up so much for one month. Too early for Lottie. Too late for Annie. I bet someone in Nashville knows, though.
Designated gifts received in October amounted to $3,853,253.08. This total was $510,794.47 or 15.28 percent above gifts of $3,342,458.61 received last October. Designated contributions include the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions, Southern Baptist Global Hunger Relief, Disaster Relief and other special gifts.
Yet to come: any new CP increase initiative by our new EC CEO. I understand that staffing and crises have sucked up most of the air in the building.
