One of our SBC Voices buddies, the SBC Plodder, has posted some excellently “wild and crazy” ideas about the Cooperative Program today, called “Three Outrageous Suggestions for the Cooperative Program.” Who knows, that might find its way on here later in the week. One of the suggestions he made is to reduce the number of Trustees for each of our entities. I think it is good, but I am going to suggest something that goes the other way a little.
The state conventions in New Work states like Iowa, the Dakotas, Minnesota-Wisconsin and others are largely dependent on NAMB funding. Obviously, NAMB funding is a drying stream right now and budget cuts are being made. I understand that. Kevin Ezell and the Board of Trustees at NAMB can’t print money and they are having to make cuts. If people don’t give through the CP, their funding is cut, ours is likely to be cut as well. That’s a reality.
But here’s my complaint. The state conventions I mentioned above are all below the line to qualify for representation on boards and agencies. Iowa has no trustees on the IMB. The Dakotas get no representation at NAMB. None of the seminaries have trustees from Minnesota-Wisconsin. I’m not sure how many other state conventions are in that same boat.
But we get no representation on the Boards that are discussing and deciding our future. Somehow, it just doesn’t seem fair.
The budget cuts that are coming may be both necessary and fair. But it does not seem fair that the Boards that make these decisions have no representation from the Upper Midwest conventions.
